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Part 1: Prerequisites & Planning - The Reconnaissance Mission

· 2 min read
Mike Stabile
Mike Stabile
AI Integration Specialist & Developer

Every military strategist worth their salt will tell you the same thing: the battle is won or lost before the first shot is fired. Planning isn't the boring part before the action begins—planning is the action.

Know Thy Enemy (And Thy Ally)​

An existing React application. It doesn't matter if it was built with Vite, Create React App, or Next.js. What matters is that it works, and you understand how it works.

Node.js 18 or higher. Technology moves fast, and Docusaurus has moved with it.

Git. Version control during migration is like wearing a seatbelt during a road trip.

The Audit: Knowing What You Have​

  • Listing every component. All of them.
  • Identifying pages versus reusable components.
  • Documenting your state management approach.
  • Noting special dependencies.

The Styling Situation​

More migrations have foundered on CSS conflicts than any other single issue. Document everything:

  • Your CSS framework
  • Custom CSS files
  • Theme configuration
  • Font files or CDN links

The Backup: Your Insurance Policy​

git add .
git commit -m "Backup before Docusaurus integration"
git tag pre-docusaurus

Understanding the Transformation​

Before: typical React app structure

After: Docusaurus structure with docs/, src/components/, src/pages/, static/

The transformation isn't dramatic—it's organizational.

Next: Part 2 - Install Docusaurus: Laying the Foundation