From Joomla 3 to Joomla 6: ESPRit’s migration

Many organisations are still running an older Joomla version that has worked well for many years. However, there comes a time when security, maintenance and compatibility make an upgrade necessary.

This was also the case for the European Society for Periodical Research (ESPRit), an international academic network dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of magazines, newspapers, journals and other printed media in Europe, from the 17th century until today.

The challenge

The ESPRit website was still running on Joomla 3 and needed a technical modernisation. At the same time, it was important to keep the familiar look of the website while making content management easier for the editorial team.

The main project goals were:

• migrate from Joomla 3 to Joomla 6;
• preserve the existing content and website structure;
• create a modern template based on YOOtheme Pro;
• make content management easier;
• build a future-proof platform that will last for many years.

These goals formed the foundation of the project.

Controlled migration to Joomla 6

The complete website was migrated to Joomla 6 while preserving the existing content, menus and essential functionality. During the migration, the entire technical foundation was modernised so the website once again meets current standards for security, maintenance and performance.

By making clear decisions in advance and carefully planning the work, the migration was completed efficiently.

Modern template with YOOtheme Pro

Instead of completely redesigning the website, we rebuilt the recognisable elements of the existing template using YOOtheme Pro.

This preserved the identity of ESPRit while giving the website the flexibility of a modern page builder. Pages are now easier to update and new content can be published much faster.

Smart use of Joomla Custom Fields

During the migration, we also improved the content structure by using Joomla Custom Fields.

This allows information to be managed in a consistent way without relying on additional extensions. It makes the website easier for editors to manage and simpler to extend in the future.

Working together for an efficient project

This project was completed in close cooperation with the client. By discussing decisions at the right time and developing parts of the website together, the project remained well organised and important decisions could be made quickly.

This pragmatic approach kept the focus on what really mattered: delivering a stable, modern and easy-to-manage website.

The result

ESPRit now has a modern Joomla 6 website that is fully up to date from a technical point of view. The website is more secure, easier to maintain and ready for future developments. Thanks to YOOtheme Pro and Joomla Custom Fields, the organisation now has a flexible foundation that allows editors to manage and expand the website independently.

This migration shows that a successful Joomla upgrade is not about rebuilding a website from scratch. It is about making the right technical decisions for the long term.