Migrate WordPress to EmDash: Complete Guide

Migrating from WordPress to EmDash isn't a one-click operation. EmDash is a different architecture, a different content model, and a different hosting platform. But the migration path is straightforward if you plan it. This guide covers what you need to know before, during, and after the switch.

Before you start: is migration right for you?

EmDash is v0.1. Before committing to migration, read Is EmDash Production-Ready? to understand current limitations. If you depend on specific WordPress plugins (WooCommerce, LearnDash, MemberPress), those features don't exist on EmDash yet. Migrate if your site is primarily content — blog posts, pages, documentation, portfolios.

Step 1: Export your WordPress content

In your WordPress admin, go to Tools > Export. Export all content as WXR (WordPress eXtended RSS). This XML file contains your posts, pages, categories, tags, comments, and media references.

You can also use WP-CLI for a cleaner export. This generates one file per content type, making it easier to process.

wp export --dir=./export

Download your media separately. WordPress stores uploads in wp-content/uploads. You'll need these files to upload to EmDash's R2 media library.

Step 2: Map your content model

WordPress has posts, pages, and custom post types. EmDash has collections. Before importing, decide how your WordPress content maps to EmDash collections:

Step 3: Convert content format

WordPress stores content as HTML. EmDash uses Portable Text (structured JSON). This is the most significant technical step in the migration.

Whichever method you choose, you'll lose WordPress-specific formatting — Gutenberg blocks, shortcodes, and plugin-generated HTML won't have EmDash equivalents. Plan to clean these up manually.

Step 4: Upload media

Upload your images and files through the EmDash admin panel's media library. Media uploads via MCP aren't available yet, so this step is manual. After uploading, update your content to reference the new EmDash media URLs.

EmDash stores media in Cloudflare R2 and serves it through the edge cache. Images get consistent URLs that include the media ID, so you don't need to worry about URL conflicts.

Step 5: Preserve your SEO

This is critical. If you have existing search rankings, losing them during migration is expensive.

Step 6: Test before switching DNS

Deploy your EmDash site to Cloudflare Pages and test on the .pages.dev URL before pointing your domain. Check every page, verify SEO meta, test search, confirm media loads, and walk through the admin panel. Only switch DNS when you're confident everything works.

After migration

Monitor Google Search Console for the first two weeks. Watch for crawl errors, index coverage changes, and ranking fluctuations. Some temporary ranking movement is normal during a migration. If you see persistent drops, check for missing redirects or broken internal links.

Keep your WordPress site accessible (on a different URL or locally) for at least a month after migration. You may need to reference content or settings that didn't transfer cleanly.

Realistic expectations

The payoff is immediate: faster page loads, zero hosting maintenance, better security, and a modern development stack. The cost is the migration effort itself and adapting to a younger ecosystem. For content-focused sites, the trade is usually worth it.