Website relaunch: Migration to the new system begins
08/04/2026The relaunch of the university’s website is continuing to take shape. Following intensive work on web design and technical implementation, the next major step is now on the agenda: migrating the existing pages to the new web system.
The new website is set to be more modern, clearer and more user-friendly – and will make it easier to find information in future.
In mid-August, the press office’s online editorial team will begin migrating the first sections from the current system to the new one. This so-called first phase of development comprises around 60 editorial sections with approximately 3,000 pages on the main domain and within the central site structure, the early migration of which makes particular sense from a technical perspective. The ‘go-live’ is scheduled for 16 November 2026. After that, further faculties, institutions and departments of the university will be migrated step by step.
No restrictions for users
During the preparatory phase, nothing will change for users initially: the current website will remain accessible as normal. Until their own migration takes place, the existing site can continue to be maintained as usual – though major revisions are hardly worthwhile, as the site will be rebuilt from scratch soon anyway. The new pages are being built in parallel in the background. The switch will only take place on the go-live date, so that the pages that have already been migrated will appear in the new system under their familiar addresses.
Migration in stages
The migration will not take place all at once, but section by section. The order of migration in the first phase is based, amongst other things, on the existing site structure and visitor numbers. Particularly important or heavily used pages will be prioritised accordingly.
Following the first phase, the remaining faculties, departments and editorial teams will be gradually transferred to the new system. Towards the end of the year, the departments will receive a rough timetable. The online editorial team will communicate the specific order directly to the departments. This will be followed by coordination meetings, detailed planning, page development, technical review and, finally, approval prior to publication. The aim is to complete the website relaunch by early 2028.
Content audit continues
The content audit is an important preparatory step for the relaunch. For the departments in the first phase of the roll-out, it is largely complete and is now being incorporated into the detailed migration planning. The content audit is continuing for all other departments.
In principle, the assessment forms are to be finalised by the end of 2026. However, the information must be available at the latest when the migration of the respective section actually begins. The findings from the content audit help to categorise content, identify important pages and ensure that outdated or duplicate content is not unnecessarily transferred to the new system. As a result of the audit, around 3,700 pages have already been deleted.
The online editorial team is generally responsible for building the pages
Migration is generally carried out by the Press Office’s online editorial team. This means that the departments do not need to rebuild their pages themselves. The online editorial team reviews the existing content, takes into account the findings from the content audit, sets up the pages in the new system and prepares them for technical review. Departments with special functions (e.g. external applications, database connections) will be coordinated separately.
Technical responsibility remains with the respective departments. They review the newly built pages, provide feedback and ultimately grant approval. Nothing goes live until the relevant departments have approved the pages.
Once the pages have been built, the departments receive a review version. This is followed by a round of corrections. Final approval is given by the respective department head. After going live, editors are granted access rights to make editorial adjustments in the new system themselves.
Changes during migration
As soon as the online editorial team begins working on a specific section, it informs the relevant contact persons. From this point onwards, it is essential that any changes to existing pages are communicated. Important subject-specific updates remain possible, of course. It is crucial that the old and new websites do not diverge during the migration and that no changes are lost.
Information and support
The online editorial team will guide the departments through the migration process: providing information on the procedure, department-specific coordination and support with any questions regarding preparation. In addition, the relaunch consultation hours will be offered again: Thursdays at 11.00 am via Zoom (you will receive the link from the online editorial team).
The website relaunch is a joint university project. The new website is intended not only to look more modern, but also to function better in day-to-day use: clearer, more understandable and easier to maintain. The online editorial team aims to minimise the workload for the departments during the transition as much as possible – through clear planning, close coordination and approval before each publication.
Latest news on the relaunch
If you have any questions about the relaunch, the content audit or the migration, please contact:
