Step-By-Step Guide to Migrating from Drupal 7 to Backdrop CMS

As Drupal 7 reaches the end of its life, many organizations are looking for alternatives to maintain and upgrade their websites. Backdrop CMS, a popular fork of Drupal, offers a cost-effective and manageable solution, especially for businesses that want to preserve their existing features without undergoing a complete overhaul. In this guide, we’ll take you through the migration process step-by-step, helping you smoothly transition from Drupal 7 to Backdrop CMS.

Whether you’re managing a large-scale site or a smaller one, this guide is especially useful if you’re looking for Drupal development in New York or other regions where Drupal expertise is highly sought after.

1. Evaluate Your Current Site

Before diving into the migration process, it’s essential to assess your current Drupal 7 setup. This includes taking an inventory of modules, themes, and custom functionalities. Backdrop CMS aims to retain compatibility with Drupal 7, but not all modules and themes will have direct equivalents.
Tip: Use tools like the Upgrade Status module to help you evaluate the current state of your site and prepare for migration.

2. Backup Your Drupal 7 Site

Before making any significant changes, take a full backup of your Drupal 7 site, including the database and files. This ensures you have a safe copy to revert to if anything goes wrong during the migration process.
Backup tools: You can use modules like Backup and Migrate to create backups easily.

3. Install Backdrop CMS

Once you’ve backed up your site, the next step is to install Backdrop CMS on your server. You can download Backdrop from the official website and follow the installation guide to set it up. Make sure your hosting environment meets the system requirements for Backdrop CMS.
Pro tip: If you’re not familiar with server management, working with a reliable Drupal development company in New York can help you navigate through this step more efficiently.

4. Prepare Modules and Themes

Backdrop CMS includes many of Drupal 7’s popular modules within its core. For custom or contributed modules, check if a Backdrop version is available. If not, you may need to port the module or find alternatives. Similarly, for themes, you’ll need to make sure your design elements are compatible or consider rebuilding them in Backdrop’s theme layer.
Helpful resource: The Backdrop Contributed Modules page can help you find replacements for Drupal 7 modules that don’t exist in Backdrop.

5. Migrate Data

Backdrop offers the Migrate module to facilitate the migration of content, configurations, users, and more from Drupal 7. This is a critical step where you’ll map your Drupal 7 entities (nodes, fields, taxonomies, etc.) to their Backdrop equivalents.
Here’s how you can migrate content:

• Install the Migrate module in Backdrop.
• Export data from Drupal 7 using tools like Migrate D2D.
• Import the exported data into Backdrop using the Migrate UI.

6. Test Functionality

After migrating, it’s essential to test your website thoroughly. Ensure that the content, functionalities, and design elements are all working as expected. Make sure to check for broken links, missing images, and misconfigured permissions. Testing should include both automated and manual methods.
Tip: If you’re in a competitive market like New York, conducting user acceptance testing (UAT) will help ensure a smooth user experience post-migration.

7. Post-Migration Adjustments

Once testing is complete, there may still be adjustments required. This includes fixing bugs, optimizing performance, and ensuring all your SEO settings have been transferred properly. You may also want to take advantage of some Backdrop-exclusive features to improve the overall performance of your site.

8. Launch and Monitor

Once everything is in place, and you’re confident that the migration is successful, it’s time to launch your Backdrop CMS site. After the launch, monitor the site closely for the first few days to ensure everything runs smoothly. Keep an eye on performance metrics, user feedback, and any errors that may arise. Regular maintenance and updates are also essential post-migration.

Conclusion

Migrating from Drupal 7 to Backdrop CMS is a viable option for organizations that want to retain their site’s functionality without moving to Drupal 9 or 10. With the right strategy, a solid backup, and testing practices, the process can be seamless. Whether you need expert assistance with the migration or want to enhance your site post-migration, working with an experienced Drupal development company in New York ensures you stay on track.

Looking to make the switch? Contact us at LN Webworks, and let’s make your migration hassle-free!