CMS Strategy & Implementation
Migration is a business infrastructure decision, not just a data transfer.
If your current CMS is slowing down your engineering team or inflating your API costs, migrating to Payload CMS is the move toward full data ownership and AI-readiness. I help enterprises navigate the transition from legacy monoliths and rigid SaaS platforms to a code-first architecture.
Principal-led migrations for companies in Germany, Austria, UK, and the US. No juniors. No handoffs.
Locked
Legacy / SaaS CMS
Owned
Payload CMS + Next.js
Decision Framework
Is now the right time to move?
Migration is a significant investment of both capital and engineering time. It shouldn't be done for the sake of following a trend. It should be done because your current system has become a bottleneck to your business operations.
Signals a migration is the right move:
WordPress Plugin Debt
You spend more time patching security vulnerabilities and fighting plugin conflicts than building new features.
Contentful API Scaling
Your monthly SaaS bill is increasing faster than your traffic, and you're hitting "API record" limits that force architectural compromises.
AI Integration Barriers
You need to implement custom AI agents, SEO automation, or RAG systems, but your current CMS's closed ecosystem makes integration fragile or impossible.
Multi-tenant Requirements
You are managing multiple brands or markets and need a single, unified backend that doesn't charge per "space" or "site."
Signals that you should wait:
No Internal Developers
Payload is a code-first CMS. If you don't have a developer team or a long-term partner, a "no-code" builder might serve you better.
Simple Marketing Needs
If your site is 5 static pages that rarely change and has no complex data relationships, the ROI on migration isn't there.
Budget Constraints
An enterprise-grade migration requires a minimum investment of $15k to ensure SEO preservation and data integrity.
The Process
A structured path to a "Payload-native" stack.
I treat migrations as infrastructure projects. We don't just "import posts"; we rebuild your content model to be more efficient than the one you're leaving behind.
Phase 1: Audit and Content Inventory
Before a single line of code is written, we catalog every content type, field, and asset. We identify "dead weight" content that shouldn't be migrated and map existing relationships to a cleaner, typed schema.
! The hard part: Deciding what NOT to migrate.
Phase 2: Content Model Mapping
We translate your current CMS schema into Payload Collections and Globals. This is where we fix the technical debt of your old system—turning messy HTML blobs into structured Lexical blocks or typed fields.
! The hard part: Reversing poor modeling decisions from the past.
Phase 3: Data Transformation & Scripting
Using custom Node.js scripts and Payload’s Local API, we extract data from your source (REST/GraphQL/SQL), transform it to match the new schema, and programmatically import it. This ensures 100% data integrity that manual entry can't match.
! The hard part: Handling edge cases, nested relationships, and malformed source data.
Phase 4: SEO & URL Preservation
The biggest risk in migration is losing search rankings. We map every old URL to its new equivalent, implement automated 301 redirects, and ensure that metadata and schema.org markup are preserved or improved.
! The hard part: Ensuring 1:1 URL mapping for 10,000+ page datasets.
Phase 5: Cutover & Stabilization
We run the new Payload system in parallel with your old CMS for a "freeze period" to verify data. Once validated, we switch the DNS.
! The hard part: Orchestrating the final delta-import without business interruption.
Source-Specific Guides
Moving from your current platform.
WordPress to Payload CMS
Difficulty: Medium to High (depending on WooCommerce usage).Unwinding years of plugin-dependent data and mapping Gutenberg or Classic Editor HTML into structured blocks.
Eliminating security risks and massive performance gains.
Contentful to Payload CMS
Difficulty: Medium.Converting Contentful’s Rich Text JSON format into Payload’s Lexical format and managing asset references.
Massive cost savings on API usage and regaining control over your backend code.
Sanity to Payload CMS
Difficulty: Low to Medium.Replacing the GROQ query layer with Payload’s standard REST/GraphQL and migrating Portable Text.
Moving to a more standard TypeScript-first environment without the "hidden" complexity of GROQ.
Strapi to Payload CMS
Difficulty: Low.While structurally similar, it still requires a full rebuild of the admin UI and a data-load script to handle relationship differences.
Better TypeScript integration and a far superior developer experience for custom admin extensions.
Investment
Pricing your migration project.
Migration costs are driven by the complexity of your content model, not just the number of pages. A 10,000-page blog with a simple schema is often cheaper to migrate than a 500-page corporate site with complex multi-tenant relationships and custom integrations.
Cost Drivers
- Data Transformation: Moving from unstructured HTML to structured "Blocks" requires more complex scripting.
- Integrations: Migrating custom logic for e-commerce (Shopify), CRM (HubSpot), or AI automation layers.
- SEO Complexity: High-traffic sites require rigorous URL mapping and validation to prevent revenue loss.
Illustrative Ranges
Advisory & Audit-Led
$5k+
I guide your team through the architecture and scripting.
Mid-Sized Migration
$15k - $30k
Full rebuild, data migration, and SEO preservation.
Enterprise / Complex
$50k+
Multi-market, high volume, custom AI-native infrastructure.
Warning: The cost of a botched migration (lost SEO, broken relationships) almost always exceeds the cost of doing it right the first time.
Matija Ziberna
Lead Architect
My Method
Principal-led, architecture-first.
When you hire me for a migration, you are not getting a "data entry" service. You are getting a partner who understands the architectural implications of moving to a modern stack.
My approach is Audit-First. I don't make architecture decisions until I've seen your actual data. We start by uncovering the "skeletons in the closet" of your current CMS—those messy workarounds your team has been living with for years.
During the engagement, I handle the heavy lifting of the data transformation scripts and the core Payload configuration. If we are rebuilding the frontend in Next.js, I ensure the bridge between the two is type-safe and performant. You get a system that isn't just "moved" but "upgraded" for the AI era.
Migration FAQ
How long does a Payload CMS migration take?
A typical enterprise migration takes 4 to 12 weeks. This includes auditing, scripting, testing, and the parallel-running period.
Will we lose SEO rankings when we migrate?
Not if done correctly. I prioritize 1:1 URL mapping and 301 redirect automation. By improving site speed and schema markup during the migration, most clients actually see an SEO lift post-launch.
Can we migrate without rebuilding the frontend?
Yes. If you already have a modern React/Next.js frontend, we can swap the API source from your old CMS to Payload. However, most clients choose to rebuild the frontend simultaneously to take full advantage of Payload's Next.js integration.
What happens to our existing content during migration?
Your old site remains live and untouched. We extract the data, transform it in a staging environment, and only switch the DNS once the new Payload site is fully validated.
Is migrating from WordPress to Payload CMS difficult?
It is technically demanding because of how WordPress stores data. We have to "clean" the HTML out of your database to turn it into modern, structured content. I use custom ETL scripts to handle this.
Do we need to freeze content during migration?
We typically implement a "content freeze" 48–72 hours before the final cutover to ensure no data is lost during the final delta-import.
What is the hardest part of migrating from Contentful?
The primary challenge is mapping Contentful's "References" and "Rich Text" nodes into Payload's Lexical or Slate editors while maintaining all internal linking.
Can Payload CMS handle our content volume?
Yes. Payload is built on Node.js and supports PostgreSQL and MongoDB. It is used by enterprise organizations to manage hundreds of thousands of documents without performance degradation.
Related
Next.js + Payload CMS Advisory
Have in-house developers handling the migration? Senior architecture advisory to keep decisions correct and avoid costly mistakes.
Payload CMS Pricing
Full breakdown of what drives project cost — content architecture, integrations, multi-tenancy, and migration complexity.
Ready to move to a system you actually own?
Stop fighting your CMS and start building on business infrastructure. Let's discuss your current setup and whether a migration to Payload CMS is the right strategic move for your team.
Book a Migration Audit