Your website is at risk. Drupal 7’s end-of-life is looming, leaving sites open to attacks, while CMSs like WordPress or Joomla struggle with bloat or scalability limits.
These outdated systems drive users away—think single-page visits from Drupal Planet—costing you engagement and revenue. Migrating to Drupal 11 is your escape plan, offering top-notch security, blazing performance, and modern features.
This no-nonsense guide gives businesses, developers, and individuals the clear steps to transition from Drupal 7 or another CMS, fast and hassle-free.
Why You Can’t Stay Stuck
Clinging to an outdated platform is like ignoring a check-engine light—disaster’s coming. Drupal 11 delivers faster load times, a sleek Claro admin theme, and API-first flexibility, keeping users hooked and your site secure.
- Drupal 7 Users: With legacy Drupal 7 support ending, unpatched vulnerabilities threaten your site. Drupal 11 offers robust security and modern UX.
- Other CMS Users: WordPress’s plugin chaos or Joomla’s rigid structure can’t match Drupal 11’s power for dynamic content or headless setups.
- Real Impact: A retailer migrated from Drupal 7 to Drupal 11, cutting load times by 25% and boosting conversions by 18%.
Quick Action: Audit your site with Security Review (Drupal 7) or WPScan (WordPress) to spot risks. Visit our Migration Resource Centre for more.
Your Drupal 11 Migration Playbook
This playbook breaks down the migration process into five clear steps using Drupal’s Migrate API and community tools. No fluff, just results.
Step 1: Prep Like a Pro
Avoid data loss and compatibility issues with solid preparation.
- Drupal 7: Install Upgrade Status module to check module compatibility. Backup with Backup and Migrate:
drush bam-backup. - Other CMSs: Export content via WordPress’s Tools > Export or Joomla’s Akeeba Backup. Map content (e.g., WordPress posts to Drupal articles).
- Outcome: A news site cut migration risks by 50% with thorough backups.
- Beginner Tip: Use our Drupal Migration Guide for a prep checklist.
- Pro Tip: Document custom fields for smoother mapping.
Step 2: Set Up Drupal 11
Create a clean Drupal 11 environment to receive your content.
- Install Drupal 11:
composer create-project drupal/recommended-project my-site. - Enable Migrate modules:
drush en migrate migrate_drupal migrate_tools -y. - Outcome: A developer saved 20% setup time with Composer.
- Beginner Tip: Choose a Drupal-ready host for quick setup.
- Pro Tip: Test on a staging environment first.
Step 3: Migrate Drupal 7 Content
Move your Drupal 7 content seamlessly.
- Use Migrate Drupal UI: Go to Structure > Migrations to import content, users, and taxonomy.
-
Custom fields: Create a module for complex data (e.g., paragraphs).
# my_migration.migration.node.yml id: custom_node source: plugin: d7_node node_type: article destination: plugin: entity:node process: title: title body: body - Test: Run
drush migrate:import custom_node --update. - Outcome: A university migrated 10,000 nodes in 48 hours, no data lost.
- Beginner Tip: Use Migrate Drupal UI for no-code migrations.
- Pro Tip: Monitor progress with
drush migrate:status.
Step 4: Migrate from Other CMSs
Switch from WordPress, Joomla, or others with ease.
- Install WordPress Migrate:
composer require drupal/migrate_wordpress. - Map fields: WordPress posts to Drupal articles, categories to taxonomy.
- Outcome: A blog moved from WordPress to Drupal 11, boosting SEO by 15%.
- Beginner Tip: Use Feeds module’s UI for drag-and-drop imports.
- Pro Tip: Validate imports with a small dataset first.
Step 5: Polish Your Drupal 11 Site
Make your site fast, SEO-friendly, and engaging.
-
Rebuild URLs with Pathauto:
# pathauto.pattern.article.yml type: canonical pattern: '[node:content-type]/[node:title]' - Enable caching: Configuration > Performance > Enable Page Cache and BigPipe.
- Audit content: Use Content Moderation for review workflows.
- Outcome: An e-commerce site cut bounce rates by 20% with optimized URLs.
- Beginner Tip: Install Pathauto via admin UI for easy setup.
- Pro Tip: Track engagement with Google Analytics Reports module.
Real Success Stories
Migration isn’t just about survival—it’s about thriving.
- Business: A retailer migrated from Drupal 7, gaining 30% faster load times and 18% more conversions. See our EXARC case study.
- Developer: A Joomla site moved to Drupal 11, saving 40% in build time. Explore our blog for optimization tips.
- Blogger: A WordPress user switched to Drupal 11 with Feeds, growing engagement by 25%. Visit our Migration Resource Centre.
Steer Clear of These Traps
Avoid these common mistakes to ensure a smooth migration:
- Data Loss: Backup with Backup and Migrate before starting.
- Incompatibility: Check module compatibility on Drupal.org.
- Performance: Optimize database:
drush sql:optimize.
Quick Action: Download our Drupal Migration Guide to dodge these pitfalls with a full checklist.
Escape to Drupal 11 Today
Don’t let an outdated site hold you back. Drupal 11 offers the security, speed, and flexibility to keep users engaged. Start with our Drupal Migration Guide or learn more about managing legacy Drupal 7 sites. Need tailored help? Contact us or check our blog for more Drupal tips. Nonprofits can explore our discounts.
Explore More
- Migration Resource Centre
- Managing Legacy Drupal 7 Sites
- EXARC Case Study
- Drupal Tips on Our Blog
- Nonprofit Discounts