How to Migrate from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10: A Step-by-Step Guide for Real-World Upgrades 🚀

Still running your site on Drupal 7? It’s time to move up! With Drupal 10 offering better performance, security, and modern features, this guide will show you the full Drupal 7 to 10 migration process from start to finish — using real project steps that work for developers and agencies alike.

🗂️ Step 1: Copy Your Drupal 7 Codebase

Start by creating a clean folder like C:/migration/drupal7-site and place your full Drupal 7 project inside. This should include:

• Sites/default/files folder (media files)
• Custom themes or modules (if required)
• settings.php file with database info

🧠 Step 2: Dump and Save the Drupal 7 Database

Use phpMyAdmin or terminal to export the full Drupal 7 MySQL database into a file named drupal7.sql. Save this file in the same folder. This database holds your content, users, and site configuration.

📦 Step 3: Create a New Drupal 10 Project

Use Composer to install a fresh Drupal 10 project in a new folder:

composer create-project drupal/recommended-project my-upgrade-site

🧱 Step 4: Create a Fresh, Empty Drupal 10 Database

Open XAMPP or phpMyAdmin and create a new, empty database for your Drupal 10 install. Example name: drupal10_db

💻 Step 5: Import the Drupal 7 SQL into Local DB

Go to C:/xampp/mysql/bin, open CMD, and run:

mysql -u root -p drupal7_db < C:/migration/drupal7-site/drupal7.sql

This brings your old site’s data into the new environment.

📁 Step 6: Copy Over Important Folders

Move the sites/default/files folder from your Drupal 7 project into your Drupal 10’s public files directory. This ensures all uploaded images and files migrate too.

🛠️ Step 7: Install and Enable Migration Modules

Install your new Drupal 10 site using the fresh empty database from Step 4. Then go to:

Extend → Enable:

• Migrate
• Migrate Drupal
• Migrate Upgrade

Now enable Maintenance Mode: Configuration → Development → Maintenance mode

🚀 Step 8: Run the Drupal Upgrade Wizard

In your browser, go to: /upgrade (e.g., localhost/my-upgrade-site/web/upgrade)
This is the Drupal upgrade interface where you connect the Drupal 7 database and choose what to migrate.

The wizard will guide you to map content types, users, fields, and more. Once confirmed, click Apply to begin migration.

✅ What Gets Migrated?

• Content types and fields
• Taxonomy terms and vocabularies
• Users and roles
• Basic pages, articles, media files

Modules and themes must be handled separately — some may need custom rebuilds.

💡 Real-World Tips

• Use Drush for batch migrations
• Backup both databases before upgrade
• Use a staging environment — never run on live!
• Use the Upgrade Status module before you begin to check readiness