How to migrate from many different forum systems

Last updated on
12 August 2016

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When there is not yet a Drupal module for direct conversion from your current forum software, migration can often be done in two steps, via popular forums with many converters available. Possible procedures are for example:

  • Old forum -> phpBB -> Drupal
  • Old forum -> vBulletin -> Drupal

Migration to Drupal via phpBB

For the Old forum -> phpBB step, see phpBB 3.0.x Convertors and phpBB 2.0.x Convertors. If you need to install the old phpBB2 version, see Download legacy release (phpBB, like Drupal, is open source).

For the phpBB -> Drupal step, see Drupal's phpBB2Drupal module, and the handbook section Migrating from phpBB.

Migration to Drupal via vBulletin

For the Old forum -> vBulletin step, there are modules in vBulletin's ImpEx Import System to import from a large number of forum systems.

For the vBulletin -> Drupal step, see the vBulletin to Drupal module, and the handbook page Migrating from vBulletin.

Features and performance

For a Drupal forum with features similar to those of well-known forum systems such as phpBB and vBulletin, see the Advanced Forum module.

For good speed and performance similar to those of server-friendly static html files used by some forum systems, see Drupal's Boost static cache for anonymous users, and other performance modules.

See also

The Migrating to Drupal handbook section includes general methods, and also sub-sections on migrating from specific software systems, such as forums and CMS.

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