How to move Webflow CMS content into a headless CMS

Copying content by hand is slow, and it introduces errors. It also only happens once, while the live site keeps changing. A content migration should be a script you can run as many times as you need.

1. Read everything through the API

CSV exports from the Webflow dashboard work for simple collections, but they flatten references and rich text. The Webflow Data API returns collections, items, field types, and references as structured data, which is what you want to transform.

• Fetch the schema of every collection first, so you know the field types
• Fetch every item, including drafts and archived items, and decide what to keep
• Download every image and file the items reference

2. Map old fields to the new model

Write the mapping down in a table before you write code. Most of the work is in the decisions, not the script.

3. Clean while you transform

The transform step is the right place to fix old problems.

• Rewrite internal links to new URLs
• Strip inline styles and empty paragraphs from rich text
• Split long rich text into blocks where the layout calls for it
• Fill missing SEO fields with sensible defaults, and flag them for review

4. Import in dependency order

Import collections that others point to first, like authors and categories, then the items that reference them. Keep a lookup from old Webflow IDs to new IDs so references resolve. Make the import idempotent: running it twice should update entries, not duplicate them.

5. Verify, then repeat at cutover

Compare item counts per collection. Spot-check the 20 most visited items field by field. Then, on cutover day, freeze content in Webflow, run the script one last time, and you're current.