Migrating from TYPO3 to WordPress is a smart move for many businesses. While TYPO3 is powerful, it often requires technical expertise and can be hard to manage for non-developers. On the other hand, WordPress is user-friendly, flexible, and widely supported.
But here’s the catch: migration isn’t just about moving data from one CMS to another. It involves careful planning, testing, and execution. One mistake could cost you your SEO rankings or break your website. That’s why having a solid pre-migration checklist is so important.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to consider before you migrate your TYPO3 site to WordPress. Whether you’re doing this in-house or hiring an agency, this checklist will help you stay organized, minimize risks, and ensure a smooth transition.
- Why Migrate from TYPO3 to WordPress?
- Pre-Migration Checklist for TYPO3 to WordPress
- Audit Your Existing TYPO3 Site
- Backup Your TYPO3 Website
- Choose the Right WordPress Hosting
- Install a Fresh WordPress Setup
- Select a Theme That Matches Your Brand
- Plan Your URL Structure
- Set Up WordPress Plugins
- Prepare the Database and Content Mapping
- Set Up a Staging Environment
- Check Mobile Responsiveness
- Optimize for SEO
- Test Site Functionality
- Finalize Legal and Compliance Aspects
- Prepare for Go-Live
- Final Thoughts
- TYPO3 to WordPress Migration FAQs
Why Migrate from TYPO3 to WordPress?
Before diving into the checklist, let’s understand why this move makes sense for many businesses:
- Ease of Use: WordPress has a much friendlier user interface compared to TYPO3.
- Large Plugin Ecosystem: You can find a plugin for almost anything in WordPress.
- SEO-Friendly: WordPress offers numerous SEO tools and themes optimized for search.
- Lower Development Costs: You’ll find more developers and agencies who work with WordPress, reducing your long-term costs.
- Community Support: WordPress has a vast community of users and developers ready to help.
Know more: WordPress Disaster Recovery Best Practices
Pre-Migration Checklist for TYPO3 to WordPress
Start by clearly defining what you’re moving:
- Pages and blog posts
- Media files (images, PDFs, videos)
- Menus and navigation
- User accounts (if any)
- Metadata (SEO titles, descriptions)
- Forms and contact information
Pro Tip: Make a spreadsheet to track each content type and whether it will be migrated, recreated, or discarded.
Audit Your Existing TYPO3 Site
Before migration, audit your TYPO3 website thoroughly. This step helps you avoid migrating outdated or irrelevant content. Check for broken links, duplicate content, orphan pages, unused media files, and on-performing pages (based on analytics).
Use tools like:
- Google Analytics
- Google Search Console
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Transitioning with clean and optimized content gives you a fresh start in WordPress.
Backup Your TYPO3 Website
Always take a full backup of your TYPO3 site before making any changes. Include database, media files, extensions and templates, and configuration files. Store the backup in multiple locations (local and cloud). You never know when you might need it.
Learn: How To Fine-Tune Your WordPress Website For Optimal Performance
Choose the Right WordPress Hosting
Your WordPress site needs a robust hosting environment. Look for hosting providers that offer:
- WordPress-specific features (1-click install, staging environment)
- High uptime guarantees
- Fast page load speed
- Strong security
- Reliable customer support
Popular options include:
- SiteGround
- WP Engine
- Kinsta
- Bluehost
Install a Fresh WordPress Setup
Once hosting is ready, install a clean WordPress instance. Avoid using demo content or pre-installed themes. This helps you:
- Prevent unnecessary bloat
- Start with a clean architecture
- Easily map TYPO3 content into WordPress
Select a Theme That Matches Your Brand
WordPress offers thousands of themes. Choose one that closely resembles your existing site layout or the new design you want to implement. Make sure your theme is:
- Responsive (mobile-friendly)
- SEO-optimized
- Compatible with major plugins
- Lightweight and fast
If possible, use a child theme to customize it without affecting future updates.
Plan Your URL Structure
This step is critical for SEO. Try to maintain the same URLs as your TYPO3 site to avoid broken links or traffic loss. If URL changes are necessary:
- Create 301 redirects for all old URLs
- Update your sitemap
- Notify Google Search Console of the changes
Plugins like Redirection can help you manage this easily.
Set Up WordPress Plugins
You’ll need several plugins to match TYPO3’s functionality. Some essentials include:
- Yoast SEO or Rank Math (for SEO)
- WPForms or Gravity Forms (for forms)
- UpdraftPlus (for backups)
- Wordfence or Sucuri (for security)
- Elementor or Beaver Builder (for design flexibility)
Install and configure them early so they’re ready when the content is imported.
Prepare the Database and Content Mapping
TYPO3 and WordPress use different data structures. You’ll need to map how content fields in TYPO3 correspond to those in WordPress.
| TYPO3 Field | WordPress Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Page Title | Post Title |
| Body Text | Post Content |
| Meta Description | SEO Meta Description (via plugin) |
| Image Assets | Media Library |
Use migration tools or scripts to extract data from TYPO3 and import into WordPress.
Set Up a Staging Environment
Never migrate directly to the live site. Always use a staging environment to test design and layout, check plugin compatibility, review content formatting, and fix any migration bugs. Once everything looks good, you can push it live.
Check Mobile Responsiveness
After migration, ensure your WordPress site looks great on all devices. Test on:
- iOS and Android phones
- Tablets
- Multiple screen sizes
Use tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test or BrowserStack.
Optimize for SEO
Your SEO rankings can take a hit during migration. Prevent this by:
- Retaining original meta tags
- Creating 301 redirects
- Submitting updated XML sitemap
- Installing and configuring an SEO plugin
- Optimizing load time (compress images, use caching)
Use Google Search Console to monitor crawl errors post-migration.
Test Site Functionality
Manually test all core functions:
- Contact forms
- Search functionality
- Navigation menus
- Internal links
- Custom post types or widgets
This ensures everything is working as expected before going live.
Finalize Legal and Compliance Aspects
Make sure your WordPress site includes:
- Updated Privacy Policy
- Terms and Conditions
- Cookie Consent
- GDPR-compliance plugins (if applicable)
These elements are often overlooked during migration.
Prepare for Go-Live
Before switching the domain to point to your new WordPress site:
- Backup your staging version
- Confirm all redirects are in place
- Recheck analytics and tracking codes
- Test page speed with tools like GTmetrix or PageSpeed Insights
Once confident, update your DNS settings to go live.
Also read: Contentful to WordPress Tips for Maximizing Performance After Migration
Final Thoughts
Migrating from TYPO3 to WordPress is not just a technical task—it’s a strategic move. With the right preparation, you can make the transition seamless, improve your website’s performance, and enhance user experience.
Use this pre-migration checklist as your go-to guide. Whether you’re a developer or a business owner managing the transition, following these steps will help avoid common pitfalls.
And remember, plan first, migrate second.
TYPO3 to WordPress Migration FAQs
The timeline depends on the size and complexity of your site. Small sites can take a few days, while larger enterprise-level sites might take several weeks.
Not if you follow SEO best practices like 301 redirects, proper metadata transfer, and sitemap updates. Always monitor your rankings post-migration.
Not directly. TYPO3 extensions and WordPress plugins have different architectures. You’ll need to find equivalent WordPress plugins and manually configure them.
While small, simple sites may be migrated manually using tools, larger or custom-built TYPO3 sites usually require a developer or agency with experience in both CMS platforms.