From WordPress to an AI-native website: migrating with Altuq
When you migrate with Altuq, we take your current site's code, domain and hosting and rebuild it as a static site whose content is managed in Sanity. Your URLs stay the same, and we hand over so your own team can keep the site up to date. A straightforward migration takes two to three weeks; when time is critical — as with the PHP2Shell vulnerability — an expedited migration can be done in a few days. What sets the timeline is not the number of pages, but whether the site has dynamic features and whether you hold its code.
What changes when you migrate
You end up with what we call an AI-native website: a site that search engines and AI assistants can read accurately, and that your team writes and runs with AI as part of the workflow.
| Before (WordPress) | After (static site + Sanity) | |
|---|---|---|
| Public web server | PHP, core and plugins need constant patching | No code runs, so almost nothing to patch |
| Updating content | A separate admin for each site | One editor in Sanity |
| Security reviews | Every site, every plugin | Far fewer ways in to check |
| Speed | Waits for the server to build each page | Serves ready-made files immediately |
| How AI reads it | Guessed from the page layout | Stated explicitly through structured data and AI-readable text |
| Writing posts | Written from scratch by people | Drafted with AI, checked and published by people |
For the background on why companies are moving off WordPress, using PHP2Shell as an example, see "PHP2Shell: what WordPress sites should do, and when to go static".
Case study: bringing dozens of sites onto one platform
Our first client is an IT company with several thousand employees. Alongside a WordPress site running to thousands of pages, its business units and campaigns had built their own sites and landing pages — each by a different team, on a different architecture and a different server.
That created three problems:
- Security reviews didn't scale: because every site was built differently, the security team had to review each one separately.
- WordPress's own vulnerabilities: not just PHP, but WordPress core and its plugins needed attention every time a new flaw appeared.
- Inconsistent operations: each site had its own update process and permissions, so there was no single place to see who changed what, and when.
We migrated one site first, but designed the architecture so that dozens of sites can be consolidated onto a single platform, Sanity. Writing through to publishing happens in one editor, with AI-assisted authoring built in. Because the public side of the migrated site is now static HTML, the security team no longer has PHP or plugins to check there, and changes can be traced in one place. The first site took two days to migrate; the others will move onto the platform in stages.
One caveat for large organizations: Sanity's full audit trail, single sign-on (SAML) and fine-grained custom roles require its Enterprise plan (Sanity pricing). We can help you choose the right plan. Sanity itself holds SOC 2 Type 2 certification, an independent security audit (Sanity Security).
Our own site runs the same way
This site, corp.altuq.com, uses the same setup. We edit articles and company information in Sanity, and the public site is static HTML with no server-side code. It loads no JavaScript: as of October 2026, every page and image together comes to about 224 KB.
Our writing is AI-native too. Every post on this blog, including this one, is researched and drafted with AI, then fact-checked and approved by a person before it's published. Structured data and an AI-readable summary (llms.txt) are generated automatically from the same Sanity content.
To be clear, our own move was from an older static site, not from WordPress.
How a migration works (usually two to three weeks)
A straightforward migration follows five steps:
- Discovery and inventory: we list the pages, posts and features such as forms, and check for dynamic features and where the code lives.
- Design: we decide what editors will manage in Sanity (posts, company information, news and so on) and how URLs will be handled. Your current design can usually be kept.
- Build and content migration: we build the static site and move your existing pages and posts into Sanity.
- Review: we check content and layout together with you in a pre-publication preview, along with search-related details such as 301 redirects and structured data.
- Launch and handover: we point your domain at the new site and show your team how to edit.
The new site is built alongside the current one and switched over at the end, so your current site stays online throughout.
What sets the timeline
The number of pages barely affects how long a migration takes: once the tooling is in place, moving thousands of pages is automated. Two things do matter:
| Factor | Effect on the timeline |
|---|---|
| Dynamic features (member login, search, booking, payments) | Each one needs a static-friendly approach or an integration with an outside service |
| Where the code lives | If you hold it, we can start right away. If an agency or vendor holds it, time is needed to obtain it or rebuild |
Common features like contact forms work fine on a static site by connecting an outside form service.
What you'll need to provide
- The current site's code
- Access to your domain settings
- Access to your hosting
- A decision-maker: someone to decide which pages stay or go, and to sign off before launch
Expedited migration when time is short
If you need to move quickly — to get away from a critical vulnerability like PHP2Shell, for example — we offer an expedited migration. We work alongside your PR and web teams, and if the code and information are ready, the migration can be done in a few days.
Your current site remains a target until the switch, though, so we recommend keeping it protected in parallel — updating PHP and restricting access in the meantime.
Support after launch
After launch, we train your team on editing in Sanity, including how to draft and update content with AI, so non-engineers can handle day-to-day updates themselves. Ongoing maintenance and improvement support can be arranged to fit your needs.
If you're considering moving off WordPress or consolidating several sites, please get in touch. You can read more about us on our company page.
FAQ
Can you migrate a site with thousands of pages?
Yes. Moving pages and posts is automated once the tooling is in place, so page count barely affects the timeline. Dynamic features like member login or search are what take time.
What if our web agency holds the site's code?
We'll need to obtain the code from them, or rebuild where necessary, which adds time. Tell us about your situation and we'll suggest the quickest route.
Will our current site go offline during the migration?
No. We build the new site alongside the current one and switch your domain over at the end.
Can we have audit logs and single sign-on?
Yes, but Sanity's full audit trail, single sign-on (SAML) and custom roles require its Enterprise plan. We can help you choose the right plan for your organization.