# How to Automate Large-Scale API Gateway Migration with Kong

Randi Byrne of Kong explains how to modernize and migrate APIs faster by combining automation, AI-assisted analysis, disciplined testing, and phased cutovers. He argues that migrations usually drag on because of three recurring problems: rediscovering undocumented behavior and institutional knowledge, manually translating integrations, and being unable to prove parity with the old platform. His recommended approach starts with assessment across discovery, baseline tests, and architecture, then moves into conversion through policy mapping, ETL, and remediation for gaps and defects. He stresses that AI can accelerate discovery and translation, but hidden custom code, stateful integrations, and policies embedded outside expected layers still require careful analysis. To reduce risk, he recommends preserving consumer behavior, avoiding unnecessary simultaneous changes, generating repeatable source-and-target tests, and using proxy-based canary releases that shift small amounts of traffic before moving critical APIs. He also emphasizes measuring performance baselines, inventorying integrations by type and complexity, and waiting roughly three to six months before fully decommissioning legacy systems.