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      CMS Data Migration

      This article summarizes the CatapultCMS Data Migration Process and includes possible risks and challenges associated with the migration process.

      Catapult Commitment: Catapult is committed to leveraging cutting-edge technology and expert manual handling to facilitate a seamless website transition for you. We strive to ensure a clean content transfer process. However, it is essential to acknowledge that certain challenges may arise due to factors beyond our control, such as the coding and customizations implemented by the previous vendor.


      To mitigate any potential issues, we kindly request you to thoroughly review the risks and challenges detailed below and make any necessary adjustments to your website before the migration process begins. While we will make every effort to achieve a successful data transfer, we cannot guarantee the complete transfer of data due to external variables.


      Rest assured, our team will diligently work with you to address any complications that may arise during the migration process, providing our utmost support to ensure a positive outcome.

      Risks and Challenges of Moving Content to a New Content Management System


      What is Data Migration? Data Migration is the process Catapult CMS uses to convert content from an existing website into Catapult CMS. It involves transferring content from one live website to another. Only data that is public on the url we are asked to migrate will be migrated. 


      Page Mapping: The initial step of data migration is to go through the website page by page and re-create the site structure of the original website inside of Catapult. Once the website page structure has been completed, the original documents, images and page content will be transferred into Catapult page by page. Occasionally, content and navigation may need to be reorganized during the migration process.


      Risks and Challenges: It is important that you recognize the potential risks and challenges that can arise when moving your district or school website's content from one vendor's system to another content management system. While this transition offers various benefits, it is essential to be aware of these factors to ensure a smooth migration process. Collaboration with the migration team and careful planning and testing will help mitigate these challenges.


      Data Migration Report: Upon completion of the data migration process, we will provide a comprehensive Data Migration Report. This report will outline any identified issues that may have arisen during the migration process, such as broken images, links, unpublished pages, blank pages, and non-compliant ADA images.

      General Considerations:

      1. Formatting Changes: During the migration to the new content management system, the formatting of the content may change. This could result in variations in the appearance of the content on the new website compared to the original.
      2. Public-Facing Content Migration: Only content visible to the public will be migrated to the new system. Any content restricted or not accessible to the public will not be included in the migration process.
      3. Exclusion of Non-Live Documents: Documents in the old system that are not live on the website will not be migrated to the new system.

      Items Not Migrated unless Specifically Requested: 

      1. Teacher Sites: Teacher sites are not usually included in the data migration process. No teacher sites will be created or content migrated unless included in a signed quote.
      2. Directories: 
        1. Staff Directory photos and contact information are not regularly migrated, as most clients choose to use the Catapult Staff Directory.
        2. School Directories are not migrated, as most clients choose to use the Catapult School Manager “Our Schools” page for that function.
      3. Forms: Since the creation of forms requires custom scripting and database integration, forms will not be migrated. Pages with forms will be noted on the Data Migration Report. Clients may choose to use Catapult’s Contact Form element or create a third-party form (such as Google or JotForm) or custom HTML to add to their new website.
      4. Dynamic Content: Content elements inserted into a page programmatically, whether pulled from an external database or dynamically built from a program running on an outside server, are not covered by the Data Migration Process. Pages which contain such elements will be noted on the Data Migration Report and can be individually discussed upon request. 

      Risks and Challenges Specific to Links: 

      1. Navigation Links Breakage: Any content linking from a school site back to the district may break if the navigation structure changes in the new system. When migrating school sites, Catapult will make every effort to correct these links.
      2. Broken Links in Staging: Some links may appear broken during the implementation process, as the migration team updates URLs to reflect what they will be when the site  goes live.

      Risks and Challenges Specific to Documents:

      1. Formatting Issues in Documents: Documents in non-standard formats may experience disruptions during the migration process, depending on the source system, potentially affecting their appearance and readability on the new website. (Standard formats include PDF, DOC/DOCX, HTML/HTM,and XLS/XLSX).
      2. Broken Links within Documents: Links within documents that point to specific pages or other documents within the website may break during migration. We recommend either removing links or linking to an external source, such as Google Drive.
      3. Document Naming: Depending on the technology used by the previous vendor, document names can be impacted during migration; sometimes numbers are generated instead of names. The migration team may rename documents with a different naming convention than originally used.

      Risks and Challenges Specific to Images:

      1. Image Formatting: Images in non-standard formats may experience disruptions during the migration, potentially affecting their display on the new website. (Standard formats include JPEG/JPG, PNG, GIF, and TIFF/TIF.)
      2. Changes in Image Order: Images within slideshows or galleries may not retain their original order during migration.
      3. Image Name Changes: Names of images may change during the migration process, which could affect their referencing and identification. The migration team may rename images with a different naming convention than originally used.
      4. Image Resizing: Images, apart from homepage images, will be brought over at a maximum width of 500 px. Client may want to back up larger images separately for preservation.
      5. Large Slideshows: Migrating large photo libraries will use up agreed data migration hours quickly. Please identify items that need to be migrated – for example: “Do not migrate slideshows older than 3 years.”

      Risks and Challenges Specific to Videos:

      1. Broken/Missing Images: Some images associated with non-YouTube embedded video elements may be broken or missing during migration.
      2. File Name Changes: File names of videos can be altered during the migration, potentially impacting references to these videos.
      3. Non-Migration of Embedded Video Elements: Non-YouTube or Vimeo embedded video elements may not migrate entirely to the new system.

      Risks and Challenges Specific to Custom Elements:

      1. Custom Code Compatibility: Embedded codes or custom code may not be transferred correctly during migration, leading to issues with custom elements on the new website.
      2. RSS Feeds will not transfer over.

      Questions and Concerns:

      If you have any concerns or queries regarding the migration, please do not hesitate to reach out to our dedicated support team. Your satisfaction is of the utmost importance to us, and we are here to assist you throughout the entire process.


      Thank you for choosing Catapult as your website migration partner. We look forward to serving you with excellence.