Moving off PHP: your static site checklist
What it takes to move a website from PHP to a static site, and how to check you are ready. Plain steps, no vendor talk.
Nikolas Gannon · · 2 min read · Systems and security
If you are thinking about moving your site off PHP, this is the checklist I use to work out whether it is a good fit and how the move goes.
Step 1: Know what your site actually does
List every function: pages, blog, forms, booking, search, members area, e-commerce. Most business sites are 90% pages and forms. Those move cleanly.
Step 2: Pick the static approach
The best known static generators are Astro, Hugo and Eleventy. I build most sites in Astro because it is fast, well supported and great for SEO. Any of them will do the job.
Step 3: Move the content
Content, images and SEO metadata move across first. Every page keeps its URL where possible, and anything that has to move gets a redirect, so your search rankings carry over.
Step 4: Rebuild the forms and interactions
Forms, booking and search work fine on static sites. They connect to outside services instead of a database on your own server.
Step 5: Host on a CDN
A static site is served from a global CDN. That usually means faster loads and no server to patch.
Step 6: Test the edge cases
Before launch, test the failures, not just the happy path: wrong inputs, dead links, slow connections, mobile. Most launch problems turn up here, not in the happy path.
The outcome
You get a site with no PHP, no database on the frontend and no plugin supply chain. Load times usually drop and there is less to maintain. Your domain, hosting logins and form services still need looking after.
Not sure whether your site can go static? The audit is free. If it is not a good fit, I will tell you, and we can tidy up and secure what you have instead.
Free resource: Website security check
Free resource: Website health check
Read next: Why PHP sites are being targeted in 2026 · Which automation build fits your business? · No server to maintain: what a static site saves you
Questions
Can any website become static?
Most marketing and business sites can. If your site is mostly pages, posts and forms, a static build covers it. Complicated user accounts or server-side logic need a different plan.
Do I lose features by going static?
No. Forms, search, comments, booking and SEO all work on static sites. The difference is the code runs elsewhere, not on a server you have to maintain.
How long does a migration take?
A typical business site moves in one to two weeks. We scope it first, before any tool is touched.