Transfer between different versions of Content Manager

Content Porter can perform a transfer of content between different versions of the Content Manager of SDL Tridion Sites or SDL Tridion.

SDL Tridion Sites 9.1 can perform exports and imports for the following versions of Content Manager of SDL Tridion and SDL Tridion Sites:
SDL Tridion or SDL Tridion Sites versionExport from this versionImport into this version
SDL Tridion 2013 Content Manager or olderNot supportedDeprecated
SDL Tridion 2013 SP1 Content ManagerDeprecatedDeprecated
SDL Web 8 Content ManagerDeprecatedDeprecated
SDL Web 8.5 Content ManagerSupportedSupported
SDL Tridion Sites 9 Content ManagerSupportedSupported
SDL Tridion Sites 9.1 Content ManagerSupportedSupported

In addition, SDL Tridion Sites 9.1 is also able to import content that was exported using SDL Web 8, SDL Tridion 2013 SP1 HR1 or SDL Content Porter 2013. Such content could have been exported from any of the following SDL Tridion releases:

  • SDL Tridion Content Manager 2009 SP3
  • SDL Tridion Content Manager 2011 SP1
  • SDL Tridion Content Manager 2011 SP1 HR1
  • SDL Tridion Content Manager 2011 SP1 HR2
  • SDL Tridion Content Manager 2013
  • SDL Tridion Content Manager 2013 SP1
  • SDL Tridion Content Manager 2013 SP1 HR1

However, it is not always possible to transfer all data from one version to another because different versions of Content Manager have slightly different data models. Data that is incompatible with the older or newer version that you are migrating to fails on import. SDL Tridion Sites 9.1 logs that the item was skipped and why.

Data lost when transferring from SDL Tridion Sites 9 or later to any older version

You can export content from SDL Tridion Sites 9 or later and import it into SDL Web 8.5 or earlier. The following restrictions apply:
  • Region Schemas (which includes Page Schemas) will fail to transport, because this item type did not exist yet in SDL Web 8.5 or earlier.
  • Any Pages that contain Regions will transport, but you will lose any Regions on the Page, including their metadata, Component Presentations contained within them, and the value of the Page Schema property.
  • The configuration of Custom Pages cannot be transported, because prior to SDL Tridion Sites 9, this information was not yet contained in application data.
  • Multimedia Type icons cannot be transported, because prior to SDL Tridion Sites 9, this information was not yet contained in application data.

Data lost when transferring from SDL Web 8 Cumulative Update 1 or later to any older version

You can export content from SDL Web 8 Cumulative Update 1 or later and import it into SDL Tridion 2013 SP1 HR1 or earlier. The following restrictions apply:
  • Business Process Types will fail to transport, because this item type did not exist yet in SDL Tridion 2013 SP1 HR1 or earlier.
  • Any Publication you export must have its Publication URL field set in its General tab.

Data lost when transferring from 2013 SP1 to 2013

When you import the following 2013 SP1 information into a 2013 system, the following nodes are removed from item data when moving the items to the older version:

  • Workflow Activity Definition: any Expiration script associated with the Activity Definition is lost.

Data lost when transferring from 2013 SP1 or from 2013 to 2011 SP1 HR1 or 2011 SP1 HR2

When you import the following 2013 or 2013 SP1 information into a 2011 SP1 system, the following nodes are removed from item data when moving the items to the older version:

  • Process Definition: the "Script Type" and "Activity Constraints" properties
  • Process Definition: the entire item, if it has an Automatic Activity of a type other than VBScript
  • Workflow Activity Definition: any Expiration script associated with the Activity Definition is lost.
  • Publication: the "Template Bundle Process" and "Task Process" properties
  • Schema: the "Bundle Process" and "Delete Bundle when process is finished" properties
  • Schema: the entire item, if it is a Bundle Schema
  • Bundle: The entire item
  • Template: the entire item, if it is of type "XSLT Template Type"