Inventory before importing
Export first, then count spaces, pages, assets, redirects, custom domains, private areas, embeds, and reusable content. The export is evidence. A successful importer message is not.
- Record every public URL that already earns traffic.
- Separate published, draft, archived, and private content.
- List custom blocks and embeds that need a decision.
- Capture navigation and version structure before changing it.
Preserve meaning, not just files
A migration can produce the same number of Markdown files and still lose hierarchy, callouts, links, or asset relationships. The import report should say what was converted, what was approximated, and what needs a person.
Verify from the reader’s side
Build the new site before changing DNS. Crawl old and new addresses, test redirects, compare titles and canonical URLs, inspect mobile layouts, and search for the questions customers actually ask.
Keep the old export and a redirect map. Migration is complete when readers and search engines reach the intended answers—not when the upload finishes.