FAQs

Drupal migration follows an Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) process. Data is extracted from the source CMS, transformed to match Drupal's content types, fields, users, media, and taxonomy structure, and then loaded into the new Drupal site using the Migrate API. The migrated site is tested on staging before the final cutover and launch.

A Drupal migration can be summarized into five broad phases: discovery and audit, architecture and content mapping, environment setup, data migration and testing, and launch and optimization. Some teams separate SEO preservation or go-live into their own phase, resulting in a six-phase process like the one outlined in this guide.

Performance should be monitored continuously, with regular audits after major changes such as Drupal upgrades, module additions, redesigns, or infrastructure changes. Use lab tools such as Lighthouse for diagnosis and CrUX or Search Console for ongoing real-user Core Web Vitals performance.

Caching stores frequently needed pages, rendered components, or computed data so Drupal doesn't have to regenerate them for every request. Internal Page Cache, Dynamic Page Cache, cache bins, Redis/Memcached, and CDN or reverse-proxy caching can reduce server processing and database work and deliver responses faster.

Common causes include slow server response times, uncached or expensive Views queries, inefficient JavaScript and Drupal behaviors, third-party scripts, images or embeds without reserved dimensions, render-blocking resources, and poorly optimized dynamic content.

Start by diagnosing performance with tools such as Lighthouse, WebPageTest, Chrome DevTools, and CrUX, then address the highest-impact bottleneck. Depending on the findings, this may involve optimizing database queries, enabling Drupal caching, improving edge delivery, reducing JavaScript, and optimizing images and fonts.

Drupal can improve LCP by reducing TTFB and expensive server-side work, caching complex Views, using BigPipe to deliver cacheable content earlier, and optimizing the LCP resource—often a hero image—through responsive sizing and modern formats such as WebP or AVIF.

Core Web Vitals are Google's field metrics for loading, responsiveness, and visual stability: LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), INP (Interaction to Next Paint), and CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift). In Drupal, these metrics can be affected by server-side rendering, caching, JavaScript behaviors, images, and dynamic content.

Improve Drupal speed by identifying the actual bottleneck first, then optimizing areas such as database queries and Views, OPcache, Drupal's page and render caching, Redis or Memcached, CDN delivery, JavaScript, and responsive images.

Drupal performance optimization is the process of improving a Drupal site's loading speed, responsiveness, and visual stability by addressing bottlenecks across the server, database, caching layers, frontend assets, images, and rendering pipeline.