Migration from IPS to WoltLab

[eveneme]

Due to the dramatic changes in prices and licensing policies of IPS, many people will be looking for an alternative to switch to another platform. I am on this path myself and want to migrate my forum from IPS to WoltLab. However, I would like the migration to be more comprehensive than it currently is. I want more information to be transferred from the old forum to the new one. Therefore, I am suggesting an expansion of the WoltLab exporter for IPS. Please consider and review my request as I plan to migrate next year (and I am probably not the only one, as many people are dissatisfied).

[BurntimeX]

What exactly are you currently missing with the IPS importer?

Our import system is essentially based on importing the standard data that all forum software have in common. Importing special data from individual forum software is usually relatively difficult and time-consuming.

[dtdesign]

@eveneme If you have some spare time, we would greatly appreciate if you could tell us what you are missing and feel is crucial for a successful migration?

[eveneme]

Sorry for the late response. I will describe everything tomorrow.

[eveneme]

I have reviewed the WoltLab exporter and have several questions. Will the link structure be preserved to avoid losing SEO positioning? Will all page titles and meta descriptions be retained? Will tags also be transferred? Will passwords remain the same or will they need to be reset? I am committed to migrating, but I need assurance that the forum will be fully functional post-migration and won't cause issues for myself and users. Currently, I have 2500 users. Will user permissions and groups be fully preserved? What about promotional features? For instance, in IPS, I have set that new users cannot download attachments or access private conversations. Will this also be migrated?

[BurntimeX]

Will the link structure be preserved to avoid losing SEO positioning?

You can set up redirects for the old links, e.g. using mod_rewrite. See: https://manual.woltlab.com/en/migration-url-rewrites/

Will all page titles and meta descriptions be retained?

Page titles and meta descriptions are generated on the basis of the thread title and the text and therefore remain largely unchanged.

Will tags also be transferred?

Yes.

Will passwords remain the same or will they need to be reset?

Passwords remain the same.

Will user permissions and groups be fully preserved?

User groups are imported, but permissions are not. The reason for this is that these usually differ too much from one software to another and therefore cannot be imported in a useful way.

[eveneme]

@BurntimeX

You can set up redirects for the old links, e.g. using mod_rewrite. See: https://manual.woltlab.com/en/migration-url-rewrites/

I can't find it on this list: Invision Community

[BurntimeX]

These are basic examples that usually always have to be adapted individually, as the URL structure can be customized for each software.

We are happy to help with this as part of our ticket support.