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The CMS migration checklist

Moving a website away from WordPress, Drupal, HubSpot, Sitecore, or Shopify involves 31 distinct workstreams. This checklist covers the entire transition—content, design, translations, integrations, the rebuild, and launch—in the order a developer actually handles them.

The tables below compare two paths. On the left is the manual route taken by a developer or agency, including typical tools and a realistic time estimate for a 250-page multilingual site. On the right is the automated path where Sitejump prepares the data and your AI builder handles the implementation. The time totals reflect the manual route: 100–224 h of billable time, plus software licenses. The "How Sitejump works" section further down explains the automated alternative.

Search rankings require a separate focus. This guide focuses on moving the site itself. Inventorying URLs, mapping 301 redirects, and maintaining visibility for both search engines and AI assistants are covered in our SEO and GEO migration checklist. We recommend using both.

PhaseSitejump— automated
1. InventoryPages, CMS structure, dependencies, and forms mapped automatically
2. Content and mediaFull text, assets, alt text, and visual references for every page
3. Brand and designPalettes, fonts, and navigation extracted as tokens and components
4. TranslationsLocales detected and translations kept paired with source pages
5. Forms and integrationsForms, embeds, tracking IDs, and consent scripts captured for rebuild
6. RebuildAI builder constructs the site using the Sitejump MCP
7. LaunchHost config generated and every legacy URL verified automatically
TotalData package prepared automatically for an AI builder

1Phase 1: Inventory the existing site

Migrations often stumble over the things nobody documented: the specific plugin rendering a pricing table, the form that routes to sales, or the third language that hasn't been updated in a year. This phase creates a full map of pages, templates, and dependencies while the old site is still live.

Manual effort for this phase: 12–20 hours for a 250-page site.

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Phase 1: Inventory the existing site

  • Manual

    Crawl the live site and reconcile the results against the CMS page tree and sitemap to find orphaned pages.

    Tools: Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, CMS exports, sitemap.xml

    Time: 3–5 h

    With Sitejump

    Automatic crawl and cataloging of every page

    Included in your migration package

    Tools: Sitejump crawl agent

    Automated

  • Manual

    Reviewing every page with stakeholders and recording decisions in a spreadsheet.

    Tools: Spreadsheets, Google Analytics

    Time: 3–5 h

    With Sitejump

    Page list provided with traffic data and metadata to guide decisions

    Included in your migration package

    Tools: Sitejump crawl agent

    Automated

  • Manual

    Identifying the distinct layouts used across the site and the repeating components within them.

    Tools: Manual review of theme and template files

    Time: 2–4 h

    With Sitejump

    Repeating layouts and components detected automatically

    Included in your migration package

    Tools: Sitejump crawl agent

    Automated

  • Manual

    Listing every WordPress plugin or CMS module the front end relies on to determine what needs a replacement.

    Tools: CMS admin, source code review

    Time: 2–3 h

    With Sitejump

    Front-end dependencies identified in the extraction report

    Included in your migration package

    Tools: Sitejump crawl agent

    Automated

  • Manual

    Manually checking pages to find every form, widget, and third-party script.

    Tools: Browser dev tools, Tag Manager, CMS form lists

    Time: 2–3 h

    With Sitejump

    Forms, embeds, and scripts recorded on a per-page basis

    Included in your migration package

    Tools: Sitejump crawl agent

    Automated

2Phase 2: Content and media

This is usually the most tedious part of a migration: extracting every word, image, and PDF in a format the new site can use. Manual copy-pasting is where deadlines tend to slip.

Manual effort for this phase: 14–24 hours for a 250-page site.

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Phase 2: Content and media

  • Manual

    Copying body content page-by-page and manually fixing broken formatting, lists, and tables.

    Tools: CMS exports, manual copy-paste, Markdown editors

    Time: 6–10 h

    With Sitejump

    Full, structured text for every page, ready for the rebuild

    Included in your migration package

    Tools: Sitejump crawl agent

    Automated

  • Manual

    Exporting the media library and manually hunting for files hosted elsewhere.

    Tools: CMS media export, secondary crawl for assets

    Time: 3–5 h

    With Sitejump

    All assets downloaded and mapped to the pages that use them

    Included in your migration package

    Tools: Sitejump crawl agent

    Automated

  • Manual

    Manually re-entering alt text and captions after uploading media to the new site.

    Tools: Alt-text reports, spreadsheets

    Time: 2–3 h

    With Sitejump

    Alt text and captions preserved and linked to each image

    Handled by your AI builder during the rebuild

    Tools: AI builder via Sitejump MCP

    Automated

  • Manual

    Identifying each embed and manually re-inserting the code into the new build.

    Tools: Source code review, embed providers

    Time: 1–3 h

    With Sitejump

    Embeds recorded and ready for the AI builder to implement

    Handled by your AI builder during the rebuild

    Tools: AI builder via Sitejump MCP

    Automated

  • Manual

    Taking full-page screenshots of every URL to ensure the new build matches the original.

    Tools: Browser extensions, screenshot APIs

    Time: 2–3 h

    With Sitejump

    Full-page screenshots included for every page in the package

    Included in your migration package

    Tools: Sitejump crawl agent

    Automated

3Phase 3: Brand and design

A client will notice a slightly wrong shade of blue long before they notice a missing redirect. Colors, typography, and navigation must remain consistent even when the underlying code is new.

Manual effort for this phase: 10–16 hours for a 250-page site.

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Phase 3: Brand and design

  • Manual

    Sampling the live site or extracting hex codes from stylesheets.

    Tools: Dev tools, color pickers, brand guidelines

    Time: 2–3 h

    With Sitejump

    Palette extracted from stylesheets as design tokens

    Included in your migration package

    Tools: Sitejump crawl agent

    Automated

  • Manual

    Auditing font families and heading styles, then re-linking or licensing fonts.

    Tools: Dev tools, Google Fonts, font foundries

    Time: 2–3 h

    With Sitejump

    Font families, weights, and type scales detected automatically

    Included in your migration package

    Tools: Sitejump crawl agent

    Automated

  • Manual

    Locating high-res source files and regenerating the favicon set.

    Tools: Asset archives, favicon generators

    Time: 1–2 h

    With Sitejump

    Logo, favicon, and Open Graph images collected with assets

    Included in your migration package

    Tools: Sitejump crawl agent

    Automated

  • Manual

    Re-creating complex menus, mega-menus, and footer groups from scratch.

    Tools: Legacy source code, new component library

    Time: 3–5 h

    With Sitejump

    Navigation structure provided for the AI builder to implement

    Handled by your AI builder during the rebuild

    Tools: AI builder via Sitejump MCP

    Automated

  • Manual

    Testing every template across mobile, tablet, and desktop breakpoints.

    Tools: Device emulation, physical devices

    Time: 2–3 h

    With Sitejump

    Responsive components generated as part of the build

    Handled by your AI builder during the rebuild

    Tools: AI builder via Sitejump MCP

    Automated

4Phase 4: Translations and locales

Multilingual sites are where manual migrations often double in cost. Every locale increases the page count and the risk of misrouting content.

Manual effort for this phase: 6–12 hours for a 250-page site.

0 of 3 done
Phase 4: Translations and locales

  • Manual

    Manually auditing the language switcher and CMS translation tables.

    Tools: CMS translation admin, hreflang reports

    Time: 2–4 h

    With Sitejump

    All locales detected and listed automatically

    Included in your migration package

    Tools: Sitejump crawl agent

    Automated

  • Manual

    Defining subdomains or prefixes and rewriting the routing map for each language.

    Tools: Spreadsheets, platform routing

    Time: 2–4 h

    With Sitejump

    Per-locale routing proposed in the rebuild plan

    Handled by your AI builder during the rebuild

    Tools: AI builder via Sitejump MCP

    Automated

  • Manual

    Exporting each locale and manually re-associating translations with their source pages.

    Tools: CMS exports, spreadsheets

    Time: 2–4 h

    With Sitejump

    Translations kept paired with their source pages automatically

    Included in your migration package

    Tools: Sitejump crawl agent

    Automated

5Phase 5: Forms, integrations, and tracking

Content is only part of the site. If a contact form fails or a consent banner disappears, the migration is a failure regardless of how the pages look.

Manual effort for this phase: 10–18 hours for a 250-page site.

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Phase 5: Forms, integrations, and tracking

  • Manual

    Re-creating every field, wiring up delivery, and submitting test entries.

    Tools: Form handlers, CRM, email testing

    Time: 3–6 h

    With Sitejump

    Form fields captured; AI builder reconstructs them in your project

    Handled by your AI builder during the rebuild

    Tools: AI builder via Sitejump MCP

    Automated

  • Manual

    Re-authenticating integrations and updating API endpoints.

    Tools: HubSpot, Mailchimp, CRM admin

    Time: 2–4 h

    With Sitejump

    Integrations identified for reconnection within the new project

    Handled by your AI builder during the rebuild

    Tools: AI builder via Sitejump MCP

    Automated

  • Manual

    Selecting replacements for CMS-native features and rebuilding the user flows.

    Tools: Search providers, Auth0, Firebase

    Time: 2–4 h

    With Sitejump

    Existing logic documented to guide the rebuild

    Included in your migration package

    Tools: Sitejump crawl agent

    Automated

  • Manual

    Extracting GA4 and Tag Manager IDs from old templates and re-applying them.

    Tools: GA4, GTM, Meta Pixel

    Time: 1–2 h

    With Sitejump

    Tracking IDs re-applied automatically

    Handled by your AI builder during the rebuild

    Tools: AI builder via Sitejump MCP

    Automated

  • Manual

    Re-installing the consent tool and verifying which scripts it needs to block.

    Tools: OneTrust, Cookiebot, legal review

    Time: 2–3 h

    With Sitejump

    Consent scripts detected and flagged for the new build

    Included in your migration package

    Tools: Sitejump crawl agent

    Automated

6Phase 6: Rebuild with an AI builder

In a manual move, this stage takes weeks. With Sitejump, the data is already in your project. You connect via the MCP and direct the AI builder to construct the site page by page.

Manual effort for this phase: 40–120 hours for a 250-page site.

0 of 3 done
Phase 6: Rebuild with an AI builder

  • Manual

    Setting up the tech stack, design tokens, and base components.

    Tools: Frameworks, design systems

    Time: 8–16 h

    With Sitejump

    Tokens and component patterns delivered in the package

    Included in your migration package

    Tools: Sitejump crawl agent

    Automated

  • Manual

    Building each page and template while checking against visual references.

    Tools: IDE, side-by-side browser windows

    Time: 30–100 h

    With Sitejump

    AI builder writes the code using the migration package data

    Handled by your AI builder during the rebuild

    Tools: AI builder via Sitejump MCP

    Automated

  • Manual

    Maintaining a status spreadsheet that inevitably falls out of date.

    Tools: Spreadsheets, Jira, Linear

    Time: 2–4 h

    With Sitejump

    Rebuild progress tracked automatically through the MCP

    Handled by your AI builder during the rebuild

    Tools: AI builder via Sitejump MCP

    Automated

7Phase 7: Launch and monitoring

The cutover itself is brief, but success depends on having redirects ready, URLs verified, and a clear rollback plan in case of issues.

Manual effort for this phase: 8–14 hours for a 250-page site.

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Phase 7: Launch and monitoring

  • Manual

    Formatting the redirect map for your specific host (e.g., _redirects or nginx) and deploying it.

    Tools: Host documentation, CI/CD

    Time: 2–3 h

    With Sitejump

    Configuration file generated for your hosting provider

    A single file to deploy with your new site

    Tools: Sitejump redirect writer

    Automated

  • Manual

    Lowering TTLs, switching DNS records, and testing all domain variants.

    Tools: DNS panels, curl

    Time: 1–2 h

    With Sitejump

    Exact settings provided for the cutover

    A single file to deploy with your new site

    Tools: Sitejump redirect writer

    Automated

  • Manual

    Spot-checking a sample of URLs and hoping for the best.

    Tools: httpstatus.io, Screaming Frog

    Time: 2–3 h

    With Sitejump

    All legacy URLs tested automatically; repeatable at any time

    Verified against your live domain; re-run anytime

    Tools: Sitejump launch verifier

    Automated

  • Manual

    Manually submitting the sitemap and monitoring Search Console weekly.

    Tools: Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools

    Time: 2–4 h

    With Sitejump

    Sitemap submitted and monitored from the new project

    Managed via Google Search Console within your new project

    Tools: Google Search Console integration

    Automated

  • Manual

    Keeping the old host active and documenting how to revert DNS.

    Tools: Legacy hosting, runbooks

    Time: 1–2 h

    With Sitejump

    Data and rebuild are versioned; the original site remains untouched

    Handled by your AI builder during the rebuild

    Tools: AI builder via Sitejump MCP

    Automated

What happens to your backlinks

Backlinks—links from other sites to yours—are vital for ranking. They are often the biggest concern during a migration. Here is the reality.

  • They stay with your domain. Backlinks aren't moved. Links published by other sites will still point to your old URLs; they remain effective as long as you retain the same domain name.
  • They only retain value if the old addresses still work. A link to a page that returns a "404 Not Found" error is a dead link. A 301 redirect map prevents this by ensuring every old address leads to its new equivalent in one permanent hop.
  • Your most important pages are protected first. Our crawl maps your site's internal link structure to identify high-priority pages. These are rebuilt in the first wave and prioritized by our launch verifier to ensure they never break.
  • Search Console is your final check. The "Top linked pages" report in Google Search Console is the only definitive list of your external links. After launch, compare this against your redirect map to confirm total coverage.

This isn't a separate service or a paid subscription. The redirect map and launch verification are the backlink strategy.

How Sitejump works

The comparisons above contrast manual labor with automation. If you choose Sitejump, here is the five-step journey from your free audit to a finished website.

  1. 01

    Enter your website address.

    Sitejump performs a free audit of your sitemap and five sample pages. No account, installation, or connection required.

  2. 02

    Select and purchase a migration.

    Sitejump crawls the entire site to create a migration package containing every page, media file, form, integration, locale, design token, screenshot, and redirect.

  3. 03

    Connect the Sitejump MCP to your AI builder.

    Paste the connector URL once to grant your AI builder access to the migration package. View the connection steps.

  4. 04

    Your AI builder reconstructs the site.

    The builder processes the Sitejump package page by page, writing content, components, media, forms, locales, metadata, and redirect configurations into your project.

    Connect Google Search Console before you point your domain to the new host.

  5. Add your preferred integrations.

    After the rebuild, add supported integrations within your builder or connect them via your host or developer.

    Integrations remain under your own accounts; Sitejump never accesses or stores these credentials.

Common questions

How long does a CMS migration take?
When performed manually, a 250-page multilingual site requires roughly 100–224 h of specialist time. With Sitejump, the extraction and data packaging are automated. The rebuild is handled by an AI builder, shifting the human role to design refinement and launch management.
What typically breaks during a migration?
The most common failures are broken lead forms, missing 301 redirects, lost media assets, and tracking scripts left in the old CMS. These issues usually stem from an incomplete inventory, which is why the first phase is so critical.
Will I lose search rankings if I change my CMS?
Not if you map every legacy URL to a 301 destination and move your on-page signals correctly. We detail this process in our https://sitejump.dev/knowledge/seo-migration-checklist.
Can I keep my translations when moving from WordPress or Drupal?
Yes. Sitejump identifies every language version on the live site and keeps translations paired with their source pages, allowing the AI builder to maintain your existing locale structure.
What happens to my backlinks?
Backlinks remain pointed at your old URLs. The goal of a migration is to ensure those URLs still work. Sitejump identifies high-priority URLs based on internal linking, depth, and sitemap data, ensuring they are rebuilt and tested first. To verify external links, check the 'Top linked pages' report in Search Console and ensure each one resolves in a single hop.
What happens to my files when the old site is deactivated?
Sitejump captures every image, PDF, and download into your migration package before the rebuild begins. The resulting ZIP file contains all assets and visual screenshots of your pages. Once your domain is pointed to the new site, the old CMS can be safely retired. The ZIP serves as a permanent, portable backup of your content.

Start with an audit

The first step is understanding what you have. Our free audit provides a five-page sample and a sitemap review to help you evaluate the move. The full, page-by-page crawl required for these 31 steps begins once you start your migration.

Tool costs are estimates; time assumes a 250-page multilingual site managed by an experienced developer.

View the SEO and GEO checklist

Ask the AI assistant

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