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Migrationconvert wordpress to reactwordpress to reactwp to react

Convert WordPress to React: Complete Guide (2026)

AA

Asad Ali

Founder & Lead Developer · Former WordPress Core Contributor

January 31, 202613 min read

Part of: WordPress to Next.js Migration: The Complete 2026 Guide

Convert WordPress to React: Complete Guide

Want to convert WordPress to React? You're making an excellent choice. React-based frameworks like Next.js offer massive performance and developer experience improvements over WordPress.

This guide covers:

  • Why convert WordPress to React
  • Different approaches (static export vs headless)
  • Step-by-step conversion process
  • Free tools to automate the migration

Why Convert WordPress to React?

Performance Comparison

MetricWordPress (PHP)React/Next.js
Time to First Byte800ms - 3s50ms - 150ms
Largest Contentful Paint2.5s - 5s0.5s - 1.2s
Full Page Load3s - 8s0.8s - 2s
Lighthouse Score30-6090-100

Developer Experience

FeatureWordPressReact/Next.js
Hot Module Reload❌ None✅ Instant
TypeScript❌ Limited✅ Full support
Component-based❌ Template-based✅ Yes
Version Control⚠️ Messy with DB✅ Clean Git
Testing⚠️ Difficult✅ Jest, Testing Library

Approaches to Converting WordPress to React

Option 1: Static Site Export (Recommended)

Convert your WordPress content to static React pages.

Pros:

  • No WordPress dependency after migration
  • Maximum performance
  • Free hosting on Vercel/Netlify
  • Zero maintenance

Cons:

  • Requires rebuild for content updates
  • Not suitable for highly dynamic content

Best for: Blogs, portfolios, marketing sites, documentation

Option 2: Headless WordPress + React

Keep WordPress as a backend, use React for frontend.

Pros:

  • WordPress admin for content editors
  • React for fast frontend
  • Can migrate gradually

Cons:

  • Still maintaining WordPress
  • Still have security concerns
  • More complex architecture

Best for: Teams that love WordPress admin, complex workflows

Option 3: Full React + Headless CMS

Replace WordPress entirely with a modern headless CMS.

Pros:

  • Best of both worlds
  • Modern CMS like Payload, Strapi, Sanity
  • Zero WordPress maintenance

Cons:

  • Need to learn new CMS
  • Migration required for content editors

Best for: Teams ready for complete modernization

Step-by-Step: Convert WordPress to React

Method 1: Using LeaveWP (Fastest)

Our free tool automates the entire conversion:

1. Visit LeaveWP.com

2. Enter your WordPress URL

3. Select "Next.js" as destination

4. Click Migrate

5. Download your React project

The generated project includes:

  • Full React/Next.js setup
  • All posts converted to MDX
  • Pages and routing configured
  • SEO preserved
  • Ready to deploy

→ Convert WordPress to React Free

Method 2: Manual Conversion

If you prefer manual control:

#### Step 1: Set Up Next.js Project

npx create-next-app@latest my-react-site

cd my-react-site


npm install gray-matter next-mdx-remote

#### Step 2: Export WordPress Content

Via WP-CLI:

wp export generate --dir=exports

Or use the WordPress XML export from Tools > Export.

#### Step 3: Convert Posts to MDX

Create a conversion script:

// scripts/convert-wp-to-mdx.js

const fs = require('fs');


const path = require('path');


const xml2js = require('xml2js');



async function convert() {


  const xml = fs.readFileSync('wordpress-export.xml', 'utf8');


  const result = await xml2js.parseStringPromise(xml);


  


  const posts = result.rss.channel[0].item;


  


  posts.forEach(post => {


    const slug = post['wp:post_name'][0];


    const title = post.title[0];


    const content = post['content:encoded'][0];


    const date = post.pubDate[0];


    


    const mdx = ---


title: "${title}"


date: "${date}"





${content};


    


    fs.writeFileSync(content/posts/${slug}.mdx, mdx);


  });


}



convert();

#### Step 4: Create Blog Components

// app/blog/[slug]/page.tsx

import { getPostBySlug, getAllPosts } from '@/lib/posts';


import { MDXRemote } from 'next-mdx-remote/rsc';



export async function generateStaticParams() {


  const posts = getAllPosts();


  return posts.map(post => ({ slug: post.slug }));


}



export default async function BlogPost({ params }) {


  const post = await getPostBySlug(params.slug);


  


  return (


    


      
{post.title}


      


    


  );


}

#### Step 5: Configure Routing

Next.js file-based routing automatically handles URLs:

/app

  /blog


    /[slug]


      page.tsx     → /blog/my-post


  /page.tsx        → /

#### Step 6: Deploy to Vercel

npm install -g vercel

vercel

Handling WordPress Features in React

Images

import Image from 'next/image';


// Optimized images with Next.js




  src="/images/hero.jpg"


  width={1200}


  height={600}


  alt="Hero image"


/>

Forms

Replace Contact Form 7 with Formspree:

export function ContactForm() {

  return (