Wix and Squarespace are good at getting a business online quickly. Plenty of UK brands start on one of them, and plenty of those brands eventually find they've outgrown it. Usually it's the shop that starts to struggle first: product options run out, the apps you need don't exist, or checkout and stock management take more workarounds each month.
Shopify is the obvious next step for a lot of these businesses, but moving platforms worries people, and that's fair. You've spent years building up products, customers, blog content and Google rankings, and you don't want to lose any of it.
This guide explains what moves across from each platform, what doesn't, and how to protect your search traffic along the way. If you want the full technical list, our Shopify migration checklist goes into more detail.
Why brands move from Wix and Squarespace to Shopify
Every business has its own reasons, but we hear the same ones again and again:
- The shop has become the main event. Wix and Squarespace are website builders that also sell products. Shopify is built for selling first, so inventory, orders, shipping, discounts and payments all sit in one place.
- Apps and integrations. The Shopify App Store covers almost anything a growing retailer needs, from subscriptions and reviews to ERP and accounting links. You're far less likely to hit a dead end.
- Selling in more places. Shopify connects your website to point of sale, marketplaces and social channels, with one stock count across all of them.
- Room to grow. As you grow, you can move up to bigger plans, all the way to Shopify Plus, without changing platform again.
- Design freedom. A custom Shopify theme gives you full control over how your brand looks and how customers shop, with no template to work around.
What transfers and what doesn't
Neither platform hands everything over neatly. It's worth knowing the gaps before you start so nothing catches you out halfway through.
Moving from Wix
| Data | Does it transfer? | How |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Yes | Export a product CSV from Wix and import it with Shopify's free Store Migration app or the standard product import |
| Customers | Yes | Export contacts as a CSV and import them the same way |
| Orders | Yes | Shopify's Store Migration app can bring your Wix order history across |
| Product options | Partly | Wix allows up to six options per product. Shopify's import handles three, and Shopify notes that a Wix product with four or more options comes in as a single product with no variants. Those products need rebuilding by hand. |
| Collections | Partly | The Store Migration app brings Wix collections and ribbons across as product tags, so you rebuild collections in Shopify from those tags |
| Blog posts | Yes | The Store Migration app can move your Wix blog posts |
| Pages | Manually | Rebuild page layouts in your new theme |
| Customer passwords | No | Passwords never transfer between platforms. Customers sign in to their Shopify account with an email code or by setting up their account again. |
Wix is one of the platforms Shopify's Store Migration app supports, and it can move products, customers, order history and blog posts, and according to Shopify's documentation you can upload the Wix product CSV to the app without editing it first. Imported products arrive as drafts, which gives you a chance to check them before anything goes live.
Moving from Squarespace
| Data | Does it transfer? | How |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Yes, with editing | Squarespace exports up to 10,000 physical and service products as a CSV. It needs reformatting into Shopify's template before import. |
| Product images | Partly | Featured images, variant images and image alt text aren't included in the export, so they have to be added again in Shopify |
| Customers | Yes, with editing | Export as a CSV and match it to Shopify's customer template |
| Orders | With help | Squarespace exports orders as a CSV, but Shopify can't import them without a third-party app |
| Reviews | No | Shopify's help centre says Squarespace reviews can't be exported |
| Blog posts and pages | Manually | Squarespace only exports to a WordPress XML file that includes a single blog. Shopify can't import that file, so content is copied across. |
| Customer passwords | No | The same as Wix: customers set up their sign-in again |
Squarespace isn't one of the platforms the Store Migration app supports, so a Squarespace move takes more manual work, particularly with images and content.
Step-by-step: how a migration works
The order of jobs matters more than the tools. This is the process we follow.
1. Audit what you have
List every product, collection, page and blog post, and every URL that gets traffic or has backlinks. Export the data from Google Search Console and Google Analytics so you know which pages earn your visits. A migration is also a good time to retire old products and thin pages that aren't earning their keep.
2. Plan the new structure
Decide how your collections, navigation and filters will work on Shopify. Shopify uses fixed URL patterns: products live under /products/, collections under /collections/, pages under /pages/ and blog posts under /blogs/[blog-name]/. Agree the new URL for every important old page now, before you build anything.
3. Design and build the Shopify store
Set up the theme, design, checkout, payments, shipping zones, taxes and the apps you need. If you're redesigning at the same time, this is where most of the time goes. Our Shopify web design page shows how we approach this.
4. Move your data
Import products, then customers, then order history if you want it. For Wix, the Store Migration app handles products, customers, orders and blog posts. Products come in as drafts, so check variants, prices, stock, weights and images before you publish. For Squarespace, add back the images and alt text the export leaves out.
5. Move your content
Rebuild your pages. Wix blog posts can come across with the Store Migration app, while Squarespace posts are copied across. Keep the wording that ranks unless you have a good reason to change it, and carry over page titles and meta descriptions too.
6. Set up redirects
Map every old URL to its new home (there's more on this below).
7. Test everything
Place test orders. Check discount codes, shipping rates, VAT, emails, forms, tracking and the mobile layout. Click through your redirect list and confirm every one lands where it should.
8. Launch
Point your domain at Shopify, submit your new sitemap in Search Console and keep a close eye on traffic, rankings and crawl errors for the first few weeks.
Keeping your SEO: redirects and more
This is the part that decides whether a migration keeps your rankings or loses them. When a URL changes, Google needs to be told where the page has gone. Otherwise it sees a dead page and your rankings for it will fade.
Both platforms use different URL patterns from Shopify:
-
Wix: products usually sit at
/product-page/product-nameand blog posts at/post/post-name. On Shopify those become/products/product-nameand/blogs/news/post-name. -
Squarespace: products sit under the store page's slug, for example
/shop/p/product-nameor/store/p/product-name. Blog posts sit under the blog page's slug, such as/blog/post-name.
In Shopify you add 301 redirects under URL redirects in the admin. You can add them one at a time or import a whole list as a CSV, which is the sensible option for any store with more than a handful of products. Redirect each old page to the closest match on the new site, not just to the homepage. Google treats a mass redirect to the homepage much like a missing page.
A few other things help to protect rankings:
- Carry over page titles, meta descriptions, headings and image alt text.
- Keep your domain the same.
- Rebuild your internal links so they point to the new URLs and don't bounce through redirects.
- Submit the Shopify sitemap (
/sitemap.xml) in Google Search Console on launch day. - Watch Search Console's page indexing report for 404s over the following weeks and fix any you missed.
Some movement in rankings straight after a move is normal while Google recrawls the site. A good redirect map is what gets you back to where you were. Our Shopify SEO guide covers what to do once you're settled on the new platform.
Common pitfalls
- Forgetting the URLs nobody thinks about. Old blog posts, image links and pages with backlinks from press coverage still send traffic. Check Search Console and your backlink data, not just your sitemap.
- Products with too many options. Products with more than three options on Wix need a plan before import. That might mean splitting them into separate products, using metafields or using an app.
- Missing images and alt text on Squarespace products. It's easy to miss until the products are live.
- Assuming Squarespace orders come across automatically. Wix order history can move with the Store Migration app, but Squarespace order history needs a third-party app. Decide whether you really need it.
- Not telling customers about accounts. Passwords don't transfer, so send a short email explaining how to sign in to the new store.
- Launching on your busiest week. Pick a quiet period and give yourself time to fix things before peak trading.
- Forgetting to update everything else. Google Business Profile, social bios, email templates, Google Merchant Center feeds and any ads all need pointing at the new URLs.
How long does a migration take?
A typical Wix or Squarespace to Shopify migration takes around 4–6 weeks. That covers planning, building, data import, redirects and testing. Larger catalogues, custom design work or complex integrations add time, and a store that needs a full redesign at the same time will take longer.
There's no fixed price for a migration, because every store is different. The number of products and variants, how much content needs rebuilding and whether you want a new design all change the work involved. We quote each one after looking at your current site. For a sense of what Shopify builds cost generally, see how much a Shopify website costs.
How Fat Buddha can help
We've been building websites since 2010 and have been a Shopify Select Partner since 2017. If you're not sure what that means, we explain it in what is a Shopify Partner. We're based in Lincolnshire and work with brands right across the UK.
When we handle a migration, we take care of the whole process: the audit, the new store design and build, the data import, the redirect map, testing and launch. You keep running your business while we make sure your products, customers and search traffic arrive safely.
FAQs
Can I move my Wix store to Shopify myself?
Yes. Shopify's free Store Migration app can move your Wix products, customers, order history and blog posts, and smaller stores with simple products can often manage it themselves. The trickier parts are products with more than three options, rebuilding your pages and setting up redirects properly.
Does Shopify's migration app work with Squarespace?
No. Squarespace isn't one of the platforms the Store Migration app supports. You export products and customers from Squarespace as CSV files, reformat them to Shopify's templates and import them, then use a third-party app if you want order history.
Will I lose my Google rankings if I move to Shopify?
Not if the migration is planned properly. Keep your domain, carry over your titles and content, and set up 301 redirects from every old URL to its closest match on Shopify. A short wobble while Google recrawls the site is normal.
Can I move my blog posts from Wix or Squarespace?
Yes. Wix blog posts can be moved with Shopify's Store Migration app. Squarespace only exports blog content in a WordPress format that Shopify can't import, so those posts are usually copied across by hand or with an app. Either way, redirect each old post URL.
Will my customers need new passwords?
Passwords can't be transferred between platforms. Customer details come across, but customers will need to sign in to their new account with an email code or set it up again. A short email before launch saves a lot of confusion.
How much does a Wix or Squarespace to Shopify migration cost?
It depends on the size of your catalogue, how much content needs moving and whether you're redesigning at the same time. We don't have a fixed price. Tell us about your store and we'll give you a quote.
Ready to move to Shopify?
If you're thinking about leaving Wix or Squarespace, we'd be happy to look at your current site and tell you what's involved. Tell us about your project and we'll get back to you.
