Kentico to Contentful Migration

KEY CHALLENGES

What makes this migration complex

These are the architectural mismatches and technical hurdles specific to a Kentico to Contentful migration.

Most Critical

HTML to Rich Text Conversion

Kentico stores editable region content as raw HTML strings, which must be parsed and converted into Contentful's strictly typed JSON Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) format — a process that requires custom transformation logic for every HTML element and inline embed pattern.

Blocks all downstream imports if mapped wrong

Page Tree Hierarchy Flattening

Kentico's content tree hierarchy (modeled via NodeAliasPath and NodeParentID) has no native equivalent in Contentful, requiring teams to explicitly reconstruct parent-child relationships using reference fields or full-path slug conventions during the import phase.

Multi-Table Join Extraction

Each Kentico page type requires a separate SQL extraction query joining CMS_Tree, CMS_Document, and a coupled data table (e.g., DancingGoat_Article), meaning there is no single query to extract all content — the pipeline must be authored per page type.

Content Type Budget Constraints

Contentful enforces hard limits of 25 content types on Starter plans and 50 on Lite plans, requiring deliberate consolidation of Kentico page types — which can number 15 or more on a typical site — before import begins to avoid exceeding plan limits.

Media and Attachment Extraction

Kentico stores media in two separate locations — page attachments in CMS_Attachment or the filesystem, and media library files in a site folder or Azure Blob Storage — each requiring a distinct extraction workflow before files can be uploaded as Contentful Assets via the CMA.

Delta Sync and Cutover Accuracy

Because editors continue publishing during migration validation, a delta sync pass is required before cutover using DocumentModifiedWhen as the change-detection field, with updated entries needing version-aware PUT requests to the CMA to avoid conflict errors.

MIGRATION RISK ASSESSMENT

Every migration risk, already solved

Migration between platforms is full of edge cases. Our engineers have identified every risk from Kentico to Contentful and built proven solutions for each one.

High complexity

Page Content (Editable Regions / HTML Body)

Raw HTML stored in Kentico editable regions must be fully parsed and converted into Contentful's JSON Rich Text AST, which is the most technically complex and error-prone step in the entire migration pipeline.

Solved
Content Tree Hierarchy and Navigation

Kentico's physical tree structure drives URL routing, breadcrumbs, and navigation, all of which must be explicitly re-modeled in Contentful using parent reference fields or full-path slug conventions since no native hierarchy exists.

Solved

Custom engineering

Page Types / Content Types

Kentico page types map 1:1 to Contentful content types in concept but require consolidation decisions before import due to Contentful's per-space content type limits, and any post-import content model changes require re-migration or manual cleanup.

Handled
Coupled Data Fields

Custom fields defined on Kentico page types must be mapped to Contentful field types (e.g., Symbol, RichText, Date) with a hard cap of 50 fields per content type, which may require field consolidation on data-heavy page types.

Handled
Page Relationships and References

Kentico page relationships modeled as relational foreign keys must be resolved into Contentful Link objects referencing sys.id values, requiring that dependency ordering is respected during the CMA import to avoid broken references.

Handled
Media Library Files

Media library files stored in the site filesystem or Azure Blob Storage require a separate extraction workflow from page attachments, and each file must be individually uploaded and processed through Contentful's Asset pipeline via the CMA.

Handled
Page Attachments

Attachments stored in CMS_Attachment or on the filesystem must be extracted separately from page content, uploaded as Contentful Assets, and re-linked to their parent entries using the new sys.id values generated during import.

Handled
Multilingual / Culture Versions

Kentico stores culture-specific content as multiple CMS_Document records per page, while Contentful uses field-level localization, requiring the extraction and transformation logic to correctly map each culture version to the corresponding Contentful locale.

Handled

Clean transfer

Metadata and Timestamps

Standard metadata fields such as DocumentModifiedWhen, DocumentName, and DocumentCulture are straightforward to extract via SQL and map cleanly to Contentful entry fields or system metadata.

Clean
Archived / Unpublished Pages

Archived Kentico documents are identifiable via the DocumentIsArchived flag and can be filtered out during extraction or imported as unpublished Contentful entries, making their handling predictable and low-risk.

Clean

Feature / Criteria	ClonePartner	Automated Tools	CSV Import	In-house migration
Custom Scripting for complex data	✓ Engineers build & maintain	✗ No	⚠ Manual	✓ Yes – but costly
Sandbox & Pilot Migrations	✓ Full sandbox + pilot plans	⚠ Limited	✗ No	⚠ Often Informal
Manual validation & reconciliation	✓ Automated + manual QA	✗ No	✓ Yes (Manual)	✓ Heavy manual effort
Backup & rollback plan	✓ Robust procedures	✗ No	✗ No	⚠ Often incomplete
Handles automation and integrations	✓ Full support	⚠ Partial	✗ No	⚠ Possible but fragmented
Post-migration engineer support	✓ Dedicated engineers	✗ No	✗ No	⚠ Limited support
Adaptable to API changes	✓ Proactive adaptation	✗ No	⚠ Manual fixes	⚠ Slower response
Turnaround / timeline predictability	✓ Predictable timelines	⚠ Fast but brittle	⚠ Slow and manual	⚠ Often slower
Data Security & Compliance	✓ High – enterprise grade	⚠ Medium (depends)	⚠ Low (manual)	⚠ Hidden gaps common
Pricing predictability	✓ Transparent & fixed	⚠ Low (per-job)	⚠ Low (manual hours)	⚠ High/variable OPEX
End-to-end project management	✓ Full E2E delivery & PM	✗ No	✗ No	⚠ Often partial
Business impact & opportunity cost	✓ No diversion of staff	✗ No	✗ No	⚠ Diverts engineering

What does an Engineer-led migration mean anyway?

Speed & Accuracy: Our Blended Method

We blend automation (smart scripts, bulk APIs) with human expertise for speed without risk. Our engineers manually check every mapping, validation, and exception.

You get:

Speed of automation for bulk record migration
Precision of engineers verifying integrity and business logic
Pilot migrations and sandbox testing to catch issues early
Real-time validation reports and rollback readiness

Result: 50x faster migrations than manual imports — with near-zero error rates.

Handling the Tricky Tech and API Details

The Kentico and Contentful APIs each behave differently, which is where our engineers shine. We build custom logic to handle the data quirks where generic tools typically break.

We handcraft API logic for:

Field mapping and transformation
Pagination, rate-limit handling, and throttling
Preserving content relationships, media, and revision history
Syncing custom fields, taxonomies, and templates without breaking structure

Our scripts: Natively retry failed calls, re-queue large attachments, and ensure data parity.

No Guesswork

We don't just promise smooth migrations—we measure and prove them. Every client receives a Migration Validation Report with all metrics.

Typical results across projects:

100% record-count parity between your Kentico data and Contentful
Zero downtime during staged cutovers
99.9% attachment integrity (verified via checksum)
Full automation and preservation of all business rules

Our standard: Includes full SEO and redirect preservation and 30 days of engineer-assigned support post go-live.

We Adapt to Your Setup (Not the Other Way Around)

No two teams configure Kentico or Contentful exactly the same way—with unique content models and data. We customize every migration script to fit your exact workflow, taxonomies, and templates.

Our engineers adapt for:

Custom fields, content types, and workflows
Multi-site or multi-language setups
Historical imports and partial (date-based) migrations
Integration re-mapping for search, analytics, or forms tools

The promise: If your data doesn't fit a standard template, we build one just for you.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about migrating from Kentico to Contentful. Can't find what you're looking for? Talk to our team.

Kentico → Contentful 4 Before you start 4 Data & mapping 7 Timeline & downtime 2 Security & access 1 Pricing 1 After go-live 5

Still have questions?

Book a free 30-minute consultation with our team.

Contact our team

Kentico → Contentful

4 questions

What happens to Kentico BizForms and form submission data when moving to Contentful?

Contentful has no native form builder, submission storage, or notification engine, so BizForms require a two-part workaround. The form schema (field names, types, labels, and validation rules) is migrated into a custom Contentful Content Type so a front-end can render it dynamically. Submission data and handling logic cannot live in Contentful; existing submission records from CMS_BizFormData tables must be exported separately (typically to CSV and imported into a CRM or database), and future submissions must be routed to an external service such as Netlify Forms, Formspree, or a custom serverless endpoint.

Which Kentico version do I need to be on before migration can start?

The version requirement depends on the migration path. For migrations targeting Xperience by Kentico, Kentico's own Migration Toolkit requires the source to be on version 13.0.64 (Refresh 5) or newer, and that toolkit explicitly does not transfer page type inheritance, field categories, page permissions (ACLs), or user passwords. For migrations we perform via the Management API, Xperience by Kentico offers the most complete REST surface; Kentico EMS/Xperience 13 and earlier rely heavily on the .NET CMS.DataEngine for bulk operations, which requires additional extraction steps. Confirm your exact version before scoping so the right extraction method is used.

What user and role data actually makes it into Contentful, and what is lost?

Kentico Roles migrate as Contentful Roles, but permission sets may not map exactly because the two platforms model access control differently, so role assignments should be reviewed and adjusted manually after import. Kentico Users migrate only as Contentful Space Memberships: profile data, custom user fields, and group memberships are not carried over. Passwords cannot be exported from Kentico under any circumstances; every migrated user must reset their password in Contentful before they can log in.

Do Kentico URL redirects and aliases get enforced automatically in Contentful?

No. Contentful has no native redirect mechanism, so Kentico URL redirect and alias records are migrated into a custom 'Redirect' Content Type with fields for source URL, destination URL, and redirect type (301/302). Contentful stores that data as structured entries but does not act on it. Your infrastructure layer (whether that is Next.js middleware, an Nginx or Cloudflare reverse proxy, Netlify _redirects rules, or CloudFront Functions) must query those entries via the Contentful Delivery API and apply the actual HTTP redirects at runtime.

Before you start

4 questions

Do I need professional help for this migration?

Yes. Professional help ensures proper field mapping and preservation of relationships between records. Our engineer-led approach catches edge cases that automated tools miss.

Does ClonePartner provide guidance before committing?

Yes. We provide a free consultation and assessment. We'll review your data structure, discuss your requirements, and provide a detailed migration plan and fixed-price quote before you commit to anything.

Do you use an off-the-shelf tool to migrate from Kentico to Contentful, or is this built for our data?

It is built for your data. Each migration is a set of custom scripts written for your data model, not a generic import tool. That is also why we start with a sample migration: you see your own records in Contentful before the full migration is committed.

Can we see a sample of our Kentico data migrated to Contentful before the full migration runs?

Yes. We run a sample migration on your own data first, so you can review how your records look in Contentful before the full migration goes ahead. We run validation scripts to confirm the record counts match your source, and you check the sample against your source records; if a field is missing or mapped wrong, or anything else needs adjusting, we fix it in the migration scripts and re-run the sample as many times as you need. The full migration only runs after you've approved the sample. On projects delivered in phases, each phase gets its own sample migration for you to approve.

Data & mapping

7 questions

Will original ownership, authorship and created dates be preserved?

Yes. Created-time metadata is carried across, and ownership and authorship are carried across where the original users are set up in Contentful. Where Contentful cannot store one of them natively, it is kept as embedded metadata on the migrated record.

If the new system can't natively support an old record type, what are my options?

We handle it case by case. While mapping your data, we identify every record type without a direct counterpart in Contentful, review sample records from it and propose how it can be represented, based on what Contentful supports: map it to the closest native object, create a custom field or object, fold it into the parent record as text or a note, attach it as a file, or keep it in a read-only archive. You choose the approach, we write the migration scripts to place the data there, so it comes across in the form you choose instead of being left behind, and you see how it looks in a sample migration before we run the full set.

We've built custom modules and integrations on Kentico. Can you migrate their content to Contentful?

We migrate the content and data your custom modules hold, as long as it can be read from Kentico programmatically. Every migration we run is written as custom code for that project rather than pushed through an off-the-shelf tool, so unusual module data is not a blocker. During scoping we review each custom module and integration with you and agree how it will be handled before any work is committed.

Will the migration set off automations or send emails or notifications to customers, our team or anyone else?

No. Before the sample or full migration starts, we confirm with you that nothing in Contentful will send messages about the migrated data: we import with notifications switched off wherever Contentful allows it, and either pause any automation that could send them for the migration window or give it a condition, such as a suppression tag, that skips migrated records, which lets your live automations keep running for new records. We only proceed once you have confirmed it. If you want anyone told about the move, that message is sent separately, once the migrated data has been checked.

Can you migrate data that Contentful can't take in through an API?

In many cases, yes. Where something can't be written through an API, we recreate it through Contentful's user interface where the interface allows it, and where that work is repetitive we script and automate it. We tell you up front which items are handled this way, because recreating them through the interface can add time to the schedule.

What happens if Contentful requires fields our Kentico data doesn't have?

We check the destination for required fields your source data cannot fill and bring each one to you before those records are migrated. Together we agree how each one is handled, such as a mapping from an existing field, a default value, or, where Contentful lets that field be made optional, setting it to not required for the migration so you can make it required again once the migration is complete. The migration then runs with that rule applied, so no records are rejected or left behind.

Can you change our URL structure when we move from Kentico to Contentful, such as moving a blog or docs from a subdomain onto our main domain?

Yes, where Contentful and your site's front end support the structure you want. Each page is created in Contentful by the migration, so it can be given its new address, for example a blog moved from a subdomain to a path on your main domain, and you get a map of every old URL to its new one so redirects can be set up from the old addresses wherever they are served.

Timeline & downtime

2 questions

How long does the Kentico to Contentful migration take?

Most migrations complete within 1–5 business days, depending on data volume and complexity; very large migrations, such as several hundred thousand records, take longer. We provide a detailed timeline after the initial assessment and can often complete small migrations in under 24 hours.

Will there be downtime when migrating from Kentico to Contentful?

No. Our migration process is designed for zero downtime. Kentico stays fully operational throughout: the bulk migration runs in the background and the cutover is fast, so there is no disruption to your live business operations.

Security & access

1 question

Can we whitelist a single IP instead of opening our network to your migration tool?

Yes. All migration traffic runs through a centralized system using one fixed IP, which your IT team can whitelist instead of opening broader network access.

Pricing

1 question

Is migration pricing a flat fee, or does it scale with data volume?

It's a flat fee with no hidden costs. The price we agree with you for your scope is the price you pay, and small variances in the final volume, a bit more or less, are included.

After go-live

5 questions

How do I validate that everything migrated correctly?

Every client receives a Migration Validation Report with comprehensive metrics including record-count comparison, attachment integrity verification via checksum, and full audit logs of the migration run, showing every record created, skipped or failed. If any item didn't come across, the report names each one, the specific reason, and how to bring it across if you want it there. We also offer unlimited sample migrations, so you can check your data before the full migration runs.

What support do you provide after the migration goes live?

At ClonePartner, we consider ourselves your partners in this journey. We take full accountability for your migration's success. Once your migration goes live, we provide 30 days of comprehensive post-migration support as standard, and longer support, such as 60 or 90 days, can be agreed for your project. During this period, we help with anything related to your migrated data, so your migration is a complete success.

Will we get a migration report and a mapping sheet linking old record IDs to new ones?

Yes. We provide a comprehensive migration report along with an ID-mapping sheet that links each old Kentico record ID to its new ID in Contentful. This ensures full traceability, simplifies post-migration verification, and helps your team validate that records have been migrated accurately.

After migration, do I contact ClonePartner or the platform's own support if something looks wrong?

ClonePartner is the contact for anything about the migrated data itself. Questions about the platform itself, such as how its features and settings work, go to the platform's own support or to whoever administers it for you.

Will our existing Kentico page URLs and links keep working after we move to Contentful?

They can, through redirects and link rewriting. Links between your own pages are updated to point at their new URLs as part of the migration, and the files and images your pages use are re-hosted on Contentful, wherever it can host them, with their links rewritten. For every old URL we give you a map to its new address, so redirects can be set up where your site is served and old bookmarks, search results and external links open the right page.

Migrate from Kentico to Contentful with precision & ease

Why teams migrate from Kentico to Contentful