Migrating a 5,000-Page SiteExecutive ColdFusion Website to WordPress
Stevenson University partnered with WordHerd to migrate its main university website from SiteExecutive, a custom ColdFusion-based content management system, to WordPress.
The project included the conversion of approximately 5,000 pages from the sunsetting SiteExecutive platform into a modern WordPress environment. By moving to WordPress, Stevenson University gained a more flexible, maintainable, and editor-friendly platform for managing its public-facing website.
The result was a new era of content editing for Stevenson’s web team, giving internal users more control, better workflows, and a stronger foundation for ongoing website growth.
The Challenge
Stevenson University’s main website was built on SiteExecutive, a custom ColdFusion CMS that was being sunsetted. As the platform approached the end of its useful life, the university needed to migrate a large and important web presence into a more sustainable content management system.
With approximately 5,000 pages, the migration required careful planning around content structure, page mapping, URL preservation, content integrity, and editorial usability.
The university needed a solution that could:
- Migrate approximately 5,000 pages from SiteExecutive to WordPress
- Replace a sunsetting custom ColdFusion CMS
- Preserve important website content and structure
- Improve the content editing experience for the web team
- Create a more maintainable platform for future updates
- Provide a scalable WordPress foundation for a large university website
- Reduce dependence on a legacy CMS platform
Because the site served as Stevenson University’s primary public-facing website, the migration needed to be accurate, structured, and carefully managed.
The Solution
WordHerd migrated Stevenson University’s main website from SiteExecutive to WordPress using a structured migration process designed for large-scale CMS transitions.
The new WordPress implementation gave Stevenson’s web team a modern platform for managing thousands of pages, updating content more easily, and supporting the university’s ongoing digital communication needs.
SiteExecutive ColdFusion to WordPress Migration
WordHerd converted approximately 5,000 pages from SiteExecutive into WordPress.
The migration process included extracting content from the legacy ColdFusion-based CMS, mapping it into WordPress, and organizing the content in a way that supported long-term manageability.
This allowed Stevenson University to move away from a sunsetting platform while preserving the value of its existing website content.
Large-Scale Page Migration
With thousands of pages to migrate, content accuracy and structure were critical.
WordHerd’s migration process focused on moving page content into WordPress in a consistent and reliable way, helping ensure that the university’s public-facing website could continue serving students, families, faculty, staff, alumni, and other audiences after launch.
Improved Content Editing
One of the most important outcomes of the project was the improved editing experience for Stevenson’s web team.
By moving to WordPress, the team gained a more modern and approachable content management interface. Instead of working within the limitations of a legacy ColdFusion CMS, content editors could manage pages, make updates, and maintain the website more efficiently.
This gave Stevenson’s web team a new era of content editing, with greater flexibility and control over the website.
Maintainable WordPress Foundation
The new WordPress site provided a more sustainable platform for long-term website management.
WordPress gave Stevenson University access to a widely supported CMS ecosystem, making the site easier to maintain, extend, and improve over time compared to the previous custom SiteExecutive implementation.
Why WordPress
WordPress provided Stevenson University with a flexible and scalable content management platform for its main website.
By moving from SiteExecutive to WordPress, the university gained:
- A modern CMS to replace a sunsetting ColdFusion platform
- Easier editing for the web team
- Better long-term maintainability
- A scalable foundation for thousands of pages
- More flexibility for future website enhancements
- A larger ecosystem of WordPress tools, plugins, and development support
- Reduced dependence on a legacy custom CMS
Rather than continuing to rely on a platform that was being sunsetted, Stevenson University gained a WordPress website designed to support long-term content management and digital growth.
The Result
The completed migration transformed Stevenson University’s main website from a 5,000-page SiteExecutive ColdFusion implementation into a modern WordPress website.
WordHerd helped the university move away from a sunsetting legacy CMS while preserving its large content library and creating a more flexible editing experience for the web team.
Today, Stevenson University’s web team is able to manage content in WordPress with greater ease, flexibility, and confidence. The migration created a stronger foundation for maintaining the university’s public-facing website and supporting future digital initiatives.
Project Highlights
- Migrated Stevenson University’s main website to WordPress
- Converted approximately 5,000 pages
- Migrated from SiteExecutive, a custom ColdFusion CMS
- Replaced a sunsetting legacy platform
- Improved the content editing experience for the web team
- Preserved important website content and structure
- Delivered a more flexible and maintainable WordPress foundation
- Created a scalable platform for future website growth
