Map every important address
Redirect old product, collection and page addresses to the nearest new page.
Migration guide
Shopify Migration Guide: Move Without Losing Data or Rankings
Moving platforms is mostly preparation. This guide covers what moves, what to clean first, how redirects protect your search traffic and how to test before the switch.
- What can and cannot move
- Clean the data before you move it
- Redirects protect search traffic
- A test-then-launch plan
Steps6
Migration services16
Since2015
Before you start
A Good Migration Is Decided Before Any Data Moves
The risky part of moving platforms is not the transfer. It is the decisions made too late.
When a store moves to Shopify, four things have to survive: the catalogue, the customers and orders, the content, and the web addresses that search engines and customers already know. Products, customers and content can usually be transferred. Some things, such as passwords, are normally not moved and customers reset them.
Shopify uses its own address structure, so most old addresses will change. That is why redirects matter: each old address is pointed to its new equivalent so visitors and search engines land on the right page instead of an error.
Spend the first part of a migration deciding what to keep. Moving junk makes the new store slow and confusing. A short audit before the move pays for itself.
The six steps
A Migration Plan You Can Follow
Audit what you have
List products, collections, customers, orders, pages and posts, and note which you really need.
Clean the data
Fix titles, duplicates, missing images and inconsistent variants before moving.
Build the new store
Set up the theme, settings, payments and shipping in Shopify, ideally in a development or unpublished state.
Move the data
Transfer products, customers, orders and content, and check a sample by hand.
Map the redirects
Pair every old address that has traffic or links with its new address.
Test and launch
Place test orders, check redirects, then switch the domain when everything passes.
What moves
What Usually Moves and What Needs Care
| Item | Usually | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Products and variants | Transfer well | Option names, images and SKUs that need tidying |
| Customers | Transfer | Passwords are normally not moved; customers reset them |
| Orders | Can transfer as history | Format differences between platforms |
| Pages and blog posts | Transfer | Layout and embedded content need rebuilding |
| Web addresses | Change | Redirects are needed for every address with traffic or links |
| Apps and features | Rebuilt | Equivalent Shopify apps or theme features must be chosen |
Protect search traffic
Four Habits That Protect Rankings
Keep titles and descriptions
Carry over meta titles and descriptions that already work.
Check after launch
Review search console errors and fix any missed addresses.
Launch at a quiet time
Switch when traffic is low so problems are easier to fix.
Before the move
The Audit That Prevents Most Migration Problems
A migration is easier when you know exactly what you are moving.
Before any data moves, spend time deciding what the new store needs. A short audit pays for itself many times over.
Take stock of your content
- How many products, collections and variants do you have?
- How many customers and orders will you move?
- Which pages and blog posts still matter?
- Which web addresses get traffic or links?
- Which apps and features do you rely on?
Decide what to leave behind
Old products you no longer sell, empty collections, duplicate customers and outdated posts add weight without value. Leaving them behind makes the new store faster and tidier.
Record your current performance
Note your top pages, search queries and conversion data before the move. After launch, you can compare and spot problems early.
Shopify uses its own address structure, so most old addresses will change. That is why a redirect plan is essential.
Redirects
How Redirects Protect Your Search Traffic
A redirect tells browsers and search engines that a page has moved.
When an old address is requested after launch, a redirect sends the visitor to the new equivalent. Without it, they land on an error page, and search engines see broken links.
- List old addresses for products, collections, pages and posts, starting with those that have traffic or links.
- Pair each with a new address in the new store, choosing the closest match.
- Add the redirects in your Shopify admin, using the URL redirects area under navigation, or import them in bulk.
- Test a sample by visiting old addresses and checking that they land correctly.
- Review after launch using your search console errors and fix any that were missed.
Redirects should point to a relevant page, not just the homepage. A visitor looking for a specific product expects to land on that product or the closest alternative.
Testing
What to Test Before You Switch the Domain
Testing is the cheapest part of a migration and the most valuable.
- Products. Check titles, images, variants, prices and inventory on a sample.
- Collections. Check that products appear in the right collections in the right order.
- Customers and orders. Check that a sample of records moved correctly.
- Checkout. Place test orders with each payment method and check emails.
- Shipping and tax. Check rates for several destinations.
- Redirects. Visit a sample of old addresses.
- Mobile. Test key pages on real phones.
- Tracking. Confirm analytics and advertising pixels fire correctly.
Launch
A Calm Launch Plan
Launch day should be the most boring day of the project.
- Choose a quiet time for your traffic, not a holiday sale.
- Tell your team and support staff the plan.
- Freeze changes on the old store.
- Move the final data, such as the latest orders.
- Switch the domain to Shopify and wait for it to take effect.
- Test checkout, redirects and tracking on the live domain.
- Monitor errors and orders closely for the first days.
Keep the old store available, but not publicly accessible, for a short time in case you need to check a record.
At a glance
Platforms We Commonly Migrate From
The catalogue covers the platforms below. Each has its own quirks, and the scope reflects that.
| Platform | Usually moves well | Needs extra care |
|---|---|---|
| WooCommerce | Products, customers, orders, pages | Plugins and custom code do not transfer |
| Wix and Squarespace | Products and content | Layouts are rebuilt rather than moved |
| BigCommerce and Magento | Catalogue, customers, orders | Complex variants and custom features |
| Other platforms | Data from exports | A scoped audit is the first step |
Related searches
Migrating to Shopify
Short answers to questions people often search for on this topic.
How do I migrate to Shopify?
To migrate to Shopify, audit what you have, clean the data, build the new store, move the data, map redirects, test and launch. A careful Shopify store migration protects data and search traffic.
How do I migrate from WooCommerce to Shopify?
To go from WooCommerce to Shopify, export products, customers and orders, import them, rebuild the design in a Shopify theme and redirect old addresses. Plugins do not transfer, so check what each did.
How do I migrate Wix, Square or Etsy to Shopify?
To migrate Wix to Shopify, export what you can and rebuild layouts. To migrate from Square to Shopify or move Etsy sales to Shopify, check which products and customers can be exported and which need re-entry.
How do I migrate Shopify to WooCommerce or WordPress?
To migrate Shopify to WooCommerce or do a Shopify to WordPress migration, export products, customers and orders, then import them in the new system. A reverse migration needs its own plan for redirects and checkout.
Is there a Shopify plus migration guide or a store migration app?
A Shopify Plus migration guide adds scale, templates and testing. A Shopify store migration app can move data, but still needs checking. Cheap web hosting with Shopify migration is not relevant, since Shopify hosts your store.
Related searches
Related Searches: How to Migrate to Shopify Without Losing Rankings or Data
Owners reach this page from different searches. These are the common ones.
You may also have come across “how to migrate wix to shopify”, “top web developer offering shopify migration” or “shopify change shipping to pick up”.
Related searches include “shopify with etsy migration”.
FAQ
Migration Questions Answered
What moves, what changes and how to protect traffic. Open any question for the full answer.
How do I migrate to Shopify?
Audit what you have, clean it, build the new store, move the data, map redirects, then test and launch. A migration service can do the work for you.
Will I lose my search rankings when I migrate?
You can reduce the risk by redirecting every important old address and keeping titles and descriptions. No migration can promise rankings.
Can customers keep their passwords?
Passwords are normally not transferred, so customers reset them.
Can order history move?
Order history can usually be transferred, though formats differ between platforms.
Which platforms can you migrate from?
Migration services cover WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, BigCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop, Weebly, Volusion, Etsy, Amazon and eBay.
How long does a migration take?
It depends on data volume and platform. Each migration service shows its delivery range.
Do I need to close my old store first?
No. Keep it live until the new store passes tests, then switch the domain.
Is there a way to scope the move first?
Yes. A pre-migration audit scopes the job before you commit.
How do I move products to Shopify?
Products are usually moved by exporting them from the old platform in a file and importing them into Shopify, or by using a migration tool. Clean the data first so errors do not move with it.
What happens to my old web addresses?
Most will change, which is why every address with traffic or links needs a redirect to its new equivalent.
Can I keep my domain?
Yes. Your domain can be pointed to Shopify at launch, and you keep your brand address.
Should I redesign at the same time?
It depends. A migration plus redesign is a bigger project. Some stores move first, then redesign later, which separates the risks.
How do I know it worked?
Compare your before and after data: traffic, conversions, orders and search console errors. Small differences in the first days are normal, and large drops need a quick look.
Can I do it myself?
Small stores often can. Larger stores, stores with lots of redirects or stores with complex data usually benefit from help.
Ready when you are
Plan the Move, Then Price It
See the migration services for your platform and the exact price of each.
- Fixed prices shown before you pay
- Two revision rounds in every package
- A written handover with every job