How to Migrate from Drupal to a Headless CMS
AdvancedQuick Answer
TL;DR
Migrating from Drupal to a headless CMS requires exporting content entities, taxonomy terms, media files, and field configurations from Drupal's database or JSON:API. Map Drupal's content types and field collections to your new CMS schema, handle entity references and paragraph types, then import using the target CMS's API. Drupal's complex data model makes careful schema mapping essential before writing any migration code.
Key Takeaways
- Drupal's entity system (nodes, taxonomy terms, paragraphs, media entities) requires a thorough inventory before schema design
- JSON:API — built into Drupal 8.7+ — is the cleanest export path and avoids direct database access
- Paragraph types and entity references are the most complex migration challenges; plan extra time for these
- Run migrations incrementally by content type, validating each batch before moving to the next