Margin Notes › Guides › WordPress to Ghost
Moving from WordPress to Ghost: what moves and what does not
Ghost is a good fit if you mainly write and want a fast, simple site without constant plugin updates. It is a poor fit if your site is a shop or relies on many plugins. Here is how to tell, and how the move works.
Is Ghost right for your site?
| Ghost is a good fit if | Stay on WordPress if |
|---|---|
| Most of your site is posts and a few pages | You run an online shop or booking system |
| You want a newsletter and memberships built in | Your site depends on many specific plugins |
| You are tired of updates, plugins and security patches | You use a page builder for complex layouts |
| You want a fast site with little maintenance | You need to edit server code directly |
What carries over
- Posts and pages, with their titles, dates and text
- Images in your posts
- Tags and authors
- Your web addresses, if you set up redirects (see below)
What does not
- Your theme. Ghost uses its own themes, so the design is rebuilt or replaced.
- Plugins and widgets. Some jobs are done by Ghost itself; others have no equivalent.
- Shortcodes and page-builder layouts. These usually need tidying by hand.
- Comments. Ghost has its own comment system, and old comments may not come across.
- Custom post types and special fields.
Keeping your search rankings
If your posts rank in Google today, keep their web addresses working. Ghost lets you add redirects from your old addresses to the new ones, so visitors and search engines find the same content. Check these before you switch:
- List your most visited posts (your analytics will show them).
- After the move, open each old address and confirm it lands on the right new page.
- Keep your domain the same if you can, which is simpler than changing it.
- Submit the new site to Google Search Console and watch for errors for a few weeks.
How we help
We set up your Ghost site, import your content, check the pages that matter most, and switch your domain when you are ready. Your old site keeps running until the switch, so readers never see a gap. Write to us with your site address and we will tell you honestly whether Ghost suits it and what the move would cost.
Questions
Can I move my WordPress blog to Ghost?
Yes. You export your content from WordPress and import it into Ghost. Posts, pages, images, tags and authors usually carry over; themes and plugins do not.
Will I lose my Google rankings if I move to Ghost?
Not if you keep your web addresses working with redirects and check your important pages after the move. Expect small changes for a few weeks.
Is Ghost better than WordPress?
It depends on what you do. Ghost is simpler and faster for writing, newsletters and memberships. WordPress is more flexible for shops and complex sites.
Can you do the migration for me?
Yes. Write to us with your site address and we will say what is involved and what it costs.
Questions first? Write to hello@marginnotes.me. A person answers.
Last updated 2026-10-30.