Case Study: Drupal 7 Migration
BlikOpNieuws
Drupal 7 to 10 Migration
Dutch news platform with 300,000+ articles migrated to Drupal 10 with Apache Solr search integration
Visit BlikOpNieuwsDutch Regional News Platform
BlikOpNieuws is an online news platform serving all 12 Dutch provinces with news about automotive, health, sports, and regional news. The platform handles high daily traffic and manages an archive of more than 300,000 articles.
Drupal 7 to Drupal 10 Migration
CodeLift migrated the complete Drupal 7 website to Drupal 10 including all content, media, RSS feeds, XML sitemaps, and Apache Solr search integration. 8 custom modules were rewritten for Drupal 10 compatibility.
Migration Approach
Phased Drupal 10 Upgrade
The upgrade process was executed in multiple phases: first all contributed modules were upgraded to D10-compatible versions, then the Drupal core upgrade followed, and finally all custom modules were rewritten according to Drupal 10 standards.
Local Infrastructure Replication
The complete production environment including the Apache Solr search engine was replicated locally with DDEV. This enabled remote development and extensive testing without dependency on live systems.
Custom Module Rewrite
8 custom modules were completely rewritten for functionalities such as RSS feeds for app integration, editor picks, dossier blocks, weekly overviews, weather/traffic/train information, relative time display, bot protection, and form security.
AI-Assisted Code Modernization
Artificial intelligence was utilized for refactoring legacy code and converting outdated PHP patterns to modern Drupal 10 standards with dependency injection and services.
Search API Solr Integration
All Views were converted from database queries to Search API with Apache Solr backend. This included news overviews, RSS feeds, related articles, and the search function with 300,000+ indexed items.
Visual Regression Testing
Automated regression testing with BackstopJS across 17+ pages including homepage, province sections, article pages, and search results. Every visual deviation was identified and resolved before launch.
Pixel-Perfect News Platform Rebuild
BlikOpNieuws was rebuilt on Drupal 10 while preserving the exact look-and-feel. The editorial workflow remained identical so the team could continue working immediately. The Apache Solr search index was optimized for faster search results across the complete article archive.
Key Metrics
-
300,000+ articles successfully migrated
-
100% data integrity preserved
-
8 custom modules rewritten for D10
-
17+ pages visually validated with BackstopJS
-
Secured with latest Drupal security updates
Behind the Migration
"BlikOpNieuws was a challenging project due to its scale: more than 300,000 articles and a complex search infrastructure with Apache Solr. We converted all Views to Search API queries and completely rewrote 8 custom modules. The automated visual regression tests with BackstopJS gave us the confidence that everything was pixel-perfect before going live."
Managed Drupal Upgrade Service
With CodeLift® your Drupal site is upgraded seamlessly to the latest Drupal version. It stays current, stable and secure on the latest version.
-
SEO, Design and User Journeys Are Tested and Verified -
Dedicated Senior Developer, Start to Finish
-
Fixed Project and Monthly Continuation Pricing
-
Automated Steady-State-Update
-
Upgrade to Latest Drupal Version
CodeLift ® is an official Drupal Certified Migration Partner of the Drupal Association
Specialized in Drupal upgrades
| CodeLift | Web Agencies |
|---|---|
| ✅ Drupal Upgrades | 🚫 Generic Development |
| ✅ Fixed Project and Monthly Continuation Pricing | 🚫 Consultancy services |
| ✅ Steady State Update | 🚫 Complete overhaul |
| ✅ Repeatable automation | 🚫 Ad-hoc solutions |
