How to Migrate from Joomla or Drupal to WordPress

Introduction

WordPress is the world’s most widely used CMS, and many Joomla or Drupal users end up migrating to WordPress for its ease of use and huge ecosystem of plugins and templates.

Migrating from one CMS to another isn’t trivial, but with the right tools it’s quite simple. In this article you’ll see how to migrate your website from Joomla or Drupal to WordPress without losing content.

What is and isn’t preserved when migrating

Element	Is it preserved?
Articles and pages	Yes, they migrate
Images and files	Yes, they migrate
Categories and tags	Yes, they migrate
Users	Yes, normally
Comments	Depends on the tool
Design (theme)	No, you have to choose a new one for WordPress
URLs	You have to redirect them to not lose SEO
Extensions/modules	No, they’re replaced by WordPress plugins

The most important thing: content does migrate (articles, pages, images). What doesn’t migrate is the design and specific functionalities, which have to be recreated in WordPress.

Before you start

Step 1: Make a full backup

Before touching anything, make a complete backup of your Joomla or Drupal website. If something goes wrong, you can go back.

Step 2: Install WordPress in a new environment

Don’t migrate on the fly. Install WordPress in a subdomain or new folder, like new.yourdomain.com, so your current website keeps working while you migrate.

At miHosting you can create a subdomain easily from cPanel. Or use a staging environment.

Step 3: Choose a WordPress theme

Before migrating content, choose a WordPress theme that resembles your current design. It facilitates the process.

How to migrate from Joomla to WordPress

Method 1: With the FG Joomla to WordPress plugin

It’s the most used plugin for this migration.

1. Install and activate FG Joomla to WordPress in your new WordPress.
2. Go to Tools → Import Joomla (FG).
3. Fill in the database connection details for your Joomla:
   • Host (usually localhost).
   • Port.
   • Database name.
   • Username and password.
   • Table prefix (usually jos_ or mlfx_).
4. Click Modify the database (test) to check the connection.
5. If everything goes well, click Import content from Joomla to WordPress.

[Imagen sugerida: screenshot of the FG Joomla to WordPress plugin]

The plugin imports:

• Articles (as posts).
• Categories.
• Images (downloads and links them).
• Users.
• Menus.

Final step: redirect URLs

After migration, you have to redirect old URLs to new ones to not lose SEO. The FG plugin includes a tool for this in the Redirects tab.

How to migrate from Drupal to WordPress

Method 1: With the FG Drupal to WordPress plugin

Similar to Joomla’s:

1. Install and activate FG Drupal to WordPress.
2. Go to Tools → Import Drupal (FG).
3. Fill in the database connection details for your Drupal.
4. Test the connection.
5. Import the content.

[Imagen sugerida: screenshot of the FG Drupal to WordPress plugin]

The plugin migrates:

• Nodes (as posts or pages).
• Taxonomy terms (categories).
• Attached images.
• Users.

Method 2: Manual export and import

If your Drupal is very old or very customized, you may need to export content to an intermediate format (like XML or CSV) and then import it to WordPress with tools like WP All Import.

Post-migration tasks

Once content is migrated, there are several important tasks:

1. Review content

Go through the migrated pages and articles. Check that:

• Images show.
• Internal links work.
• Formatting has been preserved.

2. Configure redirects

It’s critical for SEO. Each old URL must redirect to the new one with a 301 redirect. Use the Redirection plugin to manage it.

Without redirects, Google penalizes you for duplicate content and you lose gained ranking.

3. Rebuild functionalities

Joomla or Drupal modules don’t exist in WordPress. You have to find equivalent plugins:

• Forms → Contact Form 7, WPForms.
• SEO → Yoast SEO, Rank Math.
• Cache → LiteSpeed Cache, WP Rocket.
• Security → Wordfence.

4. Configure SSL

If your Joomla website had SSL, your new WordPress must too. At miHosting it’s free with Let’s Encrypt.

5. Review Search Console

In Google Search Console, check that new URLs are indexed and old ones redirect correctly.

Useful tips

• Don’t delete the old website until the new one works. Keep both for a few weeks.
• Test in a subdomain. Don’t migrate in production directly.
• Redirect ALL important URLs. A single non-redirected URL can cost you ranking.
• Back up before and after. Before starting and after finishing.
• Patience with images. Sometimes images migrate poorly and have to be re-associated manually.

Common problems

Images don’t migrate

Check that the Joomla/Drupal image path is accessible from WordPress. FG Plugins have a “Download media” option you must enable.

Old URLs give 404

You have to configure 301 redirects. Use the Redirection plugin and map old URLs to new ones.

Content looks poorly formatted

Each CMS formats content differently. You may need to review and adjust important articles manually.

I lose Google ranking

301 redirects transfer most of the SEO, but there may be a temporary drop of a few weeks. If redirects are well done, you recover.

The migration plugin doesn’t connect to the database

Check that the Joomla/Drupal database user has permissions to connect from outside. On some hosts remote connections must be allowed.

Frequently asked questions

Is it difficult to migrate from Joomla or Drupal to WordPress?

With FG plugins, it’s not difficult. What takes time is reviewing migrated content and configuring redirects.

How long does migration take?

It depends on the website’s size. A small website migrates in minutes; a large website with thousands of articles can take hours.

Do I lose SEO when migrating?

No, if you configure 301 redirects well. Without redirects, yes you can lose ranking.

Can I migrate the design too?

Not directly. You have to choose a new WordPress theme and adapt it. The design doesn’t migrate automatically.

Is migrating worth it?

For most users, yes. WordPress is easier, has more plugins and the largest community. But if your Joomla or Drupal works well and you don’t need to change, it’s not mandatory.

Migrate smartly and lose nothing

Migrating from Joomla or Drupal to WordPress is a technical process, but with the right tools it’s quite straightforward. The key is to do it carefully, in a test environment, and to configure redirects well to not lose SEO.

If you prefer us to handle it, at miHosting we offer free migration with our WordPress hosting plans. Our technicians migrate your website without you having to do anything. Open a ticket from your client panel and we’ll tell you.