Joomla to WordPress Migration

We move Joomla websites to WordPress by listing every article, category, menu, extension and user, then rebuilding them in a structure your team can run. Core Joomla has no built-in backup, and moving content out usually needs an extension, so we choose the route to suit your site. Webzstore assesses the site first, then plans and builds the move.

A blue arched bridge between two small houses

01Choose

Choose what you want to change

Pick one part, several parts or the whole project to see what each covers.

Where this startsOur Joomla site is hard to update and full of extensions. We want WordPress, but I do not know how the articles, menus and user groups come across.

Choose one part, several parts or the whole project

Plan the complete Joomla to WordPress moveJoin the inventory, content copy, extension replacement, access roles and launch in one plan.

Inventory and backup of the Joomla site
Articles and category tree moved
Menus and templates rebuilt
Extension features replaced and tested
Users, roles, redirects and launch support

Check first: Which extensions and user groups the live site depends on.

Next: Share your Joomla address, version and the extensions you rely on.

Inventory and copy articles and categoriesList what the Joomla site holds and move the articles with their category tree.
- Count articles, categories and tags
- Take a full backup of files and database first
- Choose how articles and categories are exported
- Rebuild the category tree in WordPress
Check first: Which Joomla version you run, because export extensions differ by version.
Related: Website Migration Services, WordPress Website Design
Next: Tell us your Joomla version and roughly how many articles are live.
Rebuild menus and page layoutsRecreate your menu structure and templates in WordPress.
- Map each menu to the pages and categories it links to
- Build WordPress templates for your main page types
- Recreate modules such as sidebars and banners
- Check navigation on phone and desktop
Check first: Which menus are in use and which are left over.
Related: WordPress Website Design, Headless CMS Development
Next: Send links to your main menus and one page of each type.
Replace extension featuresDecide what each Joomla extension becomes in WordPress.
- List each installed extension and its job
- Choose a plugin, custom build or removal for each
- Rebuild forms, directories or calendars
- Test each replacement with a real example
Check first: Which extensions your visitors or staff use every week.
Related: WordPress Website Design, Website Migration Services
Next: Send us your extension list from the Joomla administrator screen.
Set up users and access rolesRebuild who can see and edit what, separately from the content.
- List user groups and access levels
- Map each group to a WordPress role
- Plan how people get new logins
- Test a restricted page and a publishing role
Check first: Whether any content is restricted to certain people.
Related: Website Migration Services
Next: List your user groups and what each group may see or change.

In plain terms

Extension: An add-on that gives Joomla a feature beyond the core, such as a calendar or form.
Access level: A Joomla setting that decides who can see a page or area.
Redirect map: A list that sends visitors from each old address to its new one.

02Inventory

What does your Joomla site hold?

Joomla sites grow in layers. Before choosing a route, we list each layer and say how it will be treated.

Joomla item
Articles
How we treat it
Moved as WordPress posts or pages, depending on their purpose
Joomla item
Nested categories
How we treat it
Rebuilt as a category tree, then checked against the menus
Joomla item
Menus
How we treat it
Rebuilt by hand, since menus link to categories and articles
Joomla item
Extension features
How we treat it
Reviewed one by one: replace, rebuild or retire
Joomla item
Users and access levels
How we treat it
Planned separately from content

03Export

Copy the content, back up the site, and keep the two apart

Joomla's own guide says core Joomla does not include built-in backup. For a full copy of the files and database, it points to a backup extension or to hosting tools such as phpMyAdmin. That backup protects the old site, but it is not a content export.

Moving articles, categories and menus as separate files is offered by third-party extensions in the Joomla Extensions Directory. Support varies by Joomla version, so we check yours before choosing one.

04Rebuild

Rebuild the extensions and the access rules

Extensions are add-ons that give Joomla features beyond the core. They are the part of the move most likely to surprise people, because they generally must be reinstalled or replaced rather than carried over. We list each one and decide what it becomes.

Contact forms and enquiry handlers
Directories, calendars and event listings
Galleries, sliders and download areas
Subscriber or member areas that depend on user groups
Search, tags and any custom fields that extensions added

Users and access levels (Joomla's way of deciding who sees what) are mapped to WordPress roles on their own track. We do not assume passwords move. This is the work behind our WordPress Website Design build.

05Test

Check the tree, the menus and a restricted page

We test the structure as well as the text. We open an article from a deep category, follow the menu path to it and check the breadcrumb trail. We then log in as someone with limited access and confirm that a restricted page stays restricted, and that a staff member can still publish.

Forms and downloads are tested with real examples, and your team signs off each group of pages before launch.

06Launch

Handle old addresses and the switch-over

Joomla addresses depend on how the site was set up, so we collect the real list rather than guess it. A redirect map (an instruction list that sends visitors from each old address to its new one) is prepared and tested before the domain settings change.

We keep the Joomla site and its backup until the new site is approved. After launch, we monitor search performance and fix broken links. Moving platforms does not promise unchanged rankings, so we do not promise them. Website Migration Services sets out the wider process.

Questions about moving Joomla to WordPress

Can Joomla export everything as one file?

Not through the core. Joomla has no built-in backup, and exporting articles and categories is offered by third-party extensions. A full backup of files and database serves as a safety copy.

Will my Joomla extensions work in WordPress?

No, plan to replace them. We list each extension and choose a WordPress plugin, a custom build or removal.

Can my nested categories stay nested?

Yes, that can be planned. Categories in WordPress can sit inside one another, so we rebuild the tree and check it against your menus.

Will my users move across?

Not automatically. Some third-party export extensions list users and access levels, but we check each result and rebuild the roles in WordPress.

Make the move for a clear reason

Send us your Joomla address, the extensions you use and your user groups. We will assess the content, the features and the access rules together.

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