Write a Migration Guide for WordPress

Function: Write
Type: Project
Level: Beginner

Help people move their content to WordPress by writing a migrationMigration Moving the code, database and media files for a website site from one server to another. Most typically done when changing hosting companies. guide. Pick a platform, document the step-by-step migration process, and submit your guide to the Data Liberation project. Migration guides are one of the most direct ways to make the web more open, and every new guide helps someone make the switch.

Before you start

Complete the common setup first, then:

• Setup: You’ll need a GitHubGitHub GitHub is a website that offers online implementation of git repositories that can easily be shared, copied and modified by other developers. Public repositories are free to host, private repositories require a paid subscription. GitHub introduced the concept of the ‘pull request’ where code changes done in branches by contributors can be reviewed and discussed before being merged by the repository owner. https://github.com/ account to submit your guide as a pull request. If you want to test the migration process yourself, set up WordPress Playground or a local WordPress install
• Read: Read through the Data Liberation project overview to understand the vision and how migration guides fit into the bigger picture
• Connect: Join #data-liberation on SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/ and introduce yourself

Steps

1. Find a guide to write or update. There are two ways to contribute. You can write a new guide by browsing the good first issues and guide issues on GitHub to see which platforms still need a migration guide. Or you can update an existing guide by reviewing the published migration guides and checking whether the steps are still accurate and up to date.
2. Study the existing guides. Look at the guides in the guides folder on GitHub to understand the format and structure. Use these as your template.
3. Walk through the migration yourself. If possible, set up an account on the source platform, create some test content, and migrate it to WordPress. Document each step as you go, including any workarounds or gotchas you encounter.
4. Write your guide. Follow the same structure as the existing guides. Be specific, include screenshots where helpful, and write for someone who has never used WordPress before.
5. Submit a pull request. Add your guide to the guides folder in the Data Liberation repo and open a PR. Reference the relevant issue if one exists. Let the team know in #data-liberation that your PR is ready for review.

Contribution checklist

• New guide written or existing guide reviewed and updated
• Guide follows the same structure as existing guides in the repo
• Pull request submitted to the Data Liberation repo

What happens next

A project maintainer will review your PR and may suggest changes. If there’s no response after two weeks, follow up in #data-liberation.

Once your guide is merged, it will be published on the Data Liberation guides page and help real people migrate their content to WordPress. Pick another platform and write another guide, or explore the other phases of the Data Liberation project.

Help

Stuck? Check the getting help guide, then ask in #data-liberation.

Further reading:
– Phase 1: Migration Guides and Community Tools
– Data Liberation GitHub repository
– Published migration guides
– Data Liberation project plan