The Shopify Migration Checklist: Protect Your Data and SEO

Most Shopify migrations that go wrong don't fail on design. They fail on two things nobody sees until launch: data (missing variants, broken customer records, order history that never arrived) and SEO (old URLs that 404, metadata left behind, and a traffic dip that lasts far longer than it needed to).

Both are predictable, so both can be planned for. This is the checklist we work through when we move stores onto Shopify: what to audit, how to move your data, how to map redirects, what to do on launch day and what to watch afterwards. If you just want the list, jump to the printable checklist. You can also download it as a PDF to print and tick off.

Who this checklist is for

It's for businesses moving an existing store onto Shopify from WooCommerce (WordPress), Squarespace, Wix or a less common platform, especially if you have organic traffic, customer accounts and order history to protect.

Be clear about which project you need, because each one is planned differently:

• Migration: you're moving to Shopify from another platform. Your URLs will change, so redirects, data and SEO carry-over are the core of the job. That's this checklist.
• Redesign on Shopify: you're already on Shopify and want a better store. Your data stays put and most URLs don't change. Start with our Shopify store upgrade checklist or our Shopify web design page.
• New build: you're starting from scratch, with no traffic to protect.

Still deciding on a platform? Read our honest Shopify vs WooCommerce comparison.

How long does it take? Most of our migrations take 6–8 weeks, the same as a new Shopify build. Large catalogues, complex variants or custom integrations can take longer.

Phase 1: Audit your current store

You can't protect what you haven't listed.

1. Crawl the whole site with a tool such as Screaming Frog, and add every URL from your XML sitemap.
2. Export your most valuable URLs: pages with clicks and impressions in Google Search Console, and top landing pages in GA4.
3. Export your backlinks. Linked pages must redirect to a close equivalent, not the homepage.
4. Record metadata: titles, meta descriptions, H1s and image alt text.
5. Export existing redirects so you don't break chains that already work.
6. Count your data: products, variants, customers, orders, posts, reviews, gift cards and live discount codes.
7. List every app, plugin and integration, and decide whether to keep, replace or drop each one.
8. Document payments, shipping, VAT, legal pages and tracking tags.
9. Take a full backup before anything changes.

Phase 2: Plan your data migration

Shopify has its own data model, so a migration is rarely a straight copy. Categories become collections, custom product fields become metafields, and products with more than three options need restructuring: Shopify allows up to 2,048 variants but only three options per product (Shopify Help Center).

Shopify's free Store Migration app handles products and customers from platforms including WooCommerce and Wix, but doesn't import orders, collections, navigation, SEO data, blog posts, pages or reviews. For anything beyond a simple catalogue we usually use Matrixify, which imports products, customers, orders, redirects, blog posts and metafields from spreadsheets, and lets you test in small batches.

Customer passwords. No platform can export passwords, and Shopify confirms they can't be migrated (Shopify Help Center). With Shopify's newer customer accounts, customers sign in with their email and a one-time code, so there's nothing to reset (Shopify Help Center). With legacy accounts, they need an account invite to set a new password. Either way, plan a short email telling customers what's changing.

Data steps: 1. Clean up first: remove discontinued products, fix duplicate SKUs, standardise option names. 2. Map every source field to a Shopify field or metafield in a spreadsheet. 3. Test-import 10–20 records per data type and check them by hand. 4. After the full import, check counts match your audit. 5. Plan a final "delta" import of orders and customers taken just before launch.

Phase 3: SEO and redirects

This phase decides whether your search traffic follows you. Nobody can honestly promise rankings won't move after a platform change; they can dip for a few weeks while Google recrawls. What you can do is remove every avoidable reason for a drop.

Shopify's URL structure

Shopify uses fixed URL prefixes, so almost every old URL will change:

news is the handle of Shopify's default blog; any extra blogs also sit under /blogs/. Products can appear at collection-aware URLs such as /collections/shirts/products/blue-linen-shirt, which Shopify canonicalises to the /products/ URL.

Build and load the redirect map

1. Map one-to-one: product to product, category to collection, post to post. Use the homepage only when nothing relevant exists.
2. Keep handles where you can, so blue-linen-shirt stays blue-linen-shirt.
3. Prioritise URLs with traffic, conversions and backlinks.
4. Use relative paths in the CSV: /product/blue-linen-shirt/ → /products/blue-linen-shirt.
5. Import with Shopify's URL redirects tool: in your Shopify admin, go to Content > Menus > URL redirects and import a CSV with "Redirect from" and "Redirect to" columns (Shopify Help Center). Matrixify can bulk-import redirects too. Shopify's redirects are permanent (301).
6. Avoid chains and loops, including redirects inherited from your old site.
7. Test URL variants: trailing slashes, capitals and old query-string links such as WordPress ?p=123.

Carry over everything else that ranks

1. Titles and meta descriptions into Shopify's search engine listing fields.
2. Ranking copy, especially category descriptions, which often get lost when categories become collections.
3. Image alt text wherever the import dropped it.
4. Canonicals: Shopify adds them automatically; check your theme hasn't overridden them.
5. Structured data: check what your theme outputs (Product, Organization, Article, BreadcrumbList) and test key templates in Google's Rich Results Test. Review markup usually comes from your reviews app.
6. Internal links in descriptions and posts, updated to point straight at new URLs.
7. XML sitemap: Shopify generates /sitemap.xml; submit it in Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
8. Search Console: keep your property verified. Google's Change of Address tool is only for moving to a different domain or subdomain (Search Console Help), so you won't need it if your domain stays the same.

Want a second pair of eyes first? Our Shopify SEO audit is a good starting point, and our Shopify SEO services cover redirect mapping, metadata and monitoring.

Phase 4: Design, apps and checkout

A migration is a natural moment to improve your store, but Google advises changing one thing at a time where possible, because it's harder to tell what caused a traffic change if platform, URLs and layout all change at once. If you redesign during the move, keep your best-ranking content and structure recognisable.

1. Theme: a customised Online Store 2.0 theme or a custom design. Our guide to the best Shopify themes is a good shortlist.
2. Navigation and collections planned around how customers actually shop.
3. Templates: product, collection, page, blog, search, cart, and a helpful 404 page to catch anything the redirect map missed.
4. Apps: only what you need, checked for speed. See our Shopify apps we recommend for UK stores.
5. Payments, shipping, VAT and Shopify Markets configured.
6. Policies and cookie consent: Shopify's customer privacy settings affect analytics, so make sure they're set up properly.
7. Integrations: email, reviews, subscriptions, loyalty, stock and accounting. Subscriptions and loyalty points need extra care because they're live customer commitments.
8. Custom features that apps can't cover. That's where Shopify development comes in.

Phase 5: Test and launch

Your old site stays live while the Shopify store is built and tested, so customers shouldn't notice anything until you switch.

Before launch

1. Click through every template on desktop and mobile.
2. Place test orders with each payment method in test mode, including discounts and shipping options.
3. Check order and shipping notification emails.
4. Test sign-in with imported customer accounts.
5. Crawl your redirect list and confirm every old URL returns a 301 to a live page.
6. Check speed on key templates and compress large images.
7. Confirm GA4 (for example through Shopify's Google & YouTube app), ad pixels and conversion tracking fire.

Launch day

1. Switch at a quiet time. We usually go live late in the evening or overnight.
2. Lower your DNS TTL a day or two beforehand.
3. Run the delta import of recent orders, customers and stock.
4. Connect your domain: point the A record to 23.227.38.65 and the www CNAME to shops.myshopify.com (Shopify Help Center), then set your primary domain.
5. Leave email records alone (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC) unless you mean to change them. Here's how to add DMARC on a Shopify domain.
6. Check SSL is active and remove the storefront password.
7. Test your top redirects live, and place a real low-value order, then refund it.
8. Submit your sitemap and close the old store's checkout, keeping its data archived.

DNS changes can take a few hours to reach everyone, so some visitors may briefly see the old site. That's normal.

Phase 6: The first 30 days after launch

1. Check Search Console daily for two weeks: page indexing, 404s and crawl errors.
2. Redirect any missed URLs as soon as they appear.
3. Spot-check priority rankings and landing pages against your audit baseline.
4. Compare analytics with the same period before launch, allowing for seasonality.
5. Watch orders, payments and notifications.
6. Keep redirects in place permanently.

Notes by source platform

WooCommerce and WordPress

WooCommerce gives you good access to your data, but its URLs (/product/, /product-category/, dated posts) all change. Plugin custom fields need mapping to metafields, variable products with more than three attributes need restructuring, and customers will need to sign in again.

Squarespace

Squarespace's product export covers physical and service products but leaves out customer reviews, featured images, image alt text and variant images, so plan for some manual work. We moved Shane Cooper Skin from Squarespace to Shopify and redesigned the site around online product sales and treatment enquiries:

"Fat Buddha Web Design has been absolutely amazing in helping design and create our new website. They're always available to help with any updates we require. We moved over to Shopify from Squarespace and have been so impressed with the features and ease of use." — Shane Cooper Skin

Wix

Wix's exports are limited, so pages and blog posts usually need rebuilding by hand. Products and customers can often move with Shopify's Store Migration app; order history depends on what your Wix export allows.

Less common platforms

Smaller and bespoke platforms often have no ready-made migration path, which makes the audit and field mapping even more important. We moved Canine Natural Cures, a family-run dog supplement brand, from a little-known platform, handling more than 100 products and complicated upsells and variants:

"We were also migrating from a little known platform to Shopify and the migration process was not straightforward. However from the outset Ben went above and beyond to create a website which we have just launched. Nothing was too much trouble for him and he was always responsive. […]" — Canine Natural Cures, via Trustpilot

The printable Shopify migration checklist

Print this page or copy the list into your project tool.

Download the checklist (PDF)

Pre-migration

• ☐ Migration scope agreed: what moves, what changes and what's left behind
• ☐ Full site crawl exported
• ☐ Search Console and GA4 top pages exported
• ☐ Backlinked URLs identified
• ☐ Metadata and existing redirects exported
• ☐ Data counted (products, variants, customers, orders, posts, reviews, gift cards)
• ☐ Apps and integrations listed: keep, replace or drop
• ☐ Payments, shipping, VAT and legal pages documented
• ☐ Full backup taken

Data

• ☐ Catalogue cleaned
• ☐ Field map written, metafield definitions created
• ☐ Test import checked for each data type
• ☐ Products, variants, images and stock imported
• ☐ Collections built
• ☐ Customers imported; sign-in email planned
• ☐ Order history imported without notifications or stock changes
• ☐ Blog posts and pages migrated
• ☐ Reviews, gift cards and discounts handled
• ☐ Record counts match the audit

Design and build

• ☐ Theme chosen and customised
• ☐ Navigation and collections agreed
• ☐ All templates built, including a helpful 404
• ☐ Apps installed and speed-checked
• ☐ Payments, shipping, taxes and Markets configured
• ☐ Policies and cookie consent live
• ☐ Integrations reconnected

SEO

• ☐ Every old URL mapped to its closest new URL
• ☐ Redirects imported (Content > Menus > URL redirects, or Matrixify)
• ☐ No chains, loops or homepage dumping
• ☐ URL variants tested
• ☐ Titles, meta descriptions, category copy and alt text carried over
• ☐ Canonicals and structured data checked
• ☐ Internal links updated

Launch day

• ☐ DNS TTL lowered in advance
• ☐ Delta import done
• ☐ Domain connected and set as primary
• ☐ Email DNS records untouched
• ☐ SSL active, storefront password removed
• ☐ Top redirects tested live
• ☐ Live order placed and refunded
• ☐ Tracking firing
• ☐ Sitemap submitted
• ☐ Old checkout closed, data archived

Post-launch (first 30 days)

• ☐ Search Console checked daily for two weeks
• ☐ New 404s redirected
• ☐ Priority rankings spot-checked
• ☐ Analytics compared with baseline
• ☐ Orders and notifications monitored
• ☐ Redirects kept permanently

Shopify migration FAQs

Will I lose my Google rankings when I move to Shopify?

Rankings can dip for a few weeks after any platform change while Google recrawls your new URLs, so nobody can honestly promise no movement. You keep the risk as low as possible by 301-redirecting every old URL, carrying over titles, meta descriptions and content, checking canonicals and structured data, and monitoring Search Console closely after launch.

How long does a Shopify migration take?

Most of our migrations take 6–8 weeks. Large catalogues, complex variants or custom integrations can take longer. We'll give you a realistic timeline once we've reviewed your store.

Can my customers keep their passwords?

No. Passwords are stored encrypted and can't be exported from any platform. Customer details and order history can usually be imported, and customers then sign in with a one-time code or set a new password, depending on your Shopify customer account setup.

Can I migrate my order history?

Usually, yes. Shopify's free Store Migration app doesn't import orders, so order history is normally moved with Matrixify, another migration app or the Shopify API. Test first so imports don't email customers or change stock levels.

Will my store have downtime?

Very little. Your old site stays live while the Shopify store is built and tested. At launch, the DNS change can take a few hours to reach everyone, which is why we usually switch over late in the evening or overnight.

Can I do it myself with Matrixify?

For a small, simple catalogue, a confident merchant can. It gets harder with complex variants, custom fields, large order histories, subscriptions or valuable organic traffic, where a mistake in the data or redirect mapping costs far more than the time saved.

How much does a Shopify migration cost?

It depends on your catalogue, data, integrations and whether you're redesigning too, so we quote each migration after reviewing your store. For context, our new Shopify builds start from £1,500, typically in £1,500–£2,500, £2,500–£6,000 and £6,000–£15,000+ bands, with Shopify Plus projects from £15,000–£50,000+. Our Shopify website cost guide explains what drives the price.

Need a hand with your migration?

We're Fat Buddha Web Design, a Shopify Select Partner based in Lincolnshire, founded in 2010. We handle Shopify migrations end to end: audit, data, redirects, SEO carry-over, design, testing, launch and post-launch checks.

If you'd rather not run this checklist alone, see our Shopify migration services, browse our case studies, or tell us about your project. Our team reviews every enquiry personally, and we'll tell you honestly what will and won't move.