Growth & Strategy
Personas
SaaS & Startup
Time to ROI
Short-term (< 3 months)
OK, so you need to export data from Webflow CMS, right? Let me guess - you're either migrating to another platform, backing up your content, or setting up some integration that requires your CMS data outside of Webflow.
I've been there. After 7 years of building websites as a freelancer, I've migrated dozens of company websites from various platforms, and Webflow CMS exports have been part of that journey more times than I'd like to count. The thing is, most people approach this completely wrong.
Here's what you're probably thinking: "I'll just find an export button, download a CSV, and be done in 10 minutes." Well, I hate to break it to you, but Webflow doesn't make it that simple. And honestly? That's probably a good thing, because a simple export rarely gives you what you actually need for your next step.
Here's what you'll learn from my experience migrating client websites:
Why the obvious export methods often fail - and what to do instead
My 3-step system for clean CMS data extraction that actually works
How to preserve relationships between different content types during export
The automation trick I use to export data continuously without manual work
Common migration pitfalls that can destroy your SEO and why most agencies get this wrong
Whether you're moving to Shopify, setting up a Framer migration, or just need your data for external integrations, this playbook will save you hours of frustration.
Technical Reality
What every developer discovers about Webflow exports
Most developers and project managers assume Webflow CMS export works like every other platform - you know, hit export, get a nice CSV file, import somewhere else, done. The reality? Webflow's approach to data export is... different.
Here's what the industry typically recommends for CMS migrations:
Use the built-in export feature - Just go to your CMS settings and export everything as CSV
Map your fields manually - Match old field names to new platform requirements
Import and fix formatting - Clean up any issues after the import
Test and launch - Make sure everything looks right and go live
Handle redirects separately - Set up 301 redirects to maintain SEO
This conventional wisdom exists because it works for platforms like WordPress, Drupal, or basic CMS systems. Most traditional platforms store content in straightforward database structures that translate well to CSV exports.
But here's where it falls short with Webflow: Webflow doesn't give you a simple "export all" button like other platforms. The platform treats each Collection as a separate entity, and you can only export one Collection at a time. Plus, any relationships between Collections (like blog posts linked to author profiles) don't export cleanly.
What's worse, Webflow's export format doesn't include crucial SEO data like meta descriptions, custom fields, or URL structures in a way that's immediately usable for most other platforms. I've seen agencies spend weeks trying to reconstruct this data manually after a "simple" export.
The real kicker? If you're migrating to something like Shopify or need to preserve complex content relationships, the standard export approach will leave you with fragmented data that requires extensive manual cleanup. That's exactly the problem I had to solve for multiple client migrations.
Consider me as your business complice.
7 years of freelance experience working with SaaS and Ecommerce brands.
The first time I really understood the Webflow CMS export challenge was during a client migration project. I was working with a B2B startup that had built their entire content marketing operation on Webflow - we're talking about 200+ blog posts, detailed case studies, team member profiles, and a complex tagging system they used for content categorization.
The client wanted to migrate to a headless CMS setup because they needed better integration with their existing SaaS platform. Sounds straightforward, right? Just export the content and import it elsewhere.
Here's what I tried first: the obvious approach. I went into each Webflow Collection, used the built-in export feature, and downloaded CSV files for each content type. Blog posts in one file, case studies in another, team profiles in a third. Easy.
Except it wasn't. The exported data was a mess. Blog posts had references to "Author ID: 5f8a2b1e4c3d2a1b9c8d7e6f" but the actual author information was in a completely separate export file. The tagging system that connected content across different Collections? Gone. Custom SEO fields they'd spent months perfecting? Missing.
What's worse, the client had been using Webflow's rich text fields extensively, and those exported as HTML that didn't translate cleanly to their new platform. Images were referenced by Webflow-specific URLs that would break after migration. The content relationships that made their site navigation work seamlessly were completely lost.
I spent three days trying to manually reconstruct these relationships using spreadsheet formulas and custom scripts. It was a nightmare. The client was getting anxious about downtime, and I was drowning in data mapping issues that should have been automated.
That's when I realized the fundamental problem: Webflow CMS export isn't designed for migration - it's designed for backup. The platform assumes you're staying within the Webflow ecosystem, so they don't prioritize making data portable to other systems.
Here's my playbook
What I ended up doing and the results.
After that painful first experience, I developed a systematic approach that actually works for Webflow CMS exports. This isn't about finding a magic export button - it's about understanding how Webflow structures data and working with that structure instead of against it.
Step 1: Audit and Map Your Content Architecture
Before touching any export buttons, I spend time understanding exactly what content exists and how it's connected. I create a content audit spreadsheet that lists every Collection, every field type, and every relationship between Collections.
For the startup client I mentioned, this revealed they had 6 different Collections with 23 different relationship fields. Blog posts connected to authors, case studies linked to industry tags, team members associated with expertise areas. This mapping becomes your migration blueprint.
The key insight here: you need to export Collections in dependency order. If blog posts reference authors, export authors first. If case studies link to team members, get team data before case study data. This prevents broken references in your export files.
Step 2: Use Webflow API for Complex Data
Here's where I break from conventional wisdom: for anything beyond basic content, I bypass Webflow's CSV export entirely and use their API instead. The API gives you access to the actual data structure, including all the relationship IDs and custom fields that CSV export misses.
I built a simple script that connects to the Webflow API and pulls data in JSON format. This preserves all the metadata, relationships, and custom fields that get lost in CSV export. Plus, you can automate this process to continuously sync data if needed.
For that startup client, the API approach meant I could export their entire content library with all relationships intact in about 30 minutes, versus the days I'd spent trying to reconstruct CSV data manually.
Step 3: Transform Data for Your Target Platform
Raw Webflow API data isn't immediately usable in most other platforms, so the final step is transformation. I create mapping scripts that convert Webflow's data structure to whatever format the destination platform expects.
For Shopify migrations, this means converting Webflow Collections to Shopify's product or blog post structure. For headless CMS migrations, it's about matching field types and preserving content hierarchy. The key is doing this transformation programmatically rather than manually in spreadsheets.
This approach transformed what used to be a week-long migration nightmare into a systematic process I can complete in a day. But the real value isn't just speed - it's accuracy. No more broken links, missing relationships, or lost SEO data.
API Access
Get your Webflow API key and understand rate limits before starting any major export
Content Mapping
Document all Collection relationships and field dependencies to avoid broken references
Data Transformation
Build reusable scripts to convert Webflow JSON to your target platform's format
Automation Setup
Create continuous sync workflows for ongoing data updates rather than one-time exports
The results speak for themselves. Using this systematic approach, I've successfully migrated over a dozen Webflow sites without losing content relationships or SEO value. The startup client I mentioned? Their migration was completed in 2 days instead of the projected 2 weeks, and they maintained their search rankings throughout the process.
More importantly, this approach scales. Once you have the scripts and processes set up, additional migrations become much faster. I can now handle complex Webflow exports that would have taken me days in just a few hours.
The real win is data integrity. By preserving all relationships and metadata during export, the migrated content works exactly like it did in Webflow. No broken internal links, no missing author attributions, no lost custom field data.
For ongoing projects, the automation component means you're not limited to one-time exports. If you need to keep data synchronized between Webflow and another system, the API-based approach makes that possible without manual intervention.
What I've learned and the mistakes I've made.
Sharing so you don't make them.
After multiple Webflow CMS exports and migrations, here are the most important lessons I've learned:
CSV export is not migration-ready - It's designed for backup, not platform migration
Understand your content relationships first - Map dependencies before touching any export buttons
API access is worth the setup time - It preserves data integrity that CSV export destroys
Export order matters - Always export referenced content before content that references it
Build transformation scripts, don't rely on manual mapping - Spreadsheet formulas can't handle complex data relationships
Test with a subset first - Don't attempt full migration without validating your process on sample data
Plan for SEO preservation - URL structures and meta data need special handling during export
What I'd do differently: I wish I'd learned about the API approach earlier. I wasted too much time trying to make CSV exports work for complex migrations when the API was always the better solution.
When this approach works best: Any time you're dealing with multiple Collections, content relationships, or custom fields. For simple, single-Collection exports, CSV might still be sufficient.
When it doesn't work: If you don't have technical resources to handle API integration and script development, you might need to hire help or accept the limitations of CSV export.
How you can adapt this to your Business
My playbook, condensed for your use case.
For your SaaS / Startup
For SaaS platforms migrating from Webflow:
Prioritize API-based export to preserve user-generated content relationships
Map custom fields to your product database schema before export
Set up automated sync if you need ongoing content updates
Test migration process with development data first
For your Ecommerce store
For ecommerce stores moving from Webflow:
Export product Collections with all variant and inventory data intact
Preserve SEO metadata for product pages to maintain search rankings
Map category relationships to your new platform's taxonomy
Handle image URLs and asset migration separately from content export