Drupal to Next.js Migration
Drupal's power without Drupal's complexity. Migrate to Next.js and cut your frontend maintenance burden in half.
Why leave Drupal?
- PHP frontend limits performance ceiling
- Drupal developer shortage drives up costs
- Twig theming system has steep learning curve
- Module updates carry breaking change risk
- Lighthouse scores consistently below 70
What you gain
- React-based frontend any developer can maintain
- Lighthouse 95–100
- Large Next.js developer pool
- TypeScript codebase with IDE support
- Modern deployment pipeline (Vercel, GitHub Actions)
Why Drupal users migrate to Next.js
Drupal is powerful — genuinely powerful — for complex content architectures with fine-grained permission systems. But the frontend is slow (server-rendered PHP), the theming system is complex, and finding Drupal developers is increasingly difficult. Next.js gives you a modern, React-based frontend that any developer can work with, while keeping Drupal''s data model intact if you choose headless.
Two paths: headless Drupal or full migration
Headless Drupal: Keep Drupal as your content backend, replace the PHP theme with Next.js. Drupal''s JSON:API module exposes all content types as REST endpoints. Editors keep the Drupal admin interface.
Full migration: Export all content from Drupal, import into Sanity or Supabase, and rebuild the frontend in Next.js. Cleaner architecture, no Drupal dependency, but requires rebuilding editorial workflows.
I recommend based on your content complexity, team size, and how much editorial workflow is built into Drupal.
The migration process
Discovery & Audit
We map every page, post, media file, redirect, and plugin. Nothing gets missed.
Architecture Plan
New stack designed for your content structure, SEO requirements, and performance targets.
Staged Migration
Content migrated in batches. Each batch verified before the next begins.
SEO Preservation
301 redirects, canonical tags, sitemap, robots.txt — every ranking signal carried over.
Launch & Monitor
DNS cutover with zero downtime. 30-day monitoring period included.
Drupal vs Next.js
| Metric | Drupal | Next.js |
|---|---|---|
| Lighthouse (mobile) | 40–70 | 95–100 |
| Developer availability | Limited (Drupal specialists) | Large (React/Next.js) |
| TTFB | 300–700ms | Under 50ms |
| Frontend framework | Twig (PHP) | React + TypeScript |
Common questions
Should I go headless Drupal or fully migrate away from it?
Headless Drupal makes sense if you have complex content types, workflows, and permissions that are heavily configured in Drupal and would be expensive to rebuild. Full migration makes sense if Drupal maintenance is a burden and your content architecture is straightforward.
How is Drupal content exported?
I use Drupal''s JSON:API module (built into Drupal 8+) to export all content types, fields, taxonomy, media, and relationships via REST. For large sites I use Drush and custom migration scripts for reliable bulk export.
What happens to Drupal''s permissions and roles?
In a headless setup, Drupal''s permission system is preserved — it only applies to the admin interface. In a full migration, permissions are rebuilt in Supabase RLS policies or the new CMS''s permission system.
Will Next.js handle Drupal''s complex content types?
Yes. Drupal''s content types map to database tables or CMS collections. I design the Next.js data model to preserve all field relationships and reference structures.
How long does a Drupal to Next.js migration take?
A medium-sized Drupal site (50-200 content types, 10,000-100,000 nodes) takes 6-10 weeks. The complexity of your content model and the number of content types is the main variable.
Ready to migrate?
Free assessment. We'll audit your current site and give you a clear migration plan — no commitment.
Let's build
something together.
Whether it's a migration, a new build, or an SEO challenge — the Social Animal team would love to hear from you.