Posted by: Ainsley McWilliams
16 February 2024
Why many teams are switching from Drupal to Umbraco
- Drupal 7 is now past end of life, which means no new community security fixes on Drupal.org. If you still run Drupal 7, planning a move is prudent. (Source: Drupal.org)
- Marketers consistently rate Umbraco higher for ease of use, ease of setup and support quality in independent G2 reviews. (Source: G2)
- Umbraco offers predictable release and support cycles, with long‑term support editions aligned to Microsoft .NET LTS. Today, Umbraco 13 is LTS on .NET 8, and Umbraco 17 is the next LTS. (Source: Umbraco)
What that means for a marketing function is simple: faster publishing, lower training needs and a platform that keeps pace with your roadmap. The business value is shorter time to market with less friction for editors.
What marketers gain with Umbraco
- Editor experience – Clean backoffice, logical content tree and component‑based editing, praised by users for being straightforward. (Source: G2)
- Integrations – Built for APIs and webhooks, with documented patterns and marketplace options for CRM and marketing automation tools such as Salesforce, HubSpot and Dynamics. (Source: Umbraco)
- Roadmap confidence – LTS releases give a clear upgrade path on the modern .NET stack for performance and stability. (Source: Umbraco)
These strengths translate into faster content operations, easier campaign handoffs to CRM and fewer production surprises.
How to migrate from Drupal to Umbraco without losing SEO
A safe migration protects three things: URLs, metadata and structured content. Follow this playbook.
Set the rules early
- Crawl your current site and export a full URL inventory, including canonicals, hreflang, titles, meta descriptions and key schema. Map every URL to its new destination.
- Decide on your redirect strategy. Use permanent 301 or 308 server‑side redirects and avoid long chains. Keep redirects in place for at least 12 months. (Source: Google Search Central)
Preserve signals in Umbraco
- Maintain metadata parity and self‑referencing canonicals on new URLs.
- Update internal links and sitemaps to the new structure and submit to Search Console.
- Enable built‑in Redirect URL Management in Umbraco so any editor‑driven URL change automatically creates a 301, then manage the migration redirects explicitly via config or rewrite rules. (Source: Umbraco Docs)
Launch carefully
- Rehearse the cutover in a production‑like environment. Test a sample of high‑value pages with curl, Screaming Frog and Search Console’s URL Inspection.
- Time the switch during a low‑traffic period and monitor logs, crawl stats and error rates closely in the first 72 hours. Expect normal ranking fluctuation while Google reprocesses URLs. (Source: Google Search Central)
Business takeaway: a disciplined redirect plan, plus Umbraco’s URL tracking, protects equity built over years and keeps campaigns on track.
Project timeline and milestones
Every site is different, but this is the cadence we see most often.
Weeks 0–2 – Discovery and audit
- Content and URL inventory, SEO baseline, analytics setup audit, risk log, accessibility goals.
Weeks 2–5 – Build and migration scripts
- Umbraco setup, content types and components, migration automation, media plan.
Weeks 5–7 – Integrations and QA
- CRM and analytics handoffs, site search, forms, performance tuning, security hardening.
Week 8 – Rehearsal and sign‑off
- Full redirect validation, Search Console checks, UAT.
Week 9 – Cutover and hypercare
- Go‑live window, analytics continuity checks, first‑week fixes.
For smaller brochure sites, delivery can compress to 6–8 weeks. Complex multi‑language or multi‑brand estates with bespoke modules may need 12–16 weeks to rehearse thoroughly. Business takeaway: a rehearsed, phased plan reduces risk without dragging momentum.
Typical cost ranges in the UK
Budgets vary with size, integrations and governance. These guide ranges reflect typical UK agency rates and a risk‑managed approach.
| Profile | Scale & characteristics | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Small site | 50–150 pages, limited forms, minimal integrations | £25k–£45k |
| Midsize site | 150–500 pages, CRM and analytics integrations, content types and components | £40k–£120k |
| Complex estate | Multi‑brand or multi‑language, bespoke modules, CRM/ERP, SSO, stricter governance | £120k–£250k+ |
What drives cost most is content model complexity, integrations and the volume of redirects to validate. Business takeaway: a short technical discovery keeps estimates honest and prevents scope creep later.
Drupal to Umbraco migration checklist for marketing leaders
- Objectives and KPIs agreed – traffic protection, form conversion, editor speed, accessibility score.
- Content inventory complete – pages, media, documents, taxonomies, translations.
- URL mapping locked – old to new, including canonicals and hreflang.
- Design and UX decisions – components defined to speed content creation.
- SEO safeguards – redirects scripted, sitemaps updated, structured data parity.
- Compliance – privacy policy reviewed, consent and tagging plan documented.
- Integrations – CRM, email, analytics, SSO and search defined and tested.
- Training plan – hands‑on editor training and quick‑reference guides.
- Cutover rehearsal – full dress rehearsal with rollback plan.
- Post‑launch monitoring – Search Console, analytics, error logs and performance budget.
Business takeaway: this list keeps the programme aligned on outcomes that matter to marketing.
How to keep your CRM, email and analytics in sync
Umbraco is API‑friendly and offers clear patterns for CRM handoffs via webhooks, server‑side handlers or iPaaS tools, with marketplace options when you prefer packaged connectors. That includes Salesforce, HubSpot and Microsoft Dynamics 365. (Source: Umbraco)
A practical pattern looks like this:
- Forms in Umbraco send a webhook to a lightweight endpoint.
- The endpoint maps fields and calls the CRM API with consent status and campaign attribution.
- Analytics events mirror submissions so goals remain consistent in GA4.
Business takeaway: keep the integration thin and observable so changes in one tool do not ripple across your stack.
Data protection, security and hosting considerations
As you migrate, treat privacy and security as first‑class concerns. UK GDPR places duties on controllers and processors to document processing, put appropriate measures in place and maintain clear contracts. (Source: ICO)
If you choose Umbraco Cloud, Umbraco acts as a processor and runs on Microsoft Azure with documented subprocessors and DPAs. Review data centre choices and agreements to fit your policies. (Source: Umbraco Trust Center)
Your compliance programme should also align editor permissions, logging and retention with accountability guidance from the ICO. (Source: ICO)
Business takeaway: document roles, DPAs and data flows during discovery so compliance is clear by go‑live.
Performance and scalability on the modern .NET stack
Umbraco 13+ is built on .NET 8 LTS with improvements that benefit scale and runtime efficiency, and it remains supported through Q4 2026. This gives you a stable foundation and a predictable upgrade path to the next LTS. (Source: Umbraco)
Business takeaway: a supported runtime and LTS cadence reduce technical risk and make budgeting easier.
The role of a Platinum Umbraco Partner
Working with an official Umbraco Partner gives you certified specialists who follow current best practices and stay aligned to the product roadmap. Platinum is the top tier in the partner programme, designed for agencies with deep expertise. (Source: Umbraco)
Growcreate is a Platinum Partner listed in Umbraco’s partner index, bringing direct access to product teams and proven delivery patterns. (Source: Umbraco Partner Index) (Source: Growcreate partner profile)
Business takeaway: you reduce risk and accelerate delivery by leaning on a team that does this every day.
Handling custom Drupal modules and bespoke code
- Audit early – list contrib and custom modules, what they do for users and which data they touch.
- Decide to replace or rebuild – many features are better delivered as Umbraco components or small services rather than one‑to‑one ports.
- Contract test integrations – for CRM and other APIs, define field mappings and behaviours, then automate tests so changes are caught before release.
Business takeaway: resist like‑for‑like rebuilds when a simpler pattern yields the same outcome.
Training and adoption
Marketing teams adjust quickly when training is focused and hands‑on:
- A 90‑minute live editor workshop for everyday tasks
- A short playbook on components, media and approvals
- A guide for redirects, sitemaps and on‑page SEO in Umbraco
Business takeaway: when editors gain speed in the first week, the project lands well.
How Growcreate delivers safe Drupal to Umbraco migrations
We plan and execute migrations to protect performance, rankings and continuity.
What you can expect:
- Technical discovery and migration plan – short, focused and outcome‑led
- Rehearsed cutover with rollback ready
- Full redirect matrix and SEO parity checks
- CRM, analytics and SSO continuity
- Editor training and post‑launch hypercare
Explore related services:
- CMS migrations that protect accuracy and continuity
- Umbraco upgrades and migrations
- 24/7 Umbraco support with SLA response and resolution
- Umbraco hosting on Azure or Umbraco Cloud
Business takeaway: one partner for migration, hosting and ongoing support keeps your platform stable and your team focused on growth.
Ready to plan your move? Speak to Growcreate’s Umbraco team for a quick discovery and a clear plan.
Drupal vs Umbraco
When assessing the two solutions, reviewers on G2 found Umbraco easier to use, set up, and administer. Reviewers also preferred doing business with Umbraco overall.
- Reviewers felt that Umbraco meets the needs of their business better than Drupal.
- Reviewers felt that Umbraco was the preferred option when comparing the quality of ongoing product support.
- For feature updates and roadmaps, our reviewers preferred the direction of Umbraco over Drupal.
FAQs
Most midsize sites deliver in 8–16 weeks once discovery is complete. Typical budgets range from £40k for smaller sites to £120k for larger single‑brand sites, with complex estates starting from £120k. Factors that move the needle: content model complexity, number of redirects, integrations and governance.
Lock a redirect matrix before build, preserve metadata and canonicals, update sitemaps and internal links, and keep redirects live for at least a year. Use Umbraco’s Redirect URL Management to handle editor‑driven moves post‑launch. (Source: Google Search Central) (Source: Umbraco Docs)
Marketers often cite easier editing, smoother setup and stronger support perception. If you are still on Drupal 7, end of life has passed, so planning a move makes sense. (Source: G2) (Source: Drupal.org)
Today the safe baseline is Umbraco 13 LTS on .NET 8, with support through Q4 2026. If your programme lands later, consider the timing for Umbraco 17 LTS. (Source: Umbraco)
