How do I migrate WordPress with advanced features?

Basic WordPress-to-VeloCMS migration (WXR export → import) is covered in the main WordPress migration guide. This article is for the harder cases: sites that have grown over years and accumulated ACF custom fields, custom post types, multisite networks, or multilingual plugins like WPML and Polylang. None of these are impossible — they just need a more methodical approach.

ACF custom fields

Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) adds arbitrary key-value data to WordPress posts and pages. VeloCMS doesn't have an ACF equivalent out of the box — the post model has a structured set of fields (title, body, excerpt, featured image, tags, author, published_at) plus a free-text custom meta JSON field. The migration path: export your ACF fields via WXR (they export as post meta), then write a small import script that reads the WXR XML and populates the VeloCMS custom meta JSON for each post.

# Export WXR with post meta (includes ACF data)
# In WordPress admin: Tools → Export → All content → Download Export File
# The .xml WXR file will contain <wp:postmeta> blocks for each ACF field

# Example structure in WXR:
# <wp:postmeta>
#   <wp:meta_key>acf_hero_subtitle</wp:meta_key>
#   <wp:meta_value>My Hero Subtitle</wp:meta_value>
# </wp:postmeta>

Custom post types

WordPress plugins like Custom Post Type UI create post types like 'recipes', 'case-studies', 'events', etc. VeloCMS currently has a single post type with tags for categorisation. For content migration, the pragmatic approach is to import custom post type entries as VeloCMS posts with a tag matching the original type name (e.g. tag: recipe). For more complex structured data (fields beyond the standard post model), use VeloCMS's custom meta JSON field to preserve the extra data, and plan to build a custom renderer in VeloCMS if needed.

WordPress Multisite

WordPress Multisite runs multiple sites in a single WP installation, each with its own database prefix. VeloCMS handles multi-blog via true multi-tenancy — each blog is a separate VeloCMS tenant. The migration process: export each subsite individually as a separate WXR file, create a separate VeloCMS blog for each one, and import them independently. If the subsites share users, recreate user accounts on each relevant VeloCMS tenant.

• In WordPress Multisite, go to Network Admin → Sites → [Site Name] → Export.
• Export each subsite separately. WXR files are per-site.
• Create one VeloCMS account per blog owner or use the team members feature if one person manages multiple blogs.
• Custom domains per subsite carry over to VeloCMS custom domains (Pro plan and above).

WPML and Polylang multilingual sites

WPML and Polylang store translations as separate posts linked by a relationship meta field. When you export WXR, translations export as separate posts with the original-language post ID stored in a meta field. VeloCMS supports multilingual content at the post level via language tags. The import path: export your primary language as a standard WXR, import it, then export each translated language and import it as a second batch with a language tag (e.g. 'lang:tr' for Turkish). Linking posts to their translations is a manual step post-import — automatic translation relationship linking from WPML is not yet supported.

Membership and WooCommerce users

WooCommerce customer data is stored in WordPress's wp_users table and wp_usermeta. Export customer emails and order data via WooCommerce → Reports → Export. For blog members (email subscribers), export them from your email plugin (Mailchimp, ConvertKit integration, or custom subscription table) as a CSV and import to VeloCMS Members. WooCommerce orders and products need to be recreated in VeloCMS's product catalog — there's no WooCommerce product import yet.

The big picture: what to do first

• Audit your WordPress plugins list and categorise them: content (can migrate), functionality (needs VeloCMS equivalent or custom build), SEO (VeloCMS has built-in SEO — mostly replaceable).
• Export and import your standard posts first. Get the basics working.
• Deal with custom post types and ACF fields after base content is live.
• Handle users and members last, just before DNS cutover.
• Keep WordPress live on its original URL for at least 30 days after cutover in case you need to reference something.

Frequently asked questions

• Can VeloCMS import ACF fields automatically? Not yet — the importer maps standard post fields. ACF fields end up in post meta and need a script to place them into VeloCMS's custom meta JSON.
• What happens to my WordPress plugins after migration? The article 'What happens to my WordPress plugins after migration?' covers this in detail — check the help center.
• How long does an advanced WordPress migration take? For a multisite with ACF, budget 1–3 days of technical work depending on customisation depth.
• Can I hire someone to do this for me? VeloCMS migration partners are listed at velocms.org/partners — verified agencies with migration experience.
• What about WooCommerce? WooCommerce product import is on the VeloCMS roadmap for Q3 2026.