Quick answer: A WooCommerce to Shopify migration means moving products, customers and orders with a CSV or import app, rebuilding plugin features with Shopify apps, and adding 301 redirects from every old URL. Passwords do not move, so customers get account invites. Test real orders before switching the domain.
Most store owners who ask me about a WooCommerce to Shopify migration are tired of the same things. Plugin updates that break checkout. Hosting bills that grow. A site that slows down every time the catalog gets bigger.
Shopify fixes a lot of that. But the move itself is where stores lose money: broken product links, customers who cannot log in, and Google traffic that drops for weeks because nobody set up redirects.
I build stores on both platforms, so I am not here to sell you on Shopify. This is the plan I follow when a client has already decided to move, and the things I check so nothing gets lost.
Table of Contents
Should you migrate at all?
Before anything else, be sure the move makes sense. If your store depends on local payment methods, custom features or a big blog, WooCommerce may still be the better home. I compared both honestly in Shopify vs WooCommerce. If speed is your only complaint, fixing WordPress speed is much cheaper than moving.
Moving makes sense when you want less maintenance, you sell mostly by card, and your team would rather manage products than servers.
What moves and what does not
| Data | Moves to Shopify? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Products, variants, images | Yes | With an import app or CSV. Check variants carefully. |
| Categories | Yes, as collections | Smart collections can replace manual sorting. |
| Customers | Yes | Passwords do not move. Customers set a new one by invite. |
| Past orders | Yes, with an app | Useful for customer history and reports. |
| Blog posts and pages | Partly | Formatting and shortcodes often need cleanup. |
| URLs | No, they change | Shopify uses /products/ and /collections/. You need redirects. |
| Plugins and custom code | No | Replace with Shopify apps or theme code. |
WooCommerce to Shopify migration, step by step
- Back up the WooCommerce store and export a full list of URLs, plus your top pages from Search Console.
- Clean the catalog first. Delete dead products and fix broken images. Do not pay to migrate junk.
- Set up Shopify with a theme, shipping zones, taxes and payment methods before importing anything.
- Import the data with a migration app or CSV. Do a test import of 10 products first and compare them side by side.
- Rebuild what plugins used to do: reviews, filters, wishlists, upsells. Pick apps carefully, every app adds a monthly cost.
- Create 301 redirects from every old product, category and page URL to its new Shopify URL.
- Test real orders on Shopify with a cheap product: payment, emails, shipping and refunds.
- Switch the domain on a quiet day, then submit the new sitemap in Search Console.
- Invite customers to activate their new accounts.
Import apps vs doing it by hand
For a small catalog, Shopify product CSV import is enough. For hundreds of products, customers and old orders, use an import app from the Shopify App Store. Read recent reviews and test with a small batch before paying for the full run.
No tool gets everything right. I always check variants, sale prices, product descriptions with custom HTML, and image order by hand after the import.
How to keep your Google rankings after the move
This is the part that matters most when you change platforms. Shopify does not let you keep the old URL structure, so every link Google knows will change.
- Map every old URL to the new one in a spreadsheet
- Add the redirects in Shopify under URL redirects, or import them by CSV
- Copy over your SEO titles and meta descriptions
- Keep the blog posts that bring traffic
- Check Search Console every few days for the first month and fix 404 errors fast
If you skip redirects, expect a traffic drop. I have seen stores lose most of their organic orders for months because of this one step.
Mistakes I see on store moves
- Importing first and cleaning later, so old junk products end up on the new store
- Installing ten apps in week one and paying for all of them every month
- Forgetting transactional emails, so order confirmations still show the old logo and wording
- Switching the domain on a busy sale day
- Not telling regular customers that they need to activate a new account
- Deleting the old WordPress site the same week, before checking that every redirect works
Keep the old site on a temporary subdomain or a backup for at least a month. If a product description or an old order is missing, you can still look it up. Once the first month passes without surprises, you can cancel the old hosting with peace of mind.
How long does it take?
A small store with under 100 products usually takes about one to two weeks, including testing. Bigger stores with custom features take longer, mostly because of the apps and theme work, not the data import.
Need the move done for you? Hire a Shopify developer for the migration, theme and redirects.
Frequently asked questions
Can I migrate from WooCommerce to Shopify without losing SEO?
Yes, if you create 301 redirects from every old URL to the new Shopify URL, keep your SEO titles and descriptions, and watch Search Console for 404 errors after launch.
Will my customers need new passwords after moving to Shopify?
Yes. Customer passwords cannot be moved. Shopify lets you send account invites so customers can set a new password.
Can I move my WooCommerce orders to Shopify?
Yes, with a migration app. CSV product import alone does not bring old orders, so use an app if you need order history.
How much does a WooCommerce to Shopify migration cost?
It depends on products, apps and theme work. A small store is usually a few hundred dollars plus app and Shopify plan fees. Ask for a fixed quote after sharing your store.
Planning a WooCommerce to Shopify migration? Send me your store link and I will tell you what will move, what needs rebuilding and a fixed price. You can also see my services and recent projects.
