Migrate to Bricks / WPBakery

WPBakery to Bricks migration for legacy WordPress sites

A staging-first Bricks rebuild for agencies and studios: shortcodes, legacy theme risks, plugin dependencies, redirects, and client-facing continuity are handled under your brand.

Review my WPBakery siteSee the migration process
WPBakery (legacy)2014-era stack
Bricks (modernized)Clean, current
// legacy controls
Staginglegacy risks reviewed before launch
Shortcodesextraction checklist included
SEOmetadata and redirect checks
Handoffagency-safe launch notes

The problem

A WPBakery site is a snapshot of 2014 - still running in production

WPBakery sites usually carry more than the builder - the theme, the PHP version, and the plugin stack are all due for an overhaul. The audit is honest, not alarmist.

Shortcode lock-in Content is stored as `[vc_*]` shortcodes. Deactivate WPBakery and your pages display raw shortcode strings.+ lock-in
Abandoned themes Most WPBakery sites run on a ThemeForest theme that stopped shipping updates years ago. Security patches arrive late, if at all.+ risk
Deprecated PHP Many WPBakery installs are stuck on PHP 7.x because newer PHP versions break the theme. That blocks every other upgrade.+ debt
  • Shortcode bloat and asset weight The shortcode stack often ships theme CSS, jQuery, and per-module JS that must be audited before launch.+ audit risk

    • Agency-safe workflow

    Agency-safe migration protocol

    Your agency stays front-and-center. We rebuild WPBakery sites in Bricks behind your brand, isolate legacy risks on staging, document cleanup decisions, and hand back launch-ready QA notes.

    White-label by default

    No BricksGenius branding in the client workflow. Communication runs through your agency unless you approve otherwise.

    Agency owns the relationship

    Your team stays front-and-center for client updates, approvals, and final presentation. We support the technical rebuild behind the scenes.

    Staging-first rebuild

    Migration work happens away from the live client site first, with review points before launch-sensitive changes move forward.

    Technical calls stay controlled

    If a client technical call is useful, it happens only with your approval and with your agency present.

    Launch handoff included

    You receive QA notes, migration decisions, redirect guidance, and builder-specific risk notes for internal review or client-safe delivery.

    Deliverables

    What you get

    A full modernization - the WPBakery site becomes a current Bricks build on a current stack, with content that survives the move.

    • Visual match of the existing design (or a modernized refresh)
    • Every `[vc_*]` shortcode extracted to clean HTML
    • Legacy theme replaced with a Bricks-friendly child theme
    • WPBakery modules re-implemented as native Bricks elements
    • Custom post types & ACF fields preserved
    • Content cleanup & image re-optimization
    • PHP version + plugin stack reconciled
    • Global colors & typography mapped to Bricks globals
    • Custom CSS consolidated and migrated
    • 301 redirect map for any changed URLs
    • Before / after Core Web Vitals report
    • CMS training session for your editorial team

    Process proof

    What your handoff includes

    Legacy migrations need cleanup evidence. Your agency receives practical notes on shortcodes, theme risk, plugin dependencies, and launch decisions instead of unsupported performance promises.

    Shortcode extraction

    WPBakery shortcodes and nested layout fragments are identified, cleaned up, and rebuilt as native Bricks sections where the deliverables allows.

    Legacy theme risk review

    Old theme templates, bundled builders, deprecated layout assumptions, and brittle dependencies are flagged before launch.

    Plugin dependency notes

    Add-ons, sliders, form plugins, content widgets, and shortcode providers are checked so hidden dependencies do not surprise the agency later.

    PHP and theme compatibility risks

    Version-sensitive PHP, child-theme overrides, template hooks, and compatibility concerns are documented for the handoff.

    Content cleanup and layout modernization

    Client-facing pages are rebuilt with cleaner Bricks structure while preserving the intended content hierarchy and conversion path.

    Redirect and SEO checklist

    Metadata, headings, internal links, redirect needs, schema-bearing content, and indexable copy are included in the launch review.

    Built to be reused by your agency. This is process proof, not a result claim. It shows how the migration is controlled before any client-facing launch.

    Execution quality

    Execution quality you can show internally

    A quick look at the kind of structured Bricks work, component thinking, and visual polish your agency can expect during handoff.

    Review

    Staging review

    The agency reviews the build before handoff. Fixes happen in the agreed review window, not through vague back-and-forth after launch.

    Staging before handoff

    No vague back-and-forth after launch.

    Structure handoff

    Global classes, templates, reusable sections, and Bricks-specific decisions are documented so your team can maintain the site later.

    Documented structure

    Handoff notes replace guesswork.

    Migration map

    Migration work gets URL, metadata, redirect, form, and template checks before the old builder is removed.

    URL and redirect checks

    No broad Lighthouse promises on inherited stacks.

    Performance evidence

    Performance claims stay tied to agreed URLs and eligible conditions, especially on inherited stacks.

    Measured against agreed URLs

    No broad Lighthouse promises without control over the stack.

    Reviews

    Client words, earned through execution.

    We know that outsourcing can feel like a risk. These reviews reflect our commitment to the fundamentals of a seamless partnership. Judge us by the habits that matter most to your timeline: hitting deadlines, writing maintainable code, and keeping communication clear.

    WordPress Security Hardening
    I have worked with Ranjan several times in the past. He is knowledgeable, efficient, and always very professional. He went the extra mile to ensure additional levels of security were in place to help protect our investment in the future.
    Ryan Wallace WordPress and server client
    Custom WordPress Development
    Ranjan was fantastic to work with. His coding expertise is top-notch, he quickly understood my needs and delivered clean, efficient work. Very professional, polite, and always respectful of deadlines.
    Jamie Ouellette Owner, High Peaks Marketing
    WordPress Speed Optimization
    My website is now lightning fast thanks to his technical optimization work. He was polite, extremely cooperative, and went above and beyond to help my business.
    Neil McDonald Founder and Director, Climaxx Media Ltd
    Custom WordPress Development
    The deliverable was far faster than I expected and excellent quality work. If I need WordPress services again, I would not hesitate to ask Ranjan first. He clearly knows what he is doing with WordPress.
    Robert Burbridge Board Member, Agape Corner
    Web Design & Development
    Very professional and skilled web designer. The website was delivered exactly as requested, with great attention to detail. Communication was smooth, and everything was completed on time.
    Francesco Della Malva CEO and Co-Founder, Multimedia Vibes
    Web Design & Development
    I have worked with a lot of designers and Ranjan is top-tier. Will order again.
    Efrain Sanchez Founder and CEO, Growth Logiq
    Technical Migration
    Highly recommend for challenging hosting and WordPress requirements. He handled a complex technical migration quickly and flawlessly, with zero issues.
    Sam Bohr CEO and Founder, National Courses
    Simple & Efficient Process
    The process was simple and efficient. I'm really pleased with the outcome.
    Peter Robert Stone Attorney and Counselor at Law, Peter Robert Stone APC
    Perfect Service
    Perfect service from start to finish. Thank you, Ranjan.
    Vincent Pollet Creator, Choucroute Party / Atomic Games
    Collaborative Project Delivery
    He did an excellent job, and I'm pleased with the results. He brought great suggestions throughout the project, many of which we incorporated. I'd likely work with him again.
    Kevin Gates Inland House Buyers
    Fast, Reliable Delivery
    Amazing, fast, and absolutely worth recommending.
    URSA-SEC URSA-SEC LLC
    WordPress Technical Support
    The professionalism, code expertise, and attention to detail were top-notch. Excellent communication, quick responses, and great cooperation. Highly skilled in WordPress setup.
    Hrusa WordPress and VPS setup client
    WooCommerce Performance
    This might be my fifth order with Ranjan. I highly recommend his services. He helped resolve a complex WooCommerce performance issue and got the backend working smoothly.
    Edouard Ruol Luminaire Celeste
    Web Design & Development
    Ranjan exceeded expectations with his code expertise and professionalism in web development. His deep understanding and proactive communication made working with him a breeze.
    SeoSoft SEO reports / tools platform
    Professional Code Quality
    Ranjan's professionalism and code expertise made this project a success. His proactive communication and politeness made the collaboration even better. Highly recommended.
    Coiffure Mobile Coiffure Mobile
    Consistent On-Time Delivery
    He consistently delivered high-quality work on time across every project I assigned him. I highly recommend him.
    WithSponsor Creator sponsorship platform
    Responsive Collaboration
    Ranjan was responsive and understanding throughout the work. I'd happily work with him again.
    Rory MacParland Curion
    Repeat Client Feedback
    Excellent work as normal.
    Ashley Rickard Intercom Repair / Intercom Master
    Smooth Team Collaboration
    Working with Ranjan and team was great. Wonderful work.
    Dealership Accelerator AI lead management for dealerships

    Pricing

    Three tiers matched to your build

    Most WPBakery migrations sit in Standard or Premium - legacy theme replacement is part of the deliverables. Every quote is fixed before work starts.

    Starter

    Small WPBakery sites on a relatively current theme.

    Starting at $950 fixed quote after review

    • Up to 10 pages migrated
    • Shortcodes extracted to clean HTML
    • Standard modules rebuilt natively
    • Content & SEO metadata preserved
    • 301 redirect map
    • Before / after performance report
    Request a fixed quote
    Most popular

    Standard

    Legacy WPBakery sites with theme replacement and PHP upgrade.

    From $1,900 fixed quote after review

    • Everything in Starter
    • Up to ~30 pages migrated
    • Legacy ThemeForest theme retired
    • Bricks-friendly child theme built
    • PHP version + plugin stack reconciled
    • ACF & dynamic content preserved
    Request a fixed quote

    Premium

    Large WPBakery & WooCommerce sites needing deep modernization.

    From $3,750+ quote only

    • Everything in Standard
    • Unlimited page deliverables
    • WooCommerce templates rebuilt natively
    • Complex CPTs & dynamic archives
    • Deep plugin reconciliation & cleanup
    • Priority turnaround & extended support
    Request a fixed quote

    Starting prices shown; most Standard-tier migrations fall between $1,900 and $3,750. Payment: 50% to begin, 50% on launch sign-off. Includes two revision rounds against the agreed design. Final fixed quote is confirmed after reviewing the number of unique pages and templates, theme depth, PHP/theme compatibility, dynamic content, forms, WooCommerce, plugin dependencies, animation complexity, SEO/redirect work, and whether you want a visual match or a modernized refresh - page count alone isn't the whole picture. Third-party licences and hosting are billed separately. Not included: content rewriting, brand redesign, or SEO strategy beyond technical migration.

    Process

    Six steps, from legacy audit to modern launch

    1. 01
      Day 1–2 - Audit

      Legacy audit

      Theme, PHP, plugins, WPBakery modules, and shortcode coverage fully inventoried.

    2. 02
      Day 2–5 - Extract

      Shortcode extraction

      Every `[vc_*]` parsed; inner content preserved; semantic HTML built from the structure.

    3. 03
      Day 4–8 - Theme

      Theme replacement

      Legacy theme retired, Bricks-friendly child theme built, templates rebuilt natively.

    4. 04
      Day 8–11 - Plugins

      Plugin reconciliation

      Each plugin reviewed - kept, replaced, or dropped - and PHP brought current.

    5. 05
      Day 12–14 - SEO

      SEO & redirect check

      Metadata verified, redirect map applied, parity checked against the old site.

    6. 06
      Day 14–16 - Launch

      Launch & WPBakery cleanup

      Go live with rollback ready; WPBakery, the old theme, and dead plugins removed cleanly.

    Why us

    We've moved legacy WordPress before - theme and all

    The technical case

    • Shortcodes parsed, not stripped. Every `[vc_*]` is walked, content preserved, clean HTML built - your editors can read what's on the page after the move.
    • Theme replacement, done in one pass. The abandoned theme is retired during the migration, not left to rot - one project, not two.
    • Plugin stack reconciled. Abandoned plugins are replaced with current alternatives or dropped. The stack ends smaller, cleaner, and supportable.
    • PHP and CWV brought current. The site lands on a supported PHP version with Core Web Vitals tuned at handover - not a problem to revisit later.

    What the migration touches

    stack-map.txt
    # Legacy layer -> Bricks-era replacement
WPBakery shortcodes → Clean HTML in post_content
ThemeForest theme → Bricks-friendly child theme
jQuery + per-mod JS → No runtime, lean output
PHP 7.x → Current supported PHP
Abandoned plugins → Current alts or dropped
# one project, not a chain of upgrades

    You don't migrate WPBakery in isolation - you modernize the theme and stack with it. We do it as one project.

    Portfolio

    Recent WPBakery migrations

    Placeholder projects - replace with real case studies. No invented client names or metrics.

    [WPBakery Project One]

    [One-line problem - what the legacy build struggled with.]

    [Outcome metric]

    Read case study

    [WPBakery Project Two]

    [One-line problem - what the legacy build struggled with.]

    [Outcome metric]

    Read case study

    [WPBakery Project Three]

    [One-line problem - what the legacy build struggled with.]

    [Outcome metric]

    Read case study

    Comparison

    Stay on WPBakery vs. migrate to Bricks

    A straight technical comparison - measured, not marketing.

     Stay on WPBakeryMigrate to Bricks
    Content portabilityLocked in `[vc_*]` shortcodesClean HTML in post content
    Theme supportOften abandoned ThemeForest buildsBricks-friendly child theme, current
    PHP versionStuck on legacy PHP for theme compatibilityCurrent supported PHP at handover
    Page weightHeavy - jQuery + per-module JS + theme CSSLean, mostly under 200KB
    Editor experienceSlow shortcode-based editorFast, lightweight visual editor
    If you disable the builderContent displays as raw shortcodesContent displays as plain HTML
    Maintenance burdenStack drifts further out of supportLean, supportable, current

    FAQ

    WPBakery migration questions

    Yes. Most WPBakery sites run on a legacy ThemeForest or in-house theme that has stopped getting updates. We replace the theme as part of the migration: design is rebuilt in Bricks, dynamic templates handled by Bricks, and the old theme retired.

    Every `[vc_*]` and `[vc_row]` shortcode is parsed, the inner content preserved, and rebuilt as clean Bricks markup. When WPBakery is removed, your posts and pages remain readable HTML rather than naked shortcodes.

    Yes. Custom post types, taxonomies, and ACF field groups are preserved - they belong to WordPress, not WPBakery. They are rewired into Bricks templates with dynamic data.

    Either path is fine. We can match your existing design exactly, or refresh it during the migration - many WPBakery sites are several years old and clients use the move as a chance to modernize. We agree the choice before work starts.

    We deploy to the host of your choice and recommend setups that work well with Bricks. If your current host runs an unsupported PHP version, we will flag that during the audit and suggest a migration target before the build begins.

    Yes. URLs, structure, and metadata are preserved, and a 301 redirect map covers any changes. We also review headings, internal links, indexable content, and launch QA items before handoff.

    Each plugin is reviewed during the audit. Abandoned or broken plugins are replaced with a Bricks-native element, a current alternative, or dropped entirely if no longer needed. The stack ends leaner than it started.

    Send your current site URL and a note on the theme and plugins you rely on through the form below. We'll reply after review with a fixed quote, handoff deliverables, and launch-risk notes.

    No direct client communication by default. Your agency stays front-and-center. If a technical call is useful, it happens only with your approval and with your agency present.

    Yes. The migration can run behind your agency brand with staging review, agency-safe handoff notes, and no BricksGenius branding in the client workflow.

    We check SEO-critical content, metadata, heading structure, internal links, redirect requirements, and launch QA items. For larger migrations, a redirect map and staged review happen before launch.

    A staged Bricks build, QA notes, migration decisions, builder-specific risk notes, and launch guidance your agency can use internally or adapt for the client.

    Request a fixed quote

    Start your WPBakery to Bricks migration

    Send the essentials - site URL, rough page count, current theme, and any plugins you absolutely depend on. We'll reply with a fixed quote and timeline, usually within one business day.

    • Fixed quote, no hourly surprises
    • Direct line to the developer doing the migration
    • Staging-first workflow with a rollback plan

    Reply within one business day. No mailing list, no follow-up sequence.