bengal-content-migration

name	bengal-content-migration
description	Migrates content from Markdown, Jekyll, Hugo, or other SSGs to Bengal. Use when converting a site, importing posts, or restructuring content.

Bengal Content Migration

Migrate content from other static site generators or plain Markdown to Bengal.

Procedure

Step 1: Map Frontmatter

Bengal uses YAML frontmatter. Map source fields:

Source (Jekyll/Hugo)	Bengal	Notes
title	title	Same
date	date	Use ISO format: '2026-01-01'
description	description	Same
tags	tags	List: [a, b] or - a\n- b
categories	category	Single string, or use tags
layout	type	e.g., type: blog
permalink	(omit)	Bengal derives from path
draft	draft	bool
author	params.author	Custom fields go in params

Step 2: Create Section Structure

Bengal uses _index.md for sections. For each content directory:

• Create _index.md with section metadata
• Use type: blog for blog sections
• Move individual posts as *.md files

Step 3: Convert Shortcodes to Directives

Jekyll/Hugo	Bengal
{% include file %}	:::{include} path/to/file.md
{{< highlight python >}}	:::{code-block} python
{{< note >}}	:::{note}
Custom shortcodes	Map to Bengal directives or create custom

Step 4: Handle Assets

• Copy images to static/ or theme assets/
• Update paths: use asset_url('path') in templates
• For content-relative images, place in content/ alongside markdown (theme-dependent)

Step 5: Taxonomy

• Add tags and category to frontmatter
• Bengal builds tag/category indexes automatically
• Use site.indexes.section, site.indexes.category in templates

Checklist

• Frontmatter mapped (title, date, tags, description)
• _index.md created for each section
• Shortcodes converted to MyST directives
• Assets moved and paths updated
• Run bengal build and verify output

Additional Resources

See references/frontmatter-schema.md for frontmatter fields.