AI & Automation
Personas
SaaS & Startup
Time to ROI
Short-term (< 3 months)
I've been building websites as a freelancer for 7 years now, and I can't tell you how many times clients have asked me: "Can we just migrate from Webflow to Framer automatically?"
The short answer? There aren't any reliable migration tools that will move your entire Webflow site to Framer with the click of a button. I know, I know - not the answer you wanted to hear. But here's the thing: after migrating dozens of company websites, I've learned something more valuable than any migration tool could offer.
The real question isn't "How do I migrate?" It's "Should I migrate, and if so, what's the smartest way to do it?"
Look, I get it. You've built something beautiful in Webflow, and the thought of starting over feels overwhelming. But what if I told you that manual rebuilds often deliver better results than automated migrations? What if the "limitation" is actually an opportunity?
In this playbook, you'll discover:
Why migration tools don't exist (and probably never will)
The strategic framework I use to decide when migration makes sense
My step-by-step process for painless Webflow-to-Framer transitions
How to actually improve your site during the "rebuild"
The hidden costs everyone misses (and how to avoid them)
Industry Reality
Why everyone's looking for a magic migration button
The no-code community loves to talk about "seamless migrations" and "one-click transfers." Every week, someone posts in design forums asking about Webflow-to-Framer migration tools. The dream is simple: export your Webflow site and import it into Framer without losing any design elements or functionality.
This expectation makes perfect sense if you're coming from traditional platforms. WordPress has migration plugins. Shopify has import tools. Even switching between email providers usually involves some form of automated transfer.
The typical recommendations you'll find online include:
Export HTML/CSS from Webflow and manually recreate in Framer
Screenshot-by-screenshot rebuilding using your existing site as reference
Content-first approach where you extract text and images separately
Hire a developer to create custom migration scripts
Use third-party services that claim to handle the migration
But here's what the "experts" don't tell you: most of these approaches create more problems than they solve. Webflow and Framer have fundamentally different architectures. Webflow is built around CSS classes and the box model. Framer is component-based with React under the hood. They're not just different tools - they're different philosophies.
The industry keeps promising that someone will build the perfect migration tool. Meanwhile, teams waste months waiting for a solution that's probably never coming. And honestly? That might be a good thing.
Consider me as your business complice.
7 years of freelance experience working with SaaS and Ecommerce brands.
Here's the uncomfortable truth I learned after working with dozens of clients on platform migrations: the companies asking about migration tools are usually asking the wrong question.
Six months ago, I had a B2B SaaS client approach me about moving their marketing site from Webflow to Framer. They'd heard about Framer's improved performance and wanted "better design flexibility." Their first question? "What's the best migration tool?"
I spent hours researching every possible solution. I tested HTML exports from Webflow. I looked into Figma-to-Framer workflows (since you can export Webflow designs to Figma). I even reached out to developers who claimed they'd built custom migration scripts.
The results were consistently disappointing. The HTML exports were bloated with Webflow-specific classes that meant nothing in Framer. The Figma route lost all interactions and animations. The custom scripts could handle basic layouts but broke on anything remotely complex.
But then something interesting happened. While researching migration tools, we started questioning why they wanted to migrate in the first place. Their Webflow site was performing well. The team knew how to use it. The real issues they were trying to solve weren't platform limitations - they were workflow problems.
They wanted faster iteration cycles. They wanted their marketing team to feel more empowered to make changes. They were frustrated with Webflow's collaboration features for their distributed team.
This led to a crucial realization: they didn't need a migration tool. They needed a migration strategy that aligned with their actual business goals.
Here's my playbook
What I ended up doing and the results.
After working through multiple "migration" projects, I developed a framework that focuses on outcomes rather than technical transfers. Here's the step-by-step process that actually works:
Phase 1: Migration Audit (Week 1)
Before touching any code or design tools, I conduct what I call a "migration audit." This isn't about your current website - it's about your team and workflow.
First, I document who actually uses the current Webflow site. Not who's supposed to use it, but who actually logs in and makes changes. I track this for at least two weeks to see real usage patterns.
Next, I identify the specific pain points driving the migration desire. In my experience, it's rarely about the platform itself. Usually it's about:
Collaboration friction between designers and marketers
Slow iteration cycles for landing page tests
Limited component reusability
Performance concerns on mobile
Integration limitations with existing tools
Phase 2: Strategic Rebuild Planning (Week 2)
Once I understand the real drivers, I approach the "migration" as a strategic rebuild opportunity. This is where most people get it wrong - they try to recreate exactly what they had. Instead, I treat it as a chance to solve the underlying problems.
I start by auditing the existing Webflow site's content and structure. But instead of planning a 1:1 recreation, I identify:
Pages that are actually driving results vs. pages that exist "just because"
Content that could be consolidated or improved
User flows that could be simplified
Design patterns that could become reusable components
Phase 3: Component-First Build (Weeks 3-6)
This is where Framer's strength really shows. Instead of rebuilding pages, I build a component system first. I start with the most reused elements - buttons, form fields, card layouts, navigation patterns.
The key insight: don't try to match Webflow's output exactly. Focus on matching the user experience and business outcomes. Framer's component system often allows for cleaner, more maintainable solutions than what was possible in Webflow.
For content migration, I use a hybrid approach. Text content gets copied manually (it's faster than you think and ensures quality). Images get re-optimized for Framer's asset system. Interactions get rebuilt using Framer's motion library - often with better performance than the original Webflow animations.
Phase 4: Testing and Optimization (Week 7)
The final phase focuses on ensuring the new Framer site actually solves the problems that drove the migration. I set up A/B tests comparing user behavior patterns. I validate that the team can actually work faster in the new environment.
Most importantly, I document the new workflow so the team can take full advantage of Framer's capabilities going forward.
Strategic Planning
Conduct migration audit focusing on team workflow and real pain points, not just technical requirements
Component System
Build reusable component library first, leveraging Framer's React-based architecture for better maintainability
Content Strategy
Manually migrate content with optimization opportunities rather than automated transfer that preserves existing problems
Performance Gains
Use rebuild as chance to improve site speed, mobile experience, and interaction quality beyond original Webflow limitations
The results speak for themselves. That B2B SaaS client I mentioned? Their new Framer site launched in 6 weeks - faster than most "migration tools" would have promised. But more importantly, their marketing team's velocity increased dramatically.
They went from taking 2-3 days to create new landing pages to same-day turnarounds. Their bounce rate improved by 23% thanks to better mobile performance. And their conversion rates increased by 18% because we optimized the user flows during the rebuild process.
The time investment was front-loaded - those 6 weeks of strategic rebuilding - but the ongoing efficiency gains paid back the investment within the first quarter.
Most surprisingly, the manual rebuild process caught several SEO issues that had been lurking in their Webflow site. Automated migration tools would have carried these problems forward, but the strategic approach allowed us to fix them.
What I've learned and the mistakes I've made.
Sharing so you don't make them.
Here are the key lessons from handling multiple Webflow-to-Framer transitions:
Migration tools don't exist for good reasons. The platforms are architecturally different enough that automated migration would likely produce inferior results. The manual rebuild process, while more work upfront, creates better long-term outcomes.
Treat it as a strategy project, not a technical project. The companies that get the best results from platform switches use them as opportunities to solve underlying workflow and performance problems, not just change tools.
Component-first thinking changes everything. Framer's component system is fundamentally different from Webflow's class-based approach. Embracing this difference rather than fighting it leads to more maintainable sites.
Team adoption matters more than feature parity. A slightly "worse" site that your team can actually use and iterate on will outperform a pixel-perfect recreation that requires developer intervention for every change.
Content migration is the easy part. Text and images transfer easily. The real work is in rebuilding interactions, optimizing performance, and establishing new workflows that take advantage of each platform's strengths.
Timeline expectations are usually wrong. Most teams underestimate the rebuild time but overestimate the long-term maintenance burden. A 6-week strategic rebuild often saves months of future iteration time.
SEO transfer requires planning. Neither platform handles SEO migration automatically. You'll need a proper redirect strategy and careful attention to meta data, URL structure, and site speed optimization regardless of your approach.
How you can adapt this to your Business
My playbook, condensed for your use case.
For your SaaS / Startup
For SaaS teams considering Webflow-to-Framer migration:
Focus on improving marketing team velocity and testing capabilities
Prioritize component reusability for faster landing page creation
Use the rebuild to optimize conversion funnels and user onboarding flows
For your Ecommerce store
For ecommerce businesses considering the switch:
Evaluate if Framer's e-commerce capabilities meet your catalog and checkout needs
Consider hybrid approaches where product pages stay on existing platform
Focus rebuild efforts on marketing pages and content that drives traffic to your store