Custom PHP to WordPress Migration

We move custom PHP websites to WordPress when most of what the site does is publish content. Where the code runs accounts, quotes or orders, we separate that application from the pages and scope it as custom development before anything moves.

Webzstore starts with an assessment of the database (the stored tables of records behind your pages) and the code, then plans the build. You choose what you need, and we explain what each part involves.

A server cabinet with drawers cabled to a database cylinder

01Choose

Choose what you want to change

Pick one part, several parts or the whole project. Your choices shape the plan we talk through on the call.

Where this startsOur custom PHP site is hard to update, and I am not sure which parts are simple pages and which are real application features.

Choose one part, several parts or the whole project

Plan the complete PHP to WordPress moveJoin the database mapping, design rebuild, feature decisions and launch into one project.

Review of the database and code
Content mapping and a sample conversion
WordPress theme and template build
Scoped decisions for bespoke features
Redirects, testing and launch support

Check first: Whether the site is mainly content or mainly application.

Next: Share your site address and a short list of what the site does for customers.

Move database content to WordPressTurn the records behind your pages into WordPress pages, posts or custom content types.
- List every database table and label it content, settings, user data or transactions
- Match content tables to WordPress fields
- Convert a sample of each record type
- Compare converted records with the source
Check first: Whether the database can be exported in a readable form.
Related: Website Migration Services, WordPress Website Design
Next: Send the database table list, or tell us who holds access to the database.
Rebuild templates and navigationRecreate the look of your PHP pages as editable WordPress templates.
- Review the current page layouts and menus
- Agree a small set of reusable templates
- Build the theme around your content types
- Check pages on phone and desktop
Check first: Which page types are used most and which can be dropped.
Related: WordPress Website Design, Website Migration Services
Next: Share links to five typical pages, including the most complex one.
Replace bespoke PHP featuresDecide, feature by feature, whether to rebuild, replace or keep running elsewhere.
- List logins, forms, calculators, bookings and admin screens
- Separate content tasks from application logic
- Scope custom development for logic that WordPress cannot cover
- Plan how permissions and saved data are handled
Check first: Which features customers and staff rely on every day.
Related: Custom Website Design, Headless CMS Development
Next: Write down what staff do in the admin screens each week.
Plan old addresses and launchPrepare the redirects, final checks and handover.
- Collect the old addresses, including those ending in .php
- Build and test a redirect map
- Agree who checks forms and accounts after launch
- Show editors how to publish a change
Check first: Which old addresses matter most for visitors and enquiries.
Related: Website Migration Services, WordPress Website Design
Next: Send a list of your most visited pages if you have one.

In plain terms

Database: The stored tables of records that feed the pages and features of your site.
Custom content type: A kind of WordPress record you define yourself, such as events or properties.
Redirect map: A list that sends visitors from each old address to its new one.

02Decide

Is your PHP site a content website or an application?

Look at what the code does today. The right-hand column shows where each task usually lands.

What the PHP code does
Shows pages, news or team profiles from database tables
Where it usually lands
Content: pages, posts or a custom content type
What the PHP code does
Filters listings such as vehicles or jobs
Where it usually lands
Custom content type with extra fields, plus a search feature scoped separately
What the PHP code does
Sends enquiry forms
Where it usually lands
Rebuilt form; we test where each message arrives
What the PHP code does
Handles logins or saved data per user
Where it usually lands
Application: custom redevelopment, scoped separately
What the PHP code does
Calculates quotes, takes bookings or payments
Where it usually lands
Application logic: rebuilt, or kept running as a separate system

A custom content type is WordPress's way to store a kind of record of your own, such as events or properties.

03Transfer

Map every database table before you choose a design

Bespoke code often hides business rules in the database. We list each table and label it, so nothing important is found after launch.

Export the table list and the code folders for review.
Label each table as content, settings, user data or transaction records.
Match content tables to WordPress fields, one field at a time.
Decide what happens to the rest: archive it, keep it elsewhere or redevelop it.
Write down each bespoke feature and who uses it.

Nothing here is copied across automatically. Passwords, payments and order history each need their own plan.

04Test

Test one record of every type

We convert a sample first.

It should include a plain page, a long record, a record with special characters and one with a missing image.
For each converted type we compare the source record with the WordPress page, then check forms, permissions and any calculation against known results.
Your team confirms the business rules.
A WordPress Website Design build then follows the approved sample.

05Launch

Handle old addresses, launch and handover

PHP sites often use addresses that end in .php or carry a record number.

We build a redirect map (an instruction list that sends visitors from each old address to its new one) and test it before launch.
After the switch, we check agreed journeys again and show your editors how to publish a change.
Monitor search performance afterwards, because a move can change it.
For a larger redevelopment, compare options such as Headless CMS Development.

Questions about moving PHP to WordPress

Can you convert my PHP code into a WordPress theme?

Not automatically. We treat your templates as requirements and rebuild them as a WordPress theme, reusing design decisions where they still fit.

Will customer logins carry over?

Not automatically. Account access needs a specific plan based on how the accounts are stored and what the new system supports.

Can part of the application stay as it is?

Yes. A booking tool or calculator can remain a separate system, linked from WordPress, if rebuilding it brings little benefit.

What if the database is large or untidy?

It depends on how consistent the records are. We sample the data first, so the cleaning work is known before the final transfer.

Separate pages from logic before you commit

Send us your site address, a list of what staff do in the admin screens and the features customers use. We will assess which parts are content and which need development.

Book a Free 30-Minute Call