Migrating Joomla to WordPress: A Step-by-Step Guide

Joomla is a powerful content management system, but it still lacks behind when we compare it with the WordPress. This comparison doesn’t make Joomla any less powerful, but considering the fact that WordPress powers more number of websites, has a better number of plugins and themes in the catalogue.

This offers tonnes of extension options, thus, making it a better contender. So far, your website has done well with Joomla, but now you’re planning to make it even better.

Moving to the WordPress is definitely a better plan. However, the process requires you to learn a couple of new things. In this detailed guide, I’ll be covering everything that will help you migrate a website from Joomla to WordPress.

Prerequisite

Before you move ahead with the actual procedure, there are a few things need attention.

Before making any changes, it is important to take a full backup of everything which is part of Joomla website. Once the backup is ready, keep this file on the local system.

WordPress is simple, but it features tonnes of elements inside. Also, the way tools work in WordPress is different in Joomla. So, it will be a wise decision to get familiar with how WordPress works and what all it features inside.

It if feels too much of work, then staying with Joomla is the safer option. Or, you can join a course and learn new things about WordPress. The main point here is to get familiar with the new ground.

There is a Joomla website in the scene, but there is no WordPress website at this time. So, the first thing is to get a new domain, a new web host, and install the WordPress script in this new configuration.

Once the host is bought and the domain is configured, you need to login into the cPanel and hit the SimpleScripts or the WordPress icon available inside.

It will take you to the WordPress installation procedure which is very simple. You just need to select the domain, enter login details and hit the button which takes care of rest of the things.

The procedure will be over within 1-2 minutes, depending on the speed of the server and you’ll be greeted with login details and access to the Dashboard area of the newly installed WordPress site.

This was the prerequisite section of this guide on how to migrate Joomla site to WordPress. Considering the Joomla website is already ready, you are ready to proceed.

How to Migrate Joomla to WordPress?

The procedure is simple, but you need to have proper attention at every step. Make sure you follow each and every step, as mentioned below.

Step 1 – As I mentioned about the number of plugins available for WordPress, there is also a plugin to handle this migration. FG Joomla to WordPress is the one you need to look for. So, login to the Dashboard area and click on Add New button under Plugins heading.

Step 2 – Now, enter the name of the plugin and hit the Install Now button once found. As the installation procedure is over, hit the Activate Plugin button.

Step 3 – Login to the Joomla site and under the System heading, click on the Global Configuration option. Yes, it’s available on the drop-down menu.

Step 4 – Inside this, click on the Server option which holds the information related to the database. Take a screenshot or note down these details or keep the tab opened.

Step 5 – Get back to the WordPress Dashboard, and click on the Import button available under the Tools heading. At this page, the plugin you installed earlier will be mentioned and you need to click on the same.

Step 6 – Hit the Empty WordPress content button which dumps everything which is available on this website right now.

Step 7 – Moving next, you need to enter the URL of the Joomla website and then the Database details which are opened in the other tab.

Step 8 – There are a bunch of options which can be selected as per the configuration you wish to set. Like the new posts can be imported in Draft or can be directly Published, as it is.

Step 9 – If the media files on the Joomla site are not that heavy, then go ahead with the same set of configuration for the Media files. If they are heavy, you can either skip it (later upload them manually) or use the Force media import option to set a timed out limit.

Step 10 – Select the last option which imports meta keywords as tags in the new WordPress site. And, hit the Start/Resume the Import button available at the bottom.

Step 11 – At last, once the import part is over, head over to the same plugin page again, and inside, click on an option which is labelled as, Modify Internal Links.

Conclusion

Now that everything seems to be over, only the migration part is finished. WordPress has more options than Joomla, depending on the theme and plugins installed.

So, you need to invest more time configuring everything before making the website public again. In case you don’t want the users to see the configuration details, you can take help of a maintenance mode available inside the WordPress.

There are also a few free plugins and themes available which can set a maintenance page for a short while.

How was the procedure of migrating Joomla to WordPress at your end?

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