Drupal to TYPO3 Migration: An In-Depth Tutorial

Migrate from Drupal to TYPO3 with a simple guide that ensures smooth control over your data and URLs. It covers migrating from Drupal 11 to TYPO3 13, including clean exports, precise mappings, Twig to Fluid conversion, and reliable 301 redirects.

Key Steps to Begin Your Migration

Before getting started, ensure you:

• Plan out how your Drupal content will be transferred to TYPO3.

• Export your content using JSON:API or CSV, depending on your needs.

• Organize and clean up your content and media files.

• Convert your Drupal Twig templates into TYPO3 Fluid templates.

• Import all necessary data into TYPO3.

• Set up URL redirects to keep your SEO intact.

Step 1: Get Your Platforms Ready

Make sure both Drupal and TYPO3 are prepared for the migration:

• Source: Drupal 11 (also compatible with Drupal 9 and 10).

• Target: TYPO3 13 LTS.

• Points to consider:
  • Are you migrating multiple sites or languages?
  • How will the content be structured in TYPO3?
  • Which content will be mapped to pages and which to records?

  Step 2: Map Your Drupal Content to TYPO3

  Define how each content type in Drupal will be translated to TYPO3:

  Content Type Mapping

  • Pages: Convert Drupal pages to TYPO3 pages with content elements.
  • Blog Posts/Articles: Convert to TYPO3 records (like ext:news) or pages.
  • Taxonomies: Map Drupal taxonomy terms to TYPO3 categories (sys_category).
  • Users: Migrate users into TYPO3’s backend or frontend user systems.
  • Media: Transfer media files into TYPO3’s File Abstraction Layer (FAL).

  If you need additional features, such as multilingual support or eCommerce, ensure you have the relevant TYPO3 extensions ready.

  Step 3: Export Your Data from Drupal

  There are two main methods to export your content from Drupal:

  A. JSON:API (For Developers)

  • Export content types, fields, media, and path aliases in JSON format.
  • Ideal for automating large migrations or handling multilingual setups.

  B. CSV via Views (For Non-Developers)

  • Use Drupal Views to export content like pages, categories, and media in CSV format.
  • Ensure the exported CSV file matches TYPO3’s import format.

  Step 4: Clean and Organize Your Content

  Before importing into TYPO3, you need to:

  • HTML and Embedded Content: Simplify and clean up Drupal-specific HTML and embedded code.
  • Media: Move media files to TYPO3’s fileadmin directory and update their paths.
  • Taxonomies: Set up categories in TYPO3 ahead of the import to ensure proper relationships.
  • Template Conversion:
    • Convert Drupal Twig templates into TYPO3 Fluid templates.
    • Adjust loops, conditions, and syntax to match TYPO3 Fluid.
    • Replace asset references and handling with TYPO3 standards.

    Step 5: Import Content into TYPO3

    Choose one of the following methods to import your content:

    JSON Imports

    • Write scripts that read and import JSON data into TYPO3.
    • This method is best for large or complex content migrations.

    CSV Imports

    • Use TYPO3 extensions to handle the import from CSV files.
    • This method works well for smaller datasets or initial testing.

    Step 6: SEO and URL Handling

    To maintain SEO value and prevent broken links:

    • Ensure the URLs in TYPO3 match the ones used in Drupal.
    • Import Drupal’s path aliases and set up 301 redirects to maintain SEO rankings.
    • After the import, test all URLs to ensure they correctly point to the new pages in TYPO3.

    Conclusion

    Migrating from Drupal to TYPO3 can be straightforward with proper planning and execution. By focusing on mapping content, cleaning up data, converting templates, and handling URLs carefully, you can ensure a smooth transition. Testing imports and implementing redirects will protect your SEO and maintain a positive user experience. With the right approach, your migration to TYPO3 will be successful and hassle-free.