Migration checklist

The checklist below is designed to offer you a self-service tool to assess your site's readiness for the latest version of WMS, including a list of action items to be completed before or after the migration.

Before migration:

Translation:

• Translated pages: Verify that translated pages are appropriately linked (via the Translation tab or the EN/FR toggle).
• Verify that original and translated pages are enabled in the menu and at the same level in the menu structure (primary, secondary etc)

Reference documentation: Translate a page in the WMS

Media

• Changes to Media - Documents: If you still have zip files or other invalid file types, please remove and store them elsewhere outside of WMS as they will not be migrated.

Reference documentation: Add a file to a page in the WMS

• Changes to Media - Video & Audio:
  • Move any local video content uploaded to the WMS server to YouTube or Vimeo.
  • Save a local backup copy of your audio files and upload them to SoundCloud, Spotify, or iHeartRadio. Please note that while these services work with Drupal and should be supported, we do not endorse them per se.

Reference documentation: Add video or animation to your WMS page (Embed a YouTube video)

• Changes to Media - Images: Ensure that all images on your site have alternative text.
  Reference documentation:
  • Add an image to a page in the WMS
  • Make sites accessible

Blocks

• Check to see if your blocks have weights. If they don't, add weights using drag-and-drop or by adding integers in the 'weight' column. Alternatively, you can wait until after the site is migrated. The block order on most sites will be the same after the migration, but doing this will reduce the chances that it will be changed.
  
• Only one enhanced Call-to-action block per page will be supported. Check your pages with multiple enhanced CTA blocks and choose only one to display.

Reference documentation: Create a Call-to-action block in the WMS

• Create a list of your remote embed blocks to rebuild them, as they will not be migrated. In the latest version of WMS, you will be able insert these blocks through the WYSIWYG editor, similar to how you insert images.

  The following block types will not be automatically migrated:

  • EAB Virtual Tour (deprecated because McGill no longer works with this vendor)
  • Flintbox Widget
  • MS Forms
  • Pardot Form (not available to all users)
  • Power BI Report
  • Slate Form
  • Tableau Visualization
  • Twitter

To view a list of all blocks on your site and filter by Type, go to /admin/workbench/blocks.

Reference documentation: Embed external site blocks in the WMS

Main menu:

All primary menu items will display, on multiple lines if necessary:

• Any menu items that are being hidden this way on purpose should be moved.
• Any extremely long menus should be reviewed, and menus revised.

Reference documentation:

• What's on the menu?
• View upcoming menu changes on your WMS site
• Best practices for hiding menu items

Site Pre-footer:

• Check your footer links. If a header has a clickable link, add it as a separate link.

• Check the translation of footer links, ensure all links display on the intended language and link to a translated page whenever possible.

Reference documentation: Add, edit, and manage footer content in the WMS

Webforms

• Move Webforms to MS forms
• Create a list of any Webforms that are too complex for MS Forms

Reference documentation: From Webforms to MS Forms: A Practical Guide for WMS Migration

Channels

• Channels is still in the architecture stage; further information will be provided later.

Styling

• Review the use of Big Numbers and make changes where necessary. Big Numbers will no longer work with headings, or images.
• Ensure Headers follow the proper order without skipping levels, and are not being used to style text
• Ensure headers have not been modified with html tags (e.g., the unsupported <big> tag), or styling classes e.g., as migration will turn modified headers into paragraph text.

Content clean up

A tool has been created to allow you to bulk delete site pages and media files.

• For the list of pages go to mcgill.ca/sitename/admin/content.
• For the list of files go to mcgill.ca/sitename/admin/content/file.

After migration: 

Tokens

• Any pages that have the "On this Page" blocks need to be manually updated after migration. You will be able to add the token for a table of contents on any page, and not by placing a block. 
  Reference documentation: On this page block and anchors in the WMS

Media

• Changes to Media - Images: Check your hero images after migration, set a focal point to ensure the important part of the image is not cropped.

• For images displayed side by side, manual adjustments may be necessary to ensure the images are properly positioned. Site Editors can arrange images side by side by placing them in columns or using the 'align left' option in the WYSIWYG editor.

Blocks

• If you waited until after migration, rearrange your unweighted blocks if they are not displaying as desired.

Webforms

• Any forms that Site Managers need to keep in Webforms will need to be recreated in Webforms once the site is migrated.

The comprehensive list of changes is available at WMS Migration Information.

Please note that additional information will be added to the checklist and the Demo site (e.g., possibly required steps for Channels, Profiles) to align with the migration progress.

If you need further assistance, you can book a consultation. 

To find out more about the upcoming steps, visit the Migration Process page.