Shopify migration
Shopify migration
Moving a store to Shopify is a sequence of separate jobs: data import, theme, shipping, taxes, payments, testing, domain and redirects. Doing them in the right order prevents the most common migration problems, such as orders that cannot be linked to customers or links that stop working on launch day.
We migrate stores to Shopify from most platforms, following Shopify's recommended order and checking each stage before moving to the next.
Illustrative diagram
- ProductsImported first
- CustomersWithout passwords
- Historical ordersLinked to both
- Configure and testTheme, shipping, taxes, payments
- Domain and redirectsOld links kept working
Why the order of a migration matters
Shopify's migration guidance starts with data, and within data it imports products first, then customers, then historical orders. The order matters because an imported order refers to products and customers; if those do not exist yet, the order cannot be linked to them.
After the data come the store settings that depend on it: theme, shipping, taxes, payments and test orders. The domain is switched near the end, once everything is tested, and redirects are prepared so that old links keep working when it does.
How each type of data moves
| Data | Import methods Shopify lists | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Product CSV or migration apps | Imported first |
| Customers | Customer CSV, migration apps or the Customer API | Passwords cannot be migrated |
| Historical orders | Migration apps or Shopify's APIs | Already-fulfilled orders only |
| Gift cards and store credit | Migration apps or the GiftCard API | Check balances after import |
| Blog posts and pages | Migration apps, APIs, or copy and paste for a few pages | Formatting needs review |
Illustrative diagram
What usually has to be rebuilt rather than moved
Theme and design
Designs do not transfer between platforms; the Shopify theme is set up separately.
Custom features
Plugins and extensions from the old platform are replaced by Shopify features, apps or development.
Reviews
Shopify's guides for several platforms note that reviews cannot be exported directly; review apps can import them.
Settings
Shipping, taxes, payments and notifications are configured fresh in Shopify.
How we run a migration
Inventory
List everything on the current store: data, pages, apps or plugins, settings and URLs.
Output: Migration inventory
Decide methods
Choose CSV, app or API for each data type, and what gets rebuilt.
Output: Migration plan
Import and verify
Import products, customers and orders in order, checking counts after each.
Output: Reconciled data
Configure and test
Theme, shipping, taxes, payments and test orders.
Output: Tested store
Redirect and launch
Import redirects, switch the domain and check old links.
Output: Live store with working links
Before starting any migration
Export and keep
- Full exports of products, customers and orders from the old platform
- A list of every URL on the old site
- Screenshots of shipping, tax and payment settings
Decide
- How much order history you need in Shopify
- Which old features you still need
- When the old store will stop taking orders
What customers notice after a migration
Most customers never see the work behind a migration, but they notice a few things. Returning customers must set a new password, because passwords cannot be moved between platforms. Order confirmation emails look different. Saved baskets and wish lists from the old store usually do not carry over.
A short, plain message before launch, and a clear note on the login page afterwards, prevents most confusion. We draft these messages as part of the plan, and you decide when they are sent.
Questions about Shopify migration
Which platforms can you migrate from?
Most common e-commerce platforms, including WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, BigCommerce and Magento. Each has its own migration page on this site.
In what order should data be imported?
Shopify's guidance is products, then customers, then historical orders, so that orders link to existing products and customers.
Is there an official Shopify migration tool?
Shopify's guidance mentions its Store Migration app and third-party migration apps. Which suits you depends on your platform and data.
Do I have to move all my order history?
No. Some stores move everything, others only recent orders, and some keep old orders in an export. It depends on how you use that history.
Can my old store keep trading during the migration?
Usually yes. The Shopify store is built alongside, and a final data update brings across recent changes before launch.
Is SEO part of the migration?
Redirects and checks of important pages are part of our migration plan, because they protect existing links and search listings.
Can gift card balances be moved?
Shopify lists migration apps and its GiftCard API as ways to move gift cards and store credit. Balances should be checked after import.
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.
- Shopify Help Center: Migrating to Shopify (opens in a new tab) — reviewed 2026-10-22
- Shopify Help Center: Importing and exporting customer lists (opens in a new tab) — reviewed 2026-10-22
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