How I Migrate My Clients From WordPress to Webflow

This article is Part Two in my blog series on moving from WordPress to Webflow. If you haven’t already, start with Part One: Why I Migrate My Clients From WordPress to Webflow to learn why Webflow is the better long-term investment for security, performance, and accessibility.

Migrating from WordPress to Webflow isn’t just a platform switch, it’s an opportunity to rethink everything. Before I even begin exporting a single line of content, I kick off every migration project with a deep discovery and planning process.

We’re not just porting data—we’re rebuilding purposefully.

I start by understanding the client’s vision, goals, and target audience. I conduct a full brand audit to assess visual identity, a color contrast audit to prepare for WCAG conformance, and a design audit to assess layout consistency and usability challenges in their existing site. I ask questions like:

• What do you love about your current website?
• What frustrates you the most?
• What functionality is missing?
• Which integrations have never quite worked?

This helps me uncover the real reasons for the migration and sets the foundation for what the new site will actually solve.

💡 Pro Tip: Don’t migrate for the sake of migration. Rebuild with intention. Discovery saves hours later!

✅ Checklist Before Migration Begins:

• Conduct brand, design, and color audits
• Interview client for platform pain points and feature goals
• Document desired changes per page
• Identify outdated integrations or plugin dependencies
• Confirm target audiences and accessibility requirements

Once this initial phase is complete, we’re ready to build a roadmap with confidence and avoid surprises later in the build.

I Always Start With Strategy, Not Export

💡 Pro Tip: A solid sitemap is your best defense against scope creep and missed expectations. Spend the time up front—it pays off tenfold!

I don’t jump straight into exporting WordPress content. The first thing I do is map out a detailed sitemap, usually starting during the proposal or estimate process. This sitemap becomes the foundation of the entire migration. It includes every page name and current URL, a list of complex components on each page, and flags for CMS collections that will need to be rebuilt in Webflow. I also include a dedicated column to track anything the client wants to change or add—this helps ensure the new site will actually solve the problems the old one didn’t. Later we will add page titles, metadata here and 301 redirect info, keeping it all in one spreadsheet for organized tracking.

Once the sitemap is finalized, I move directly into the wireframing stage—not content export. I use Relume’s AI site map and wireframe builder to quickly generate a visual layout based on our blueprint. From there, I hand-pick from a library of over 1,000 components to assemble the bones of the site. I cannot stress this enough: if you’re a developer and you’re not already using Relume, please subscribe—this workflow relies heavily on it.

P.S. Developers if you are not already subscribed to Relume - please subscribe now or this tutorial will not work for you. 😉

Exporting Wireframes Into Webflow the Smart Way

💡 Pro Tip: Always start from a clean starter project when importing from Relume. It helps avoid class conflicts and layout issues that can creep in later.

I use the Relume Site Builder Import App within Webflow to transfer entire projects directly; including sitemaps, pages, and pre-wired components. This allows me to build the bones of the site with precision, using the structure we defined during the wireframing phase.

Then I move into polishing up my Client-First framework. I make sure I have the Finsweet browser extension installed and use the app in Webflow to create clean up Client-First folder naming conventions that align with best practices. Naming is crucial in scalable Webflow projects, and Client-First conventions help keep every element clear, purposeful, and maintainable.

To learn more about Client-First please do this 7 day scheduled learning guide. You'll thank me later!

Establishing Visual Consistency Through Variables

💡 Pro Tip: Build out your variables before applying any styles. It keeps your site scalable and ensures you’re always designing with inclusive design in mind.

Before adding content, I set up all my global variables; starting with colors. I use the EightShapes Contrast Grid to ensure every palette combination is WCAG-conformant, and my go-to color inspiration source is the Tailwind UI color generator. Once I’m satisfied with my color palette, I move on to fonts. I typically select and license fonts through Adobe Fonts, then integrate them into Webflow using my API key.

This early attention to design tokens means that once I do begin applying styles, they are consistent, accessible, and easy to update globally.

Exporting WordPress CMS Content Into Webflow

Once the Webflow environment is structured and ready, it’s time to turn our attention to WordPress CMS data. This is a critical part of the migration process and one that requires precision.

To begin, I use plugins like WP All Export or WP CSV Export to extract CMS data from WordPress. These tools allow me to export structured content: including blog posts, case studies, team members, testimonials, and more; into clean CSV files.

💡 Pro Tip: Back up your WordPress site before exporting anything. Plugin conflicts or version mismatches can introduce errors into your export files.

Once exported, I carefully open and inspect the CSVs to:

• Clean up formatting
• Identify missing or inconsistent fields
• Flag any accessibility concerns (e.g., missing alt text or improper heading structure)

Setting Up Webflow CMS Collections

💡 Pro Tip: Structure your CMS around future flexibility. Build for what your site needs now, but leave room for growth; especially for categories, tags, or dynamic relationships.

Before importing the data, I build out corresponding Collections inside Webflow for each content type. This means:

• Creating fields that map exactly to the columns in the CSV (e.g., Name, Body, Image, Alt Text, Summary, etc.)
• Setting field limits (like 60 characters for SEO titles, 150 for Metadata)
• Creating reference or multi-reference fields when needed (for tags, categories, or relationships) - these can get more complex and may require a more manual approach!

When done correctly, this creates a one-to-one match between the CSV and Webflow CMS, reducing import friction.

Importing CSV Data into Webflow CMS

Webflow’s native CSV importer allows me to import the content directly into the correct Collection. I map each CSV column to its corresponding Webflow field. Depending on the complexity of the Collection, this may take several rounds to get exactly right.

✅ Things to Remember:

• Use consistent naming between CSV columns and CMS fields
• Ensure slugs and date formats are Webflow-compliant
• Validate rich text content to avoid broken formatting on import

After import, I spot-check several entries for formatting accuracy, missing content, or layout breakage. Once I’m confident everything transferred cleanly, I move on to styling and layout testing.

This CMS import process is often the most time-intensive but it’s also where the most SEO value is retained. Doing it right means your content not only lives in Webflow it thrives there, structured, searchable, and accessible.

I’ve done this enough times now to know where the friction points are and I smooth them out in advance.

Cleaning the Wireframe, Adding Content, and Checking Semantics

💡 Pro Tip: Don't rush into styling. Structure first. Semantics always.

I don’t jump into styling right away. Instead, I treat the Relume's imported wireframes as a rough canvas that needs refinement. I carefully go through each page, deleting what doesn’t belong, adding in anything missing, and making sure the content matches the structural intent of the new site.

Then I ensure my semantics are locked in. I check every heading for proper hierarchy, convert any text blocks that should be paragraphs, and rework any unordered or ordered lists to ensure they are semantically correct. I also tag any components that I know will require additional accessibility attention later—like custom sliders, modals, or tabbed interfaces.

Only after all that do I begin applying styles.

Rebuilding Functionality, Not Just Layouts

💡 Pro Tip: Don't try to replicate every WordPress plugin! Take this as a chance to streamline. Use native Webflow features and custom JavaScript where it makes sense or consider more robust integrations.

WordPress plugins often add layers of complex functionality—forms, filters, search, dynamic widgets, you name it. I carefully document any features on the old site that need to be rebuilt and map them to native Webflow components or custom solutions.

This is often where Webflow shines: instead of relying on brittle plugins, I can use semantic HTML, client-first structures, and custom JavaScript to build robust, accessible, and maintainable features directly into the site. These will never require subscriptions or updates that may brake accessibility features! Halleluiah!

SEO Considerations and 301 Redirects

💡 Pro Tip: Try to keep as many slugs the same as possible. If you maintain identical URLs between WordPress and Webflow, you may not need to use 301 redirects at all.

Preserving search engine rankings is critical during a migration, but smart planning can eliminate a lot of heavy lifting. During the planning phase, I evaluate which URLs we can keep the same in Webflow. Maintaining these slugs prevents unnecessary redirects and preserves SEO equity without intervention.

For any URLs that must change, I create a detailed 301 redirect plan. I compare the old WordPress slugs against the new Webflow URL structure and enter redirects directly into Webflow’s Project Settings. This ensures nothing is lost during the transition and all traffic flows to the correct pages.

Alongside URL planning, I also optimize every CMS item for SEO—either by importing metadata like titles and descriptions from the CSV or manually refining them inside Webflow. I make sure each post or page includes proper Open Graph tags, accessible alt text, and optimized heading structures.

This combination of proactive planning and manual fine-tuning ensures that SEO is preserved—and often improved—through the migration.

Building in Accessibility the Graceful Way

Many components exported from Relume aren’t accessible out of the box—and that’s okay, because we have our own solutions. At Graceful Web Studio, we maintain a growing Accessible Component Library that includes fully conformant versions of:

• Dialogs
• Lightboxes
• Carousels
• Forms
• Tabs
• Accordions

We also keep ready-to-go scripts for form validation and Finsweet’s accessible filtering and other complex components, and we build new components from scratch as needed. Every new component is built with keyboard accessibility, proper focus management, semantic structure, and WCAG conformance in mind.

In addition to structural accessibility, we apply our Graceful Accessible Style Guide to every project. This includes:

• A custom skip link
• A global focus indicator
• Reduced motion support using prefers-reduced-motion
• Standardized heading levels and ARIA where appropriate

✅ Tools We Use to Validate Accessibility:

• ARC Toolkit
• WAVE browser extension
• axe DevTools
• Manual code inspection for structure and interaction

Accessibility is not an afterthought—it’s a foundation. We build it into every stage of the migration.

Final Testing, Accessibility Checks, and Go Live

💡 Pro Tip: Accessibility testing isn’t a one-and-done. Test at every stage—especially once you’ve added motion, interactive elements, or third-party embeds.

Before publishing, I perform a complete QA pass:

• Check layout consistency across breakpoints
• Run Lighthouse and axe DevTools audits
• Verify accessibility of interactive elements
• Confirm link purpose, heading structure, and keyboard navigation

Once everything is polished, I issue the accessibility statement then I connect the domain, publish the site, and monitor the launch to ensure stability and uptime.

Migrations That Make You Better

💡 Pro Tip: Every migration is a chance to level up your content, structure, and accessibility. Don’t just port—polish!!!

This process doesn’t just migrate websites it improves them. Every step is designed to elevate the site’s accessibility, visual consistency, and usability while eliminating the technical debt that comes with outdated WordPress builds.

Migrating to Webflow isn’t just a change of platform, it’s a commitment to better performance, easier maintenance, and digital inclusion.

💬 Ready to migrate? I’d love to help you do it right, from the sitemap to the final keyboard test.

If you're looking to move your own WordPress site or help your clients make the transition, I'm available for consulting, hands-on implementation, or full-service migrations. I highly recommend making the switch if you're ready for a platform that is WCAG-conformant, stable, and easier to manage long-term.

Let’s build something better—together. Request a free quote today.