Migration
Also called migrate, schema migration.
In plain English
A migration is a controlled change in the structure or location of data or content.
Example
You add a published field to existing records and run a migration so every old record gets a value before the new page reads that field.
Why it matters
A databaseA database is an organized collection of data that software can store, search, and update. migration might add a field and fill it for existing rows. A content migration might move pages from one shape to another. The change is planned so the new code and the stored data still fit.
The word is the general change, not a name for a release ritual.
Common confusion
Migrating data is not the same as deploying a website, and it does not by itself publish a record.
Sources
Updated September 30, 2026.