Choosing a provider
BigCommerce to Shopify migration services
Moving between two commerce platforms sounds simple, and the data side often is. The risks sit in the mapping: modifiers that lose their meaning, customer groups that lose their prices, and apps whose job nobody wrote down.
This page explains what a BigCommerce migration provider should map, check and deliver, and what access they need.
Illustrative diagram
- Columns — element, type, Shopify outcome, notes
- BigCommerce element — option, modifier, group, app
- Type
- Shopify outcome — option, field, app or dropped
- Unresolved item — decision needed from you
- Notes
- Approval — signed off before import
- Import starts — only after approval
The mapping document
Before importing anything, a provider should produce a mapping document: how each BigCommerce option, modifier, custom field, customer group and app feature will appear in Shopify. It is the place where gaps show up early, such as a modifier with no obvious equivalent or a price list that needs a different approach.
You review and approve the mapping before data moves. It then becomes the checklist for verifying the migration: every row should be visible and working in the Shopify store.
Questions for a BigCommerce migration provider
| Topic | Question |
|---|---|
| Modifiers | How will text fields, checkboxes and add-ons be represented in Shopify? |
| Customer groups | How will group pricing or restricted products work after the move? |
| Large catalogues | How will exports be handled if they are too large to download directly? |
| Apps | Which BigCommerce apps need replacing, and with what? |
| URLs | How will product, category and brand page URLs be redirected? |
Access a provider needs
BigCommerce
- A staff account with export permissions, not your owner login
- Access to view apps and settings
- WebDAV access only if large exports require it
Shopify
- Collaborator access to the new store
- Your approval before any app with charges is installed
How a BigCommerce migration engagement runs
Discovery
Review catalogue structure, modifiers, customer groups and apps.
Output: Discovery notes
Mapping
Write the mapping document and agree it with you.
Output: Approved mapping
Import
Products, customers and orders imported and reconciled against exports.
Output: Reconciliation report
Switch
Redirects, final data sync and domain move.
Output: Live Shopify store
Preparing your team
Staff who process orders on BigCommerce will need to learn Shopify's admin. Order statuses, refunds and stock adjustments work differently in places. A short walkthrough using real orders in the new store, before launch, avoids mistakes in the first busy days.
We include a handover session focused on the tasks your team does daily, rather than a general tour of every setting.
Verifying against the exports
Verification means comparing Shopify with what BigCommerce exported, not with memory. Product, variant, customer and order counts are checked against the export files after each import. A sample of products is opened side by side in both stores to compare options, prices, descriptions and images.
Customer groups and wholesale prices deserve their own tests: log in as a test trade customer and confirm prices, visible products and checkout behave as agreed in the mapping. These tests are written down in advance so you know what was checked.
Protecting search visibility
Established BigCommerce stores often have category and brand pages that rank in search. When URLs change, those pages need redirects to their closest Shopify equivalents, and their titles and descriptions should be carried over. We build the redirect list from your full URL inventory and test a sample after launch.
What you should receive
Documents
- Approved mapping document
- Reconciliation report with counts per stage
- Redirect list as imported
Handover
- Notes on replaced BigCommerce apps
- Team walkthrough of daily order tasks
- Confirmation of when BigCommerce can be cancelled
Questions about BigCommerce to Shopify migration services
What is a mapping document?
A table showing how each BigCommerce product option, modifier, custom field, customer group and app feature will be handled in Shopify, agreed before data moves.
Do you need my BigCommerce owner login?
No. A staff account with the export permissions needed is enough, and you can remove it afterwards.
What if a modifier has no Shopify equivalent?
We propose options, such as a personalisation field, an app or a product restructure, and you choose.
Can you train my team on Shopify?
We include a handover session focused on the daily tasks your team performs, using the new store.
How are BigCommerce brand pages handled?
Brand pages are usually recreated as Shopify collections, with their old URLs redirected.
Do you migrate BigCommerce coupons?
Coupons are recreated as Shopify discounts, because rules differ between the platforms. We list active ones during discovery.
Can you migrate BigCommerce blog posts?
Yes. Posts are recreated in Shopify's blog with their content, images and redirects from old addresses.
How do you test wholesale pricing after migration?
By logging in as test trade customers and checking prices, visible products and checkout against the agreed mapping.
Can BigCommerce and Shopify run together during the move?
Yes. BigCommerce keeps trading while Shopify is built; a final sync brings across recent orders and customers before the switch.
Sources referenced
Platform features, guidance and rules change. We check the current versions before committing to an approach. This page is general information, not legal advice.
- BigCommerce Support: Importing and Exporting Products (opens in a new tab) — reviewed 2026-10-22
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