Content migration means more than copying text between systems. Alongside titles and article bodies, it transfers images, documents, languages, publication states and relationships. Without an inventory of those elements, the new system may look tidy while still containing important gaps.

Create an inventory and decide what should actually move. Identify duplicates, outdated posts and material requiring revision. Record mandatory fields and data sources for each post type so the team can distinguish deliberately empty entries from values lost during transfer.

Test field mapping with several representative records. Pay particular attention to ACF group names, nested values and language versions. Similar labels do not guarantee identical structures; titles, short introductions and main content need to reach the correct fields rather than a convenient-looking alternative.

Verify images together with their records. An attachment ID from the old system is not automatically valid in the new one. Confirm that the file exists and that hero images, thumbnails and descriptions are linked where required, rather than relying on a URL that merely appears plausible.

Prepare a plan for links, documents and page addresses. If a URL changes, record the relationship between its old and new location. Review links inside article text as well: they can still point to the previous system even when the main record has been transferred successfully.

Back up the data and perform a trial import before the full migration. Compare record counts, publication states, languages and field values by reading the database again. Expand the process only after the sample passes validation, keeping a documented recovery method available throughout the transfer.