First thing\u2019s first, you\u2019ll need to make sure you\u2019ve the proper tools. There are only two pieces of software you\u2019ll really need for this process. One of them\u2019s freeware, the other\u2019s a plugin:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- HTTrack:<\/a> This utility allows you to download your entire website in static HTML format. This allows you to easily import it to WordPress.<\/li>
- HTML Import 2:<\/a> This WordPress plugin is designed to migrating your static site into a WordPress installation, allowing them to be managed through the CMS.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n
\n![\"WordPress](\"https:\/\/merserver.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/wordpress-1615434_960_720.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nOnce you\u2019ve downloaded both \u2013 and before you actually start the transfer process \u2013 there are a few questions you need to ask yourself (courtesy of Smashing Magazine):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- How much content needs to be imported (number of pages, number of images, etc.)?<\/li>
- Can the content be categorized into the standard \u201cposts\u201d and \u201cpages,\u201d or does it call for custom post types?<\/li>
- Does extra content need to be stored for certain pages (custom fields, taxonomies, etc.)?<\/li>
- Will the URL structure change? If so, will the old URLs need to be redirected?<\/li>
- Does the old website integrate any third-party services (data collection, reservations, etc.)?<\/li>
- Do any forms need to be migrated (contact forms, application forms, etc.)?<\/li>
- Is access to any content restricted (such as members-only content)?<\/li>
- Does the website sell products (digital or physical)?<\/li>
- Do any administrative tools need to be carried over?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Step One: HTTrack<\/strong>
First, you\u2019re going to want to open up HTTrack. While you can run it from the command line, I\u2019d recommend the graphical user interface for simplicity\u2019s sake.<\/p>\n\n\n\nYou shouldn\u2019t need all that much guidance for this phase \u2013 since you\u2019re importing an HTML site without any dynamic elements, you can simply download it (you\u2019d have to use the \u201cmirror\u201d option if it contained dynamic elements).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How long this takes depends mostly on how large your site is. Go grab yourself a coffee or make a sandwich, and it should be done by the time you get back. By then, you should have a folder that contains everything on your site in static HTML format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, you\u2019re ready to transfer it over to WordPress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step Two: The Import Process<\/strong>
Note: It\u2019s EXTREMELY important that for this stage, you\u2019re working with a fresh installation of WordPress. Otherwise, you could be dealing with a chaotic sitemap and duplicate pages, if the process doesn\u2019t fail outright.<\/strong>
Open HTML Import 2. Now, here\u2019s where things get a little complicated. You need to instruct the plugin on how to recognize the content on your site that you want to import (and ignore the content that you don\u2019t). Look for common HTML tags surrounding your content for example<\/p>\n\n\n\n<code><div ID=\u201dWeb\u201d><\/div><\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those\u2019ll be your identifiers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you\u2019ve figured out how to import the stuff you need, start the process. Before too much longer, you\u2019ll have everything up and running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step Three: The Follow-Up<\/strong>
With the tough steps out of the way, all that\u2019s left is beautification and follow-up work. In no particular order, here\u2019s what you\u2019re going to need to do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n- Redirect visitors from your old site to the new one (HTML Import 2 provides a list of Apache redirects to allow you to do this).<\/li>
- Modify the design template of your old site into a WordPress theme \u2013 though it may be easier to simply come up with a new design altogether.<\/li>
- Make sure everything you wanted to import is present on your new site.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
And that\u2019s pretty much it! You\u2019ve now got a fully-functional, easy-to-manage WordPress site. Pretty cool, right?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There are a lot of reasons to use WordPress, especially as a designer. But how do migrating your static site your content into the CMS? Let\u2019s say you\u2019ve already got an established website coded in static HTML, but you want to migrating your static site it to WordPress. There are plenty of reasons why this…<\/p>\n
- HTML Import 2:<\/a> This WordPress plugin is designed to migrating your static site into a WordPress installation, allowing them to be managed through the CMS.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n