Agency migration
WordPress to Astro for client sites
Built for agencies (and solo AI-agent builders) moving existing WordPress client sites to Astro, then hosting and managing them on Novence. Single-site owners: start at /migrate/wordpress.
Who this is for
Primary: agencies with a roster of WordPress client sites that need a static rebuild, shared hosting, and a clear handoff. Secondary: solo builders who run the same loop with an AI agent for one client at a time.
- Astro (or plain HTML) rebuilds: no PHP, no plugin updates, lean HTML for local businesses
- One Novence account for many client projects, previews, Forms, and domain cutover
- Structured content in /data/*.json so clients can change hours or menus without WordPress
- You bill clients at your rate. Novence bills your account for hosting quotas
Agency migration loop
- Inventory the WordPress site: pages, media, forms, plugins that must be replaced, and every public URL.
- Rebuild in Astro with the same paths where possible. Put menus, hours, and team lists in /data/*.json.
- Deploy to a Novence preview. Run checks. Replace contact forms with Novence Forms. Add /_redirects for changed URLs.
- Cut over DNS carefully, hand off the domain, then enable owner edit if the client should update structured lists.
Per-client migration checklist
Run this once per client before you call the move done.
- Redirects: Map changed WordPress paths in
/_redirectswith 301s. Test on the preview URL before DNS. 301 redirects guide. - DNS without breaking email: CNAME
wwwtofallback.novence.ai. Set apex with ALIAS or a redirect to www. Do not touch MX, SPF, or DKIM. Domains · Keep email working. - Contact forms: Replace WordPress form plugins with Novence Forms. Submissions email you (or the client) without a PHP backend. Forms compared.
- Media: Export or download images from WordPress, optimize them, and ship them with the Astro build. Reference local paths in the new site. Do not leave hotlinks to the old host after cutover.
- SEO titles and canonicals: Keep page titles and meta descriptions accurate. Set canonical URLs to the custom domain, not the preview host. Deploy a
sitemap.xml, then verify the domain in Search Console. Search Console guide · Launch checklist. - Client handoff: Attach their domain, send the exact DNS records, confirm Forms and
/datacollections, then enable owner edit if they should update hours or menus themselves. Agency overview: /for-agencies.
Client editing after handoff
Clients do not need a dashboard login or an nv_ key. On Pro and Scale you can opt in owner edit so they update structured lists such as hours, menus, or team from a generated form on their live site. They open /edit (or the path you set), enter a saved email, receive a short-lived code, then edit for a limited session. Off by default. Custom domains included. Details: /site-data#owner-edit.
- Ship content in /data/*.json (hours, menu, team, services). Page JS fetches it same-origin.
- Owner edit covers those named collections only. It is not a full visual page builder.
- Agents can still deploy file changes, or on Pro and Scale use put_site_data for live JSON writes.
- Keep /data files in the project. A later deploy that omits them can wipe live edits.
Not a WordPress-style visual CMS. Clients edit named JSON collections through a generated form, not arbitrary page layouts.
Owned guides to keep open
Agency WordPress FAQ
How is this different from /migrate/wordpress?
That guide is for a single site owner moving one WordPress site. This page is for agencies migrating many client WordPress sites to Astro and hosting them together on Novence.
Do clients keep editing in WordPress?
No. WordPress PHP plugins do not run on Novence. Rebuild as static Astro (or plain HTML). Structured lists live in /data/*.json. On Pro and Scale, clients can edit those lists from /edit with an email code. Layout and page structure still go through your agent or a redeploy.
Will changing DNS break client email?
Not if you only change website records. Point www and the apex at Novence. Leave MX, SPF, and DKIM alone. See /blog/email-and-website-dns.
What about old WordPress URLs?
Keep the same paths when you can. For anything that changed, ship /_redirects with 301 rules and test them on the preview host before cutover. Guide: /blog/static-site-301-redirects.
Can a solo AI-agent agency use this?
Yes. Start free on one rebuild to learn the loop, then use Pro or Scale when you host multiple client projects. You bill clients. Novence bills your account for hosting quotas.
Start free, upgrade when the roster grows
Practice one WordPress-to-Astro rebuild on Free. When you host multiple client projects, move to Pro or Scale. See pricing for current plans.