Webflow’s code export gives you front-end files, not a working copy of a dynamic site. It includes HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and images, but CMS data and behavior, ecommerce, accounts, forms, search, password protection, code components, and secondary locales are excluded or stop working as they do on Webflow hosting. Plan to migrate data separately and rebuild or replace the features your site depends on.
What Webflow’s code export includes
Webflow packages exportable site files in a ZIP: HTML pages, CSS, JavaScript, and images in the Assets panel. Its documentation describes three CSS files: your custom stylesheet, webflow.css for Webflow’s layout system and components, and normalize.css. The JavaScript supports elements such as navbars, sliders, tabs, forms, and interactions, but that does not make every Webflow-hosted service work on another host. See Webflow’s code export documentation.
Code export is available on paid Workspace plans; Site plans do not include it. The documented workflow is to open the site, choose Code export, prepare the ZIP, and download it. Webflow says exported code can be edited and hosted elsewhere without attribution or a continuing Webflow plan. Edits can break Webflow components, so treat the ZIP as a starting point and verify the result on the destination host.
What does not transfer as a working feature
Webflow’s Help Center states: “CMS, User Accounts, Ecommerce content (databases), code components and functionality, and localized pages, elements, and content aren’t included in exported code.” Its export documentation also identifies failures or exclusions for forms, uploads, reCAPTCHA, site search, and password protection.
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| Feature | What happens in the export | Migration work |
|---|---|---|
| CMS collections and items | CMS data and functionality are excluded. Collection lists show an empty state; template pages lose content bound to Collection fields. | Export supported content data separately, map fields and slugs to the new CMS or data store, recreate templates and lists, and validate migrated items. |
| User Accounts | User data and functionality are excluded. | Recreate identity, access groups, authentication, and protected content. Plan a secure account and data transition. |
| Ecommerce | Ecommerce databases and functionality, including products and checkout, are excluded. | Migrate catalog data, checkout, order and customer workflows, and integrations into the replacement system. |
| Localized pages and content | Only the primary locale is included. | Migrate translated pages and content, then rebuild locale routing and switching as needed. |
| Forms, file uploads, and reCAPTCHA | They do not work on exported sites. | Rebuild form handling with a service or application endpoint; test submissions, notifications, spam controls, and uploads. |
| Site search | It does not work on exported sites. | Add a search implementation suited to the replacement site and its content. |
| Password-protected pages | Exported pages are no longer protected. | Recreate access control before publishing any content that must remain restricted. |
| Code components | Code components and their functionality are not included. | Identify dependencies and recreate or replace them in the destination stack. |
| Lottie animations opened as local files | JSON files will not load from the local file system for security reasons. | Preview from a local development server or deployed test host; a local-file preview alone may make an animation appear broken. |
The exclusions above are documented in Webflow’s export help article; the appropriate replacement depends on your site and destination. A rendered static page is not proof that its underlying data or interactions survived.
Back up data separately from the code
Webflow supports CSV exports for CMS Collections, Ecommerce Collections, and User Accounts. Those files can back up collection items, localized Collection items, users, and products, but they do not restore the excluded dynamic features in the exported site. Keep a separate inventory of content, assets, accounts, products, forms, integrations, and locale variants, and map each to its destination.
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Webflow says exports cannot be limited to selected parts: each export includes every exportable part of the site. Its export FAQ also says an .htaccess file can remove .html extensions. Check the destination host’s routing behavior rather than assuming old URLs will continue to resolve.
Choose the migration path around the features you need
A static export can suit a site whose important output is a set of pages and assets. If you rely on changing CMS content, transactions, accounts, localized routes, forms, or protected pages, plan a rebuild or service replacement for those functions. A custom application, another visual CMS, or a mostly static site may each be appropriate; the export itself does not determine the best target.
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- How much dynamic content and transaction behavior must continue?
- Do users sign in or access protected pages?
- How many locales and URL patterns need to be preserved?
- Who will maintain the new code and hosting?
- Which forms, search features, and integrations must be recreated?
Migration checklist
- Inventory the site. List static pages, CMS collections and fields, locales, accounts, products, forms, password protection, search, code components, custom code, and third-party integrations.
- Decide each feature’s fate. Mark it for rebuild, replacement by a service, or retirement. The export does not make that choice for you.
- Confirm export access. Check that the current Workspace plan includes code export, download the ZIP, and keep the original Webflow site available while checking the new implementation.
- Export relevant data. Where supported, export collection, account, and product data as CSV. After importing, validate field mapping, slugs, locale coverage, and asset references.
- Rebuild required behavior. Implement the CMS rendering, forms, search, access control, commerce, and interactions the site needs.
- Test from a web server. Do not rely only on opening files locally, particularly for Lottie and behavior that depends on deployment.
- Audit before cutover. Check routes,
.htmlhandling, links, component behavior, metadata, and Webflow-specific code references. Exported code may retain identifiers such asw-class prefixes, as noted in Webflow’s brand usage guidance.
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