How to Move from Wix Classic Editor to Wix Studio (Step by Step)

There is no "convert" button. To migrate a Wix Classic Editor site to Wix Studio, you create a new Studio site, rebuild the pages, move your content and CMS collections, reconnect apps, then reassign your domain and premium plan to the new site and set up redirects for any URL that changes. Done carefully, your visitors and Google never notice; done carelessly, you lose rankings and form submissions.

Key takeaways

• Wix does not offer automatic migration from the Classic Editor to Studio. Only Editor X sites had an upgrade path. Everything below is a rebuild with a controlled switchover.
• What moves easily: domain, premium plan (swapped to a Studio equivalent), CMS collection data (export/import), contacts, orders, bookings and most App Market apps (reinstalled).
• What you rebuild by hand: page design, forms, Velo code, SEO settings per page, and any app configuration.
• Keep URL slugs identical where you can and add 301 redirects for the rest. This is the step that protects your SEO.
• Budget 2–4 weeks for a typical 10–30 page business site, longer if it has a store, members area or custom code.

We've done this migration for clients many times, from small brochure sites to CMS-heavy catalogs. One recent example is Sharon Homes, a real-estate firm with property listings across Cyprus and Greece, which we moved from the Classic Editor to Wix Studio. Here's the exact process we follow.

Should you migrate at all?

Before the steps, a quick fit check. Moving to Studio is worth it if your site has outgrown the Classic Editor: mobile layouts that keep breaking, a design you can't match to your brand, CMS limits you're hitting, or a team that needs proper collaboration tools. We compare the two editors in detail in Wix Studio vs Wix Editor.

If your site is small, works fine and you're not planning to change it much, stay put. A migration is a project, and "the new editor is nicer" isn't enough reason on its own.

Step 1: Audit the current site

Open a spreadsheet and record everything. This takes an hour and saves days.

• Pages and URLs. Every page with its current slug, title tag, meta description and whether it's indexed. Export your pages from Search Console (Pages report) so you catch URLs with traffic you'd forgotten about.
• CMS collections. Collection names, fields, item counts, which pages use them, and any dynamic page URL patterns like /services/{slug}.
• Apps. Every installed app and what it's configured to do: Stores, Bookings, Events, Forms, Members, Blog, third-party widgets.
• Velo code. Page code, public files, backend files, secrets in the Secrets Manager, scheduled jobs, HTTP functions.
• Integrations. Google Analytics, Search Console, Meta Pixel, Google Ads tags, CRM connections, email marketing, Zapier/Make scenarios that hit the site.
• Members. Member count, roles, pricing plans, and anything gated.
• Forms. Where submissions go (dashboard, email, CRM) and any automations triggered by them.

Step 2: Create the new Studio site

In your Wix account, create a new site with Wix Studio. Don't use a template unless it genuinely matches; start from a blank site and build your own design system (colors, type scale, spacing, buttons) first. This is the main reason to migrate, so do it properly.

Build the site on its free Wix subdomain. Your live Classic Editor site stays untouched until the switchover.

Step 3: Rebuild pages, keeping URL slugs identical

Rebuild each page from your audit list. Two rules:

1. Same slug wherever possible. If the old page is /about-us, make the new one /about-us. Every identical URL is one less redirect and zero ranking risk.
2. Same H1 and core content. Redesign freely, but keep the headline and the substance of the copy. Google re-crawls the new page and sees the same thing in a new layout.

Studio's responsive sections mean you'll design once and refine per breakpoint, rather than rebuilding a separate mobile view. Check tablet as you go; it's the size the Classic Editor never gave you.

Step 4: Move CMS collections and dynamic pages

For each collection:

1. In the old site's CMS, export the collection to CSV.
2. In the new site, create the collection with matching field keys (field keys matter more than display names; your code and dynamic pages reference them).
3. Import the CSV. Check reference fields and multi-reference fields separately; they don't survive CSV import and need to be reconnected or re-imported by ID.
4. Rebuild dynamic pages with the same URL pattern. If the old pattern was /projects/{title}, keep it. If you take the chance to change it to /projects/{slug}, every item needs a redirect.
5. Re-create collection permissions. Imported collections default to permissive settings; private data must be set back to "Admin" or "Site member" read access before launch.

For collections with thousands of items or image fields, we do this with a short Velo script rather than CSV, so images and references move intact. That's covered on our Wix Velo development page.

Step 5: Reinstall and reconfigure apps

Apps don't transfer. Install each one on the new site and reconfigure it. The important ones:

• Wix Stores: export products to CSV from the old site, import to the new one. Orders, customers and payment settings live at the account/dashboard level and remain accessible, but check tax, shipping and payment providers carefully.
• Wix Bookings: services, staff and schedules have to be recreated. Existing bookings stay in the old site's dashboard until it's retired, so plan the switchover for a quiet day and tell customers.
• Wix Forms: rebuild each form with the same fields and reconnect the submission destinations (email, CRM, automations).
• Members Area: members and their data are account-level contacts, but member pages, roles and pricing plans need rebuilding. Members will need to log in again on the new site; email them before launch.
• Blog: the Wix Blog can be exported and imported. Keep post slugs identical.
• Third-party widgets: reinstall from the App Market and copy settings over.

Step 6: Move Velo code and secrets

If the old site has custom code, this is where most migrations go wrong. Element IDs in your page code ($w('#submitButton')) must match the IDs of the elements you placed on the new pages. Backend files can be copied as-is. Secrets must be re-entered in the new site's Secrets Manager; they're never exported.

Take the opportunity to replace deprecated patterns. Backend functions should use .web.js web modules with explicit permissions, and secrets should be read through wix-secrets-backend.v2. If the code was written by someone who's no longer around, our team can audit it first so you know what it does before you move it.

Step 7: Recreate SEO settings

For every page: title tag, meta description, canonical URL, robots meta tag, Open Graph image and any custom structured data. Wix's SEO Settings also hold site-level items that need re-doing on the new site:

• robots.txt customizations
• Default SEO patterns for blog posts, products and dynamic pages
• Verification codes for Search Console, Bing and others
• Existing redirects in the URL Redirect Manager (export them; you'll need them plus the new ones)

Then build the redirect list. Any old URL that doesn't exist on the new site gets a 301 to its closest equivalent. Wix's URL Redirect Manager accepts bulk CSV import, which is what you want for more than ten redirects.

Step 8: Test everything on the staging URL

Before any domain changes, run through the site on its free Wix subdomain:

• Every page on desktop, tablet and mobile
• Every form submits and lands where it should
• Checkout or booking flow end to end, including a test payment
• Member login and gated content
• Every Velo feature: searches, filters, calculators, integrations
• Analytics and tracking tags fire (use GA4's DebugView)
• Crawl the staging site with a tool like Screaming Frog to catch missing titles, broken links and accidental noindex tags

Step 9: Switch the domain and plan

This is the cutover. We do it in the following order, usually early in the week and outside business hours:

1. Reassign the premium plan. In your Wix account, go to Premium Subscriptions and assign the plan to the new site. If your current plan isn't compatible with Studio, Wix prompts you to switch to an equivalent Studio plan and credits the unused time. Check Wix's current pricing page for the Studio plan tiers.
2. Reassign the domain. Under Domains, use the domain actions menu to assign your domain to the new Studio site. Propagation is usually minutes because the DNS doesn't change; only the site behind it does.
3. Publish the new site if it isn't already.
4. Import the redirects into the new site's URL Redirect Manager.
5. Unpublish the old site (don't delete it yet). Keep it for 60–90 days as a reference and a fallback.

Step 10: Post-launch checks

• Resubmit the sitemap in Search Console and watch the Pages report for new 404s over the next two weeks.
• Check Core Web Vitals in Wix's Site Speed dashboard and PageSpeed Insights; a Studio rebuild is a good moment to fix slow pages. See Is Wix good for SEO? for what to look for.
• Confirm form submissions, orders and bookings are arriving.
• Email members and regular customers about the new look and any login change.

How long does it take, and what does it cost?

For a 10–30 page business site without a store, plan on 2–4 weeks with a professional, longer if you're doing it in evenings. Sites with Wix Stores, Bookings, a members area or substantial Velo code take longer because of the reconfiguration and testing.

Our Wix migration projects are quoted as a fixed price after a short audit. The audit itself is free; it's the first thing we do on the call. For broader cost context, see How much does a Wix website cost in 2026?

How Wix Engine can help

Moving from the Classic Editor to Wix Studio is one of the most common projects we take on as a Wix Legend Partner. We audit the current site, rebuild it in Studio with a proper design system, move your data and code, and run the cutover so your SEO and submissions carry over. See Wix website migration or Book a Free Call and we'll tell you honestly whether your site needs to move.

FAQ

Can I convert my Wix Editor site to Wix Studio automatically?

No. Wix doesn't provide a conversion for sites built in the Classic Editor; only Editor X sites had an upgrade path to Studio. You create a new Studio site, rebuild the design, move content and CMS data, reinstall apps, then reassign your domain and premium plan to the new site.

Will I lose my SEO rankings when I move to Wix Studio?

Not if the migration is done properly. Keep URL slugs, H1s and core content the same, recreate every page's title and description, and add 301 redirects for any URL that changes. Expect small fluctuations for a couple of weeks while Google re-crawls, then stable rankings. Skipping redirects is what causes real losses.

Do I have to buy a new Wix plan for the Studio site?

Usually not. You reassign your existing premium plan to the new site. If the plan isn't compatible with Studio, Wix prompts you to switch to an equivalent Studio plan and credits the unused portion of your current subscription. Confirm the current terms on Wix's pricing page.

Can I transfer my CMS collections to Wix Studio?

Yes. Export each collection to CSV from the old site and import it into a matching collection on the new site. Reference and multi-reference fields and some image fields need extra handling, which we do with a Velo script for large or complex collections.

How much does it cost to migrate a Wix site to Wix Studio?

It depends on page count, apps and custom code. Wix migrations with us start from $350 for a straightforward brochure site; sites with stores, bookings, members or Velo code are quoted after a free audit. You'll have a fixed price within 48 hours of the call.