Migrating Your Website from Adobe Experience Manager to Webflow: A Step-by-Step Guide

Transitioning your website from one content management system (CMS) to another can be a complex task, especially when moving from a robust platform like Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) to a modern, no-code platform like Webflow. While both systems offer powerful features, their architectures and approaches differ significantly. This guide provides a step-by-step roadmap to help you navigate the migration process smoothly and efficiently.

Step 1: Analyze Your Current AEM Setup

Before beginning the migration, conduct a thorough analysis of your current AEM setup. Identify and document all content types, components, templates, and workflows used in your AEM project. Create a comprehensive inventory of your site’s assets, including images, videos, and other media files. This analysis will help you understand the scope of the migration and plan the process effectively.

Step 2: Familiarize Yourself with Webflow

Before diving into the migration, it’s crucial to get acquainted with Webflow’s features, concepts, and terminology. Webflow is a visual web design tool that allows you to design, build, and launch responsive websites without needing to write code. It combines the capabilities of a CMS with a design tool, providing flexibility in both content management and design.

Key concepts in Webflow include:

• Designer: The interface where you design and build your site visually.
• CMS Collections: The structure of your content, defined by a set of fields.
• Pages: The individual pages of your site, which can be static or dynamically generated from CMS Collections.
• Assets: Media files like images, videos, and documents.

Step 3: Define Your Content Structure in Webflow

Using your analysis from Step 1, define your content structure in Webflow. Begin by creating CMS Collections that correspond to the components and templates used in your AEM project. Map the fields from your AEM components to the appropriate fields in Webflow’s CMS Collections.

For instance, if your AEM project includes a “Blog Post” component with fields like title, body, and author, create a “Blog Post” CMS Collection in Webflow with similar fields. Be mindful of the differences in field types between AEM and Webflow, and adjust accordingly.

Step 4: Export Content from AEM

With your content structure defined in Webflow, the next step is to export your content from AEM. Utilize AEM’s built-in tools, such as the content package manager, or develop custom scripts to extract content from your AEM instance. Ensure that the exported content is in a format that can be easily imported into Webflow, such as CSV files.

Step 5: Import Content into Webflow

After exporting your content from AEM, you can begin importing it into Webflow. Webflow allows you to import content into CMS Collections via CSV import. Use this feature to map the exported content to the appropriate CMS Collections and fields in Webflow.

For example, if you have a CSV file with blog posts exported from AEM, use Webflow’s CSV import feature to import the file and map each blog post to the “Blog Post” CMS Collection you created earlier.

Step 6: Update Your Webflow Design

With your content now in Webflow, update your website design to align with your brand and user experience goals. Webflow’s Designer interface allows you to visually design and style your site, replacing any AEM-specific design elements with those supported by Webflow. Ensure that any changes in content structure or field names are reflected in your design components.

For instance, if your previous site used AEM-specific components, you can recreate these using Webflow’s design tools, ensuring that the functionality and appearance remain consistent.

Step 7: Test and Validate the Migration

Once your website has been updated in Webflow, thoroughly test and validate the migrated content and functionality. Check for:

• Broken links and missing assets
• Consistency in content formatting and presentation
• Correct mapping of CMS Collections and fields
• Proper functionality of dynamic components like forms or search features

Involve your team, including content editors, designers, and stakeholders, to ensure that the migration meets both technical and business requirements.

Step 8: Plan and Execute the Go-Live Process

When you’re confident in the success of the migration, plan and execute the go-live process. This involves:

• Configuring domains and SSL certificates in Webflow
• Setting up redirects from old AEM URLs to new Webflow URLs
• Coordinating content updates during the transition
• Monitoring website performance and user engagement post-migration

A well-executed go-live plan will ensure a smooth transition and minimize disruptions for your users.

Migrating your website from Adobe Experience Manager to Webflow is a complex process, but with careful planning and attention to detail, you can achieve a successful transition. By following this step-by-step guide and leveraging the tools provided by both platforms, you’ll be able to create a more flexible, visually engaging, and future-proof content infrastructure that meets your organization’s evolving needs.