Step 1: Audit & Backup Your Drupal Site

Before making any changes, it’s essential to audit your existing Drupal site to ensure nothing critical is lost during the transition. A structured Framer migration begins with a thorough content audit to ensure all critical elements are accounted for.

Content & Structure Inventory

• Identify all pages, blog posts, custom content types, and media files that need migration.

• List interactive elements such as forms, search functions, and embedded third-party tools.

Backup Your Data

• Use Drupal’s built-in backup modules or manually export databases and files to safeguard content.

• Store multiple backup copies in case of unexpected errors.

Document SEO Settings

• Record meta tags, page titles, redirects, and URL structures to ensure SEO consistency post-migration.

• Poorly executed migrations can result in organic traffic drops of up to 80%, making proper SEO documentation essential.

When Formula Bot migrated to Framer with Goodspeed, they improved from 6th to 2nd in Google rankings and 75% faster site performance. This was achieved through a structured content audit and careful SEO transfer, ensuring that no critical metadata or page structure was lost in the process.

Step 2: Set Up a Framer Workspace & Staging Environment

Before making the switch, setting up a staging environment ensures your Framer site migration is built and tested without disrupting your live Drupal website.

Create a New Framer Project

• Decide whether to start with a blank canvas or use a Framer template suited to your brand’s needs.

Establish a Staging Domain

• Host your Framer website on a temporary domain to conduct tests and refine site structure.

• Ensure that search engines don’t index your staging site to prevent duplicate content issues.

Plan Your Site Structure

• Map out how your Drupal content will be reorganised in Framer for a more intuitive and user-friendly experience.

• Ensure all pages and internal links remain intact to avoid navigation issues.

A well-structured staging process is crucial for ensuring a smooth migration. When Zen Educate worked with Goodspeed to migrate their marketing website, they found the “reactivity, collaboration, and good energy” of the team invaluable in setting up a structured and fully tested Framer environment to ensure a smooth launch.

Step 3: Export & Prepare Your Drupal Content

Once your staging environment is ready, the next step is extracting your Drupal content and preparing it for a smooth transition into Framer. This ensures that no critical data is lost or improperly formatted before migration.

Export Content from Drupal

• Use Drupal export modules or custom scripts to extract pages, blog posts, and media files in CSV, JSON, or XML formats.

• Identify any custom fields that may require manual recreation in Framer.

Clean & Optimise Data

• Remove redundant content, outdated media files, and unnecessary scripts to streamline the import process.

• Ensure media files are properly named and compressed for optimal site performance.

• Properly formatted images and videos can reduce page load times, improving overall user experience.

A 1-second delay in page load time can lead to a 7% reduction in conversions, making content optimisation a key factor in website performance.

Read more about optimising your Framer site for performance in our speed and performance guide.

Step 4: Rebuild Your Site in Framer

With your Drupal content exported and cleaned, it's time to rebuild your website using Framer’s intuitive design tools. A well-executed Framer migration ensures that all elements, from design to interactive features, are seamlessly transferred without loss of functionality.

Design & Layout

• Use Framer’s drag-and-drop interface to create a modern, visually appealing design.

• Ensure brand consistency by integrating global styles, typography, and colour schemes.

Import Content & Media

• Upload your text, images, and videos into Framer’s CMS manually or via API integrations.

• Double-check that blog post formatting, internal links, and metadata remain intact.

Recreate Interactive Components

• Set up forms, navigation menus, and call-to-action buttons to match the original site’s functionality.

• Test third-party tool integrations, such as CRMs, email signups, or chat widgets.

Explore how to customise your Framer template in our beginner’s guide.

Step 5: Migrate or Re-Implement SEO Elements

Preserving your SEO rankings is crucial when switching platforms. Any misstep in URL structure, metadata, or redirects can cause significant traffic loss. Proper URL redirects play a critical role in maintaining SEO rankings when you switch to Framer.

Transfer Metadata & Page Titles

• Manually reapply or optimise page titles, meta descriptions, and header tags within Framer.

• Ensure all image alt texts and structured data (schema markup) are correctly implemented.

Implement URL Redirects

• Set up 301 redirects from old Drupal URLs to their corresponding Framer pages to maintain search visibility.

• A well-planned redirect strategy prevents broken links and SEO ranking drops.

Learn more about SEO best practices when using Framer templates in our dedicated guide.

Step 6: Test, Tweak & Optimise

Before launching, your new Framer site migration must go through extensive testing to ensure functionality, SEO integrity, and performance. This step helps identify and fix potential issues before they impact user experience.

Cross-Device & Browser Testing

• Verify that your website functions smoothly across desktop, mobile, and tablet devices.

• Test compatibility with major browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.

• Ensure that navigation menus, forms, and interactive elements work seamlessly on all screen sizes.

Performance Audits

• Use Framer’s built-in performance tools or external platforms like Google PageSpeed Insights to assess site speed.

• Address any slow-loading elements, such as large images or excessive animations, that could impact performance.

• Studies show that 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take longer than three seconds to load, highlighting the importance of an optimised site.

User Flow & Functionality Checks

• Conduct end-to-end testing of your site’s key actions, such as sign-ups, checkout processes, and content submissions.

• Ensure that all internal and external links are working and directing users to the correct pages.

• Gather feedback from a small test group to identify any usability challenges before the final launch.

Step 7: Final Launch & Post-Launch Monitoring

Once your site has passed testing, it’s time to go live. However, a Framer migration doesn’t end with launch—continuous monitoring is essential to catch any lingering issues.

Domain Switchover

• Update your DNS settings to point your domain from Drupal to Framer.

• Expect a propagation period of a few hours to 48 hours, during which traffic gradually shifts to the new site.

• Announce the launch via email, social media, and newsletters to inform your audience.

Post-Launch Checklist

• Verify that all redirects are functioning to prevent broken links and SEO drops.

• Confirm that meta tags, page titles, and structured data are correctly applied.

• Monitor analytics to track user engagement and identify any unexpected traffic dips.

Ongoing Monitoring

• Use Google Search Console to check for crawl errors or indexing issues.

• Track bounce rates, user behaviour, and page load times in Google Analytics.

• Be ready to make quick adjustments if any unexpected SEO fluctuations occur.