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Migrate from WordPress to Éclair: the step-by-step method

By Published 5 min read

Migrate from WordPress to Éclair: the step-by-step method
Contents
  1. Should you really migrate from WordPress?
  2. Can Éclair import my WordPress site automatically?
  3. Step 1: how do you take stock of your URLs?
  4. Step 2: where should you install Éclair during the migration?
  5. Step 3: how do you recreate your pages and posts?
  6. Step 4: how do you keep your search rankings?
  7. Step 5: how do you switch over without downtime?
  8. Step 6: what should you check after the migration?
  9. Frequently asked questions about migrating from WordPress

Want to migrate from WordPress to a lighter site without losing your search rankings? It’s possible, as long as you work methodically: an inventory of your URLs, a parallel installation, recreating your content, 301 redirects, then the switchover. Here’s the complete process, with its pitfalls, and the cases where you’re better off staying on WordPress.

Éclair’s editor showing an SEO and GEO analysis scored 100 out of 100, next to the published article on a phone

Should you really migrate from WordPress?

WordPress is still an excellent tool: it powers 39.5% of all websites, according to W3Techs (as of October 30, 2026). But its flexibility comes at a price: a database, plugins for caching, SEO and security, and never-ending updates. According to Patchstack, 11,334 new vulnerabilities were discovered in the WordPress ecosystem in 2025, 91% of them in plugins.

Your site…Migrate to Éclair?
A business website or blog with a few dozen pagesYes, it’s the ideal case
Plugins limited to caching, SEO, security and a contact formYes: Éclair has all of that built in
A WooCommerce store, a member area, online coursesNo, stay on WordPress
A plugin you can’t do withoutNo, or not right away
Hundreds of posts and several writers every dayWeigh it carefully

Can Éclair import my WordPress site automatically?

No. As of version 1.2.0, Éclair has no automatic importer for WordPress. You recreate your content in the editor with the help of smart paste, which turns copied text into clean blocks. That’s why this migration is best suited to reasonably sized sites.

It’s also an opportunity: reread every page, remove what’s no longer useful and improve your text with the editor’s SEO and GEO analysis.

Step 1: how do you take stock of your URLs?

Before you touch anything, list every URL on your current site. They’re your SEO capital.

Step 2: where should you install Éclair during the migration?

Install Éclair alongside WordPress, without shutting anything down: in a subfolder (example.com/new/) or on a test subdomain. A subfolder installation is detected automatically, and the archive weighs just 402 KB.

In the “Visibility” step of the setup wizard, uncheck “Google and Bing can index my site”: you can build in peace, without creating duplicate content. Everything is explained in the installation guide.

Step 3: how do you recreate your pages and posts?

  1. At installation, choose the site type closest to yours (Business website, Blog, Freelancer / portfolio or Landing page): you start from a ready-made structure.
  2. Open each WordPress page in your browser, copy the text and paste it into Éclair’s editor: headings, lists, tables and bold text become clean blocks.
  3. Download the original images and upload them to the media library: Éclair resizes them, converts them to WebP and strips their EXIF data. Don’t forget the alt texts.
  4. Recreate your categories, which become real “pillar” pages, then your header and footer menus.
  5. Fill in your author profile (photo, bio, links): it appears below every post.

Step 4: how do you keep your search rankings?

The golden rule: every old URL must lead somewhere. Keep the same slugs whenever you can; otherwise, create a 301 redirect in Éclair’s Redirects menu.

Watch out for one difference in structure: many WordPress sites publish their posts at the root (/my-post/), whereas Éclair puts them under the blog base (/blog/my-post). Pages, on the other hand, can keep a URL at the root, even when they’re nested.

Old WordPress URLNew Éclair URLAction
/services//servicesNone: Éclair redirects the trailing slash
/my-post//blog/my-post301 redirect to create
/category/tips//blog/tips301 redirect to create

Then, for each piece of content, carry over the SEO title and the meta description (copy them from Yoast or Rank Math), and add a “Key takeaways” summary and a focus keyphrase: the Analysis tab guides you. These settings are covered in detail on the SEO page of the documentation.

Step 5: how do you switch over without downtime?

  1. Back up WordPress: the files and the database, with your host’s tool or a backup plugin. Keep this copy for several months.
  2. Free up the root: move WordPress into an archive folder, or delete it once you’ve checked the backup.
  3. Install Éclair at the root: copy the whole Éclair folder, hidden .htaccess files included, then change the address in Settings › General. Internal links adapt automatically.
  4. Open your site to search engines: check “Visible to search engines” in Settings › SEO, then click “Verify the site address” on the Security page.

Step 6: what should you check after the migration?

CheckHow
Sitemap submittedSubmit /sitemap.xml in Google Search Console
RedirectsTest a dozen old URLs: they should return a 301
Contact formSend yourself a test message
HTTPSThe padlock appears on every page
Bots and AIOpen /robots.txt and /llms.txt
SpeedRun a Lighthouse test on the home page and on a post

Then keep an eye on Search Console for a few weeks: a slight shift in rankings is normal while Google takes the new URLs into account.

Still on the fence? Our comparison of Éclair and WordPress will help you decide.

Frequently asked questions about migrating from WordPress

Will I lose my search rankings if I migrate from WordPress?

Not if every old URL is kept or 301-redirected to the new one. Temporary fluctuations are possible while Google discovers the changes.

Can I keep my posts at the root, as on WordPress?

Éclair’s posts live under the blog base. To keep a URL at the root, you can recreate an important piece of content as a page, but it will then appear neither in the blog list nor in the RSS feed.

What happens to my WordPress comments?

Éclair has no comment system, so they aren’t carried over. Keep the WordPress export (Tools › Export) if you want to hold on to them.

What about my contact forms?

Éclair includes a Contact form block, protected from spam without a captcha, with an inbox in the admin. You don’t need any plugin.

Follow the installation guide