Ryan Hale
Head of Front End Development
Ryan Hale is Head of Front End Development at AIRA, where he leads the team building the engine that migrates WordPress sites into native ACF blocks. He has spent more than a decade building and rebuilding WordPress sites for agencies, with deep, hands-on expertise in Advanced Custom Fields, Gutenberg block development, and large-scale content migrations that protect search rankings. He writes about ACF, moving off page builders like Elementor and Divi, and the practical craft of shipping fast, maintainable WordPress rebuilds.
LinkedInArticles by Ryan
How AI is changing WordPress agency workflows in 2026
AI is not replacing agency developers in 2026 — it is reshaping which tasks get junior hours, which get automated, and which still need a senior with a redirect spreadsheet. Here is the honest picture for WordPress shops.
When to use AI for content migration vs when not to
AI migration is brilliant on long-tail interior pages and painful on load-bearing templates with plugin meta. Here is how to decide per project — without letting sales enthusiasm outrun engineering reality.
AI content migration tools compared (honest roundup)
Every migration tool optimises for a different problem. None of them magically rebuild your Elementor site into ACF blocks — here is how the options actually compare in 2026.
WordPress migration time benchmark (2026 data)
Real numbers from AIRA production usage — not a vendor infographic. How long manual copy-paste takes vs AIRA, what accuracy looks like after review, and what agencies should budget.
WordPress multilingual migration: WPML, Polylang and URL structure
Multilingual rebuilds fail quietly — wrong hreflang, broken translation links, English pages 404ing in /de/. Here's how to migrate WPML or Polylang without losing rankings in any locale.
How to migrate from WordPress.com to self-hosted WordPress
WordPress.com is not the same as self-hosted WordPress — exports, plugins, and URLs all behave differently. Here's how to migrate off WordPress.com without losing content or rankings.
WordPress media library migration: images, files, and attachment IDs
Broken images after migration are almost always attachment ID and URL mismatches — not missing files. Here's how to migrate media properly across sites, builders, and ACF field types.
How to migrate from Shopify to WordPress (WooCommerce and ACF blocks)
Shopify-to-WordPress is a platform change, not a theme swap — products, collections, checkout, and apps all need deliberate mapping. Here's the agency playbook for landing on WooCommerce and ACF blocks.
WordPress forms migration after a rebuild (Gravity Forms, CF7 & more)
Forms look fine on staging until launch day when notifications stop, CRM feeds break, and CAPTCHA keys still point at the old domain. The complete forms migration guide.
WordPress custom post type migration: the agency guide
CPTs power portfolios, case studies, team pages, and resource libraries — but they don't migrate when you import pages. Here's how to move custom post types without losing content or URLs.
How to preserve SEOPress SEO during a WordPress migration
SEOPress is increasingly the SEO plugin agencies standardise on — but rebuilds wipe its post meta unless you plan for it. Here's every field, setting, and verification step.
WordPress menu and navigation migration after a redesign
Menus don't migrate when pages do. After a redesign, broken navigation is one of the first things clients notice — and one of the last things agencies test. Here's the full playbook.
Migrating WordPress blog posts into ACF blocks (vs marketing pages)
Posts are not pages. On a rebuild, blog content often gets under-scoped — until launch week when 200 articles still have Divi shortcodes. Here's how to migrate posts properly.
Migrating from Breakdance to ACF blocks
Breakdance is fast and developer-friendly — but agencies still migrate when they need one shared ACF block library across every client. Here is how to move Breakdance content into native blocks cleanly.
AIRA vs manual migration: which is right for your rebuild?
Still copying Elementor pages into ACF blocks by hand? Here is an honest comparison of manual migration vs AIRA — time, cost, what breaks, and when DIY still wins.
How to rebuild a WooCommerce site on ACF blocks
WooCommerce rebuilds are not just theme swaps — marketing pages live in page builders while products live in the database. Here is the full UK agency playbook for moving onto ACF blocks.
Migrating from Webflow to WordPress & ACF blocks
Webflow handovers are common — and export-only paths leave you rebuilding every section by hand. Here is how UK agencies crawl a live Webflow site and map it into an ACF block library.
Migrating from Bricks Builder to ACF blocks
Bricks is leaner than Elementor — but it's still a builder with its own data model. Here's when and how agencies migrate Bricks sites onto a shared ACF block library.
Migrating from the Salient theme to ACF blocks
Salient bundles WPBakery with its own shortcodes and Nectar Slider. Here is the complete playbook for migrating Salient client sites onto native ACF blocks.
WordPress migration post-launch monitoring (weeks 1–4)
Launch day is the starting gun, not the finish line. Here is exactly what to monitor in the first four weeks after a WordPress migration — and what each signal means.
The WordPress migration QA checklist (every check, explained)
Launch day isn't the finish line — it's the exam. This is the full QA checklist agencies run before pushing a migrated WordPress site live, with every check explained.
Migrating from Thrive Architect to Gutenberg & ACF blocks
Thrive Architect powers funnels, lead gen pages and course sites — but it's not where most agencies want the next rebuild to land. Here's the full migration playbook.
Migrating from Flatsome & UX Builder to ACF blocks
Flatsome + UX Builder power a huge chunk of WooCommerce storefronts. Here's the full playbook for migrating off Flatsome onto a bespoke ACF block build.
Migrating from Oxygen Builder to native Gutenberg & ACF blocks
Oxygen outputs clean HTML but still locks you into its builder and template system. Here is how UK agencies move Oxygen-built pages onto portable ACF blocks.
WordPress multisite content migration: an agency guide
Multisite adds a layer most migration guides ignore. Here's how agencies handle content migration when WordPress multisite is involved.
How to preserve Rank Math SEO during a WordPress migration
Rank Math stores SEO data differently from Yoast. Here's exactly what to migrate, how to verify it, and what breaks when you rebuild on a new install.
How to migrate from Wix to WordPress (and into ACF blocks)
Wix gives you almost nothing to export — so a real migration means rebuilding from the live site. Here's how to move a Wix site onto WordPress and native ACF blocks without losing content or rankings.
How to migrate from Squarespace to WordPress (into ACF blocks)
Squarespace has a WordPress export — but it only carries a fraction of your site. Here's what it misses, and how to migrate a Squarespace site into native ACF blocks properly.
Migrating from Avada & Fusion Builder to ACF blocks
Avada powers a huge slice of the WordPress web — and Fusion Builder shortcodes are baked into every page. Here's how to migrate off Avada onto native ACF blocks.
How to preserve Yoast SEO data during a WordPress migration
Yoast SEO data lives in post meta — it does not follow content on a rebuild. Here is how UK agencies preserve every title, description and canonical during migration.
WordPress shortcode cleanup after a migration
Shortcodes are the fossil record of every builder and plugin the site ever used. After a migration, here's how to find and eliminate the ones still lurking in your content.
The page builder exit guide: moving WordPress to native blocks
Page builders win the first hour and cost you for years. Here's the full, builder-by-builder guide to moving a WordPress site onto native ACF blocks — cleanly.
How to scope and price a WordPress rebuild (for agencies)
Rebuilds overrun because they are scoped as design projects when they are really migration projects. Here is how agencies scope and price them so the maths works.
How to map any website section to the right ACF block
The make-or-break of an ACF build is mapping: getting each section into the right block with content in the right fields. Here is how to do it well.
Migrating from WPBakery to native Gutenberg & ACF blocks
WPBakery stores layouts as shortcodes — deactivate it and your pages collapse. Here is how to move a WPBakery site onto lean, native ACF blocks.
Broken internal links after a WordPress migration: how to fix them
Redirects can paper over broken internal links, but they shouldn't have to. Here's how to find and fix internal links that still point at the old site structure.
How to use AIRA: the complete migration walkthrough
The full, in-depth walkthrough: from exporting your ACF blocks to importing finished pages — with media, redirects and SEO — into your new WordPress build.
The WordPress migration checklist (free download)
The exact checklist we run before, during and after a WordPress rebuild — from URL mapping to post-launch verification. Grab the printable version free.
Migrating from Beaver Builder to native Gutenberg & ACF blocks
Beaver Builder stores layouts in post meta, not portable blocks. Here is how UK agencies move a Beaver Builder site onto lean ACF blocks without blank pages or raw shortcodes.
Why page builders slow WordPress sites (and what agencies do instead)
Clients blame hosting when the site is slow — but the page builder is often the culprit. Here is the performance case for leaving builders behind on your next rebuild.
How to build a WordPress redirect map after a redesign
A redesign without a redirect map is a rankings reset. Here's how agencies crawl the old site, map every URL, and import 301s before launch day.
How to register ACF blocks in WordPress (agency guide)
ACF blocks are the destination for every migration — but they have to exist first. Here is how agencies register blocks, wire field groups, and get ready for import.
How to change your WordPress theme without losing content
Your posts and pages survive a theme switch — your layouts often don't. Here's what actually breaks when you change WordPress themes, and how to move content across cleanly.
Broken images after a WordPress migration: causes and fixes
Migrated content but half the images 404? This is the most common post-migration complaint. Here are the five causes and the fixes that actually work.
How to import an ACF Migrate bundle into WordPress
You have got a bundle.json from your crawl — now what? Here is how to import it into WordPress with the ACF Migrate plugin and review every page before publish.
ACF flexible content vs ACF blocks: which to build with?
Flexible content and ACF blocks solve the same problem differently. Here is how to choose — and what it means when you are migrating an old site into a new structure.
How long does a WordPress site rebuild take?
Clients always ask for a timeline. Here's how agencies estimate WordPress rebuilds — and why content migration is the variable that blows budgets.
How AI is changing WordPress content migration
Migration used to mean copy-paste or brittle scraping scripts. AI changes the economics — but only when it's pointed at the right problem. Here's where it actually helps.
Migrating from the Classic Editor to Gutenberg & ACF blocks
Classic Editor sites store content as raw HTML in post_content. Here is how UK agencies migrate that into structured Gutenberg and ACF blocks without losing headings, images or internal links.
WordPress staging migration: the agency workflow
Every agency rebuild should live on staging first. Here is the workflow for migrating content, testing redirects, and launching without surprises.
WordPress content migration: 5 approaches compared
Migration means two different things in WordPress — moving a host vs moving content into a new structure. Here are the five approaches to the second, compared honestly for agency rebuilds.
How to rebuild a WordPress site without losing SEO
A redesign that tanks your traffic isn't a success. Here's the SEO checklist that keeps rankings intact when you rebuild a WordPress site.
Migrating from Divi to native Gutenberg & ACF blocks
Divi is quick to start and slow to leave — its shortcodes are baked into every page. Here is how to move a Divi site onto lean, native ACF blocks without losing content.
How to migrate a WordPress site into ACF blocks (2026 guide)
Rebuilding on Advanced Custom Fields? Here is the full workflow for moving every page into native ACF blocks — without the copy-and-paste.
How to copy a page from one WordPress site to another
Moving a page between two WordPress sites sounds simple until images break and layouts collapse. Here are the five real options and when to use each.
Migrating from Elementor to native Gutenberg & ACF blocks
Page builders are convenient until they are not. Here is how to move an Elementor site to lean, native ACF blocks — and what to watch out for on the way.
ACF blocks vs core Gutenberg blocks: which should you build with?
Both produce native Gutenberg blocks — they just get there differently. A practical comparison for agencies deciding what to build with on the next client rebuild.
ACF JSON export explained: what it is and why it matters
Field keys, local JSON, repeaters — the ACF JSON export is the single most important file in an ACF migration. Here is what is inside it and how to get it right.