Migration from Joomla to WordPress part 1 – Planning and Environment Setup

Migrating a website from Joomla to WordPress can be challenging, but it’s a common path as sites grow and need more flexibility. Joomla and WordPress are both PHP/MySQL-based CMS platforms with similar hosting requirements, yet they differ in structure and ease of use. Joomla uses a complex system of articles, categories, menus, modules, and components, while WordPress offers a more straightforward setup with posts/pages, categories/tags, and a huge ecosystem of plugins and themes. This guide provides a comprehensive step-by-step roadmap for a WordPress development team (even if unfamiliar with Joomla) to migrate a medium-to-large Joomla site into a fresh WordPress (Gutenberg-enabled) installation. We’ll cover content migration (articles, categories, menus, modules, custom post types), SEO preservation (URLs, metadata), user accounts and permissions, handling Joomla-specific extensions or custom code, and post-migration tasks like testing and optimization. The goal is a smooth transition with minimal downtime, preserving SEO rankings and content integrity, all without needing to hunt for outside resources.

Challenges & Best Practices

Migrating CMS platforms involves both database and content restructuring. Joomla’s content model (with nested categories and menu-driven page displays) doesn’t directly map one-to-one to WordPress’s model (which focuses on posts, pages, and taxonomies). Best practices include thorough preparation (backups, audits), choosing the right migration method (manual export/import vs. using a migration plugin), careful data mapping(deciding how Joomla categories and components translate to WordPress categories, pages, or custom post types), and ensuring redirects and SEO metadata are carried over to avoid losing search rankings. It’s also crucial to recreate any site functionality provided by Joomla modules or extensions using WordPress plugins or custom code. Throughout the process, maintain a staging environment to perform the migration and QA before going live. The following sections will guide you through each phase of the migration in detail.

Pre-Migration Preparations

• Audit the Joomla Site: Start by auditing the existing Joomla site. Take inventory of all content and functionality: list out all article categories, the number of articles, active menus and their items, modules (e.g., sidebars, footers, custom HTML blocks), and any components or extensions (e.g., galleries, contact forms, event managers). Identify which Joomla version the site is running (to ensure compatibility with migration tools) and note if the site is multilingual (Joomla has built-in multilingual support). Also compile all URLs of the site (you can export a sitemap or use an SEO tool to list URLs) – this will be invaluable for setting up redirects later. Determine the Joomla site’s URL structure (e.g., /category/article-title or using ID numbers) and where SEO metadata (meta descriptions, keywords) are stored (usually in article settings).
• Full Backup: Before making any changes, perform a complete backup of the Joomla site (files and database). This is critical in case something goes wrong or data is lost during migration. You can use a Joomla extension like Akeeba Backup to easily create a full backup archive. Ensure the backup is stored safely off-site. Additionally, consider setting up a local or staging copy of the Joomla site or at least exporting the Joomla database so you can run queries without affecting production.
• Set Up a WordPress Environment: Prepare a clean WordPress install (latest version, which includes the Gutenberg block editor by default). This could be on a staging server or localhost. Ensure the WordPress site is configured with the desired settings (correct timezone, pretty permalinks, etc., though permalinks will be fine-tuned later for SEO). No need to add content yet – the site should be essentially empty aside from the default “Hello World” post.
• Choose a Migration Approach: There are two primary approaches to migrate content: automated plugin tools vs. manual export/import scripts. We provide a detailed description of both approaches in Part 2 of the Migration article series (link available at the end of this blog post). For teams new to Joomla, using a specialized plugin like FG Joomla to WordPress can simplify the process by connecting to the Joomla database and transferring content automatically. This plugin (and its premium add-on) can migrate sections, categories, posts (articles), images, and even users and meta data. Alternatively, a manual migration gives more control: you would export data from Joomla (often via CSV or XML) and then import into WordPress using tools like WP All Import or custom scripts. The manual approach is more time-consuming but can be useful if the content structure needs significant transformation. Best practice is to use the method that best fits the team’s skills: if you’re comfortable writing SQL or PHP scripts to transform data, manual migration might work; otherwise, a proven plugin can save time and reduce errors. In this guide, we’ll outline both approaches where applicable. (If the Joomla site is relatively modern, the FG Joomla plugin should handle it, as it supports Joomla 1.5 through 4.x).
• Plan WordPress Structure: Decide how the content will be organized in WordPress before migrating. Map Joomla’s structure to WordPress’s structure on paper: for example, Joomla “Articles” will likely become WordPress Posts (or Pages, depending on content type). Joomla Categories can map to WordPress categories (and subcategories) similarly. Joomla’s top-level “Sections” (in older Joomla versions) also become parent categories. If the Joomla site had multiple distinct content types (for instance, a “Blog” and a “Portfolio” with different fields), you might plan to create Custom Post Types in WordPress for them. Identify any Joomla components providing special content (like an events calendar or testimonials). For each, determine if a standard WordPress feature can handle it or if you need a WordPress plugin or a custom post type. For example, Joomla’s built-in contact component could be replaced by a WordPress contact form plugin, and a Joomla “FAQ” component might be migrated to a Custom Post Type called “FAQ” on WordPress.
• Set Up Basic WordPress Configuration: On the new WordPress site, install any needed plugins that will assist in migration and post-migration tasks. For instance, install FG Joomla to WordPress importer if using that approach (in WP admin, go to Tools > Import and install the Joomla (FG) importer), or install WP All Import if planning to import CSV/XML data. Also, install an SEO plugin (like Yoast SEO or All in One SEO) now, so you can easily add SEO meta to imported content later. It’s wise to also install a redirection plugin (like Redirection) in advance, though you will configure it later when handling redirects. Finally, if the site will be multilingual in WordPress, install a multilingual plugin (such as WPML or Polylang), but hold off on configuring it until content migration is done. By preparing the environment and tools now, you’ll streamline the migration process.

Content Extraction from Joomla

Before importing anything into WordPress, you need to extract or export content from Joomla. There are a few ways to get Joomla data out:

• Using a Migration Plugin (Direct DB Connection): If using the FG Joomla to WordPress plugin, you actually don’tneed to manually export content. Instead, you will input your Joomla database credentials into the WordPress importer, and it will fetch the data directly. In that case, you can skip to the next section, as the plugin will handle extraction.
• Manual Export via Joomla Backend/Extension: Joomla doesn’t have a native “export all content” in core, but you can use extensions to export articles, categories, and more. A recommended tool is CSVI Improved (a Joomla extension for exporting data to CSV/XML). Install CSVI (or a similar export extension) on the Joomla site and configure it to export the desired content types:
  • Articles: Export at least the article title, full text (you may need to concatenate intro text + full text if Joomla separates them), category, publish dates, and if possible the article’s alias (used in the URL) and metadata (meta description, meta keywords) if you plan to migrate SEO info. Each article should also carry an identifier (like its Joomla ID) which can help in setting up redirects later.
  • Categories: Export the category names and their hierarchy (parent-child relationships). Joomla may allow exporting categories via CSVI or you can recreate them manually in WordPress. Knowing the hierarchy is important.
  • Menus: Joomla’s menu items don’t directly export via CSVI easily, but you can record the menu structure manually or export the #__menu table from the database. Menu items will be recreated in WordPress manually using the WordPress menu system, but you need the list of what links were in Joomla menus.
  • Users: If you need to migrate users, consider using a user export extension (e.g., ARRA User Export) to get a CSV of Joomla users (including username, email, name, and if possible hashed password).
  • Custom Data: If Joomla had custom components storing data (e.g., a testimonials extension), check if that extension offers an export, or get the data from the database (either via Joomla’s PHPMyAdmin or a script).
• Direct Database Export: For those comfortable with databases, you can export Joomla tables directly. For example, export the #_content table (which holds articles) as SQL or CSV. This table contains columns for title, alias, introtext, fulltext, created date, modified date, category ID (catid), etc. Similarly, #__categories has category info, #__users for users, etc. Make sure to note Joomla’s table prefix (e.g., jos or joomla_) and replace it accordingly. If you plan to write your own migration script, having the SQL export of these tables is useful.

Joomla Administrator Panel (example from Joomla 3.x): The control panel and menu indicate where content (Articles, Categories, Menus, Modules, etc.) is managed. In migration, we will extract all relevant content from here into WordPress.

• Gather Media Files: In Joomla, media (images) are typically stored in the images/ directory (by default). You should copy all media files from the Joomla site. You can do this via FTP or your hosting file manager: download the entire /images folder (and any other uploads folder used by Joomla components). This will be used later to import media into WordPress (either manually or by the migration tool). If using the FG plugin, it can fetch images for you (either from the live Joomla site or from a copied directory) if given the correct URL path.
• Export SEO Data: If preserving SEO meta is important, and if the Joomla export tool doesn’t include meta descriptions and keywords, you might need to manually extract these. Joomla articles allow meta description and keywords in their publishing options. You can go through Joomla’s database (#__content table has metadesc and metakey columns for each article) or use a Joomla SEO extension if one was used. At minimum, plan to retrieve each page’s Meta Title (often same as article title), Meta Description, and any URL aliases. The FG Joomla premium plugin can migrate meta descriptions and keywords automatically. Otherwise, be ready to input these into WordPress SEO plugin fields post-migration.
• Double-Check Content Completeness: After exporting, review the exported files/tables to ensure all content is present. Verify the count of articles matches Joomla’s article manager count, categories count, etc. If something is missing (e.g., certain modules or custom HTML that was not in articles), make a note to manually handle those. It’s better to catch it now than after you’ve wiped the Joomla site.

Data Mapping & WordPress Setup

With Joomla data in hand, the next step is to map that data to WordPress structures and prepare the WordPress site to receive it. This involves setting up corresponding taxonomies, custom post types, and any fields in WordPress:

•  Categories and Taxonomies: Recreate the category structure from Joomla in WordPress. In WP admin, go to Posts > Categories and create the categories as needed (you can also do this on-the-fly while importing if using a tool that auto-creates categories). Joomla categories can be nested; WordPress supports parent-child categories as well. For example, if Joomla had a category “Blog” with subcategories “2019”, “2020” for yearly archives, replicate that nesting. Note that Joomla articles require a category (even if just “Uncategorized”), so every Joomla article will map to a WP category. If Joomla used Tags, WordPress has a built-in Tags taxonomy you can use similarly.
• Custom Post Types: If certain Joomla content will be better served as a Custom Post Type (CPT) in WordPress, create those CPTs before importing content. For instance, if Joomla had a section for “Projects” separate from regular articles, you might define a projects CPT in WordPress rather than mixing them with blog posts. You can register a CPT using code or a plugin. Adjust the CPT settings as needed (the above is an example). Ensure the CPT is active so that when you import, you can import certain Joomla content into this post type (e.g., using WP All Import you would specify the post type). If using FG Joomla premium, it might allow mapping Joomla sections to WP pages vs posts, etc., but for truly custom structures you’ll likely do manual import.
• WordPress Menu Structure: Plan out the WordPress menus. WordPress menus are typically maintained in Appearance > Menus. Joomla’s menu items often included category pages, single article links, external links, etc. In WordPress, you will create similar menus manually after content import, by adding pages/posts/categories to menus. At this stage, you can set up placeholder menus if you want (or wait until content is in). If using the FG premium importer, it can bring in Joomla menus automatically, creating corresponding pages or links. Otherwise, just be ready to build menus by hand.
• Prepare the Theme: The design aspect (theme) might be out of scope for pure content migration, but it’s worth noting. You should have a basic WordPress theme activated (perhaps Twenty Twenty-Five or a custom theme if you are redesigning). Ensure the theme has support for menus, widget areas, and uses the Gutenberg editor features (most modern themes do). In the migration, the Joomla article content (mostly HTML) will end up inside the WordPress block editor as a Classic Block or a set of blocks. You can later convert the content to native blocks manually if desired (WordPress has a “Convert to Blocks” feature for posts authored in the Classic editor format).
• Test Connectivity (if using FG plugin): If using FG Joomla importer, at this point you have WordPress ready. One of the first steps the FG importer will ask for is the Joomla site URL and database credentials. Make sure you have those details: Joomla DB host, name, user, password, and table prefix (found in Joomla’s configuration.php or Global Configuration). It’s a good idea to test the DB connection in the FG plugin interface (“Test database connection” button) before running the import, to ensure WordPress can connect to Joomla’s DB. If WordPress is on a different server, you might need to temporarily allow remote MySQL connections or copy the Joomla DB locally.By mapping out the data and setting up WordPress to receive it, you reduce errors during import. Essentially, you’re building a translation guide: “Joomla X will become WordPress Y.” This ensures nothing is left behind.

Now comes the core step: migrating the data into WordPress. Read a second part here.

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