22 min read•Checklist

Magento to Shopify Migration Checklist

Migrating from Magento to Shopify is a significant undertaking. Use this 101-point checklist to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

101 items12 sections

Why Migrate from Magento?

Migrating from Magento to Shopify represents a fundamental shift from self-hosted, highly customisable architecture to a managed, streamlined approach. Done well, this transition reduces technical overhead, improves site performance, and frees your team to focus on growth rather than infrastructure.

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Pre-Migration Audit

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Document current Magento version

List all installed extensions

Map custom module functionality

Audit current database size

Count products, variants, and categories

Count customers and orders to migrate

Document custom attributes

Identify custom integrations (ERP, PIM, etc.)

Review current hosting and performance

Plan Your Shopify Store

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Choose Shopify plan (Basic, Shopify, Advanced, Plus)

Assess Plus needs for complex requirements

Plan theme selection or custom build

Map Magento features to Shopify equivalents

Identify Shopify apps to replace extensions

Plan product structure and organisation

Design collection/category mapping

Plan customer segmentation approach

Data Migration Planning

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Choose migration tool (LitExtension, Cart2Cart, custom)

Map product data fields

Plan variant structure conversion

Map customer data fields

Plan order history migration

Decide on review migration approach

Plan CMS page migration

Document custom product attributes

Product Data Migration

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Export products from Magento

Clean and validate product data

Map product types (simple, configurable, bundle)

Convert configurable products to variants

Migrate product images

Migrate product SEO data

Set up collections to replace categories

Migrate inventory levels

Verify product data accuracy

Customer & Order Migration

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Export customer data from Magento

Migrate customer account information

Send password reset emails post-migration

Migrate customer addresses

Export order history

Migrate orders with line items

Preserve order numbers if possible

Verify customer data integrity

Theme & Design

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Choose Shopify theme or custom build

Rebuild or adapt existing design

Convert Magento templates to Liquid

Recreate custom layouts

Migrate static blocks to sections

Rebuild mega menu navigation

Convert CMS pages to Shopify pages

Ensure mobile responsiveness

Extension to App Replacement

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Map each Magento extension to Shopify app

Find alternatives for custom modules

Set up email marketing (Klaviyo, etc.)

Configure reviews app (Yotpo, Judge.me)

Set up search/filter app if needed

Configure loyalty/rewards programme

Set up subscription functionality

Configure advanced shipping if needed

SEO Preservation

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Integrations & Third Parties

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Testing & QA

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Go-Live Preparation

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Choose migration date (avoid peak periods)

Plan DNS change process

Prepare team communication

Create customer announcement plan

Set up monitoring and alerts

Prepare rollback plan if needed

Brief customer service on changes

Document new admin workflows

Post-Migration

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Why Magento Migration Planning Matters

Magento to Shopify migrations are among the most complex platform transitions in ecommerce. Magento's architecture allows for deep customisation that may not have direct Shopify equivalents. Extensions, custom modules, database customisations, and integrations all require careful analysis before migration.

Migration Complexity by Store Type

4-6 weeks

Standard store, <5,000 products

6-8 weeks

Complex store, custom functionality

8-10 weeks

Enterprise, multiple integrations

10-12+ weeks

Magento Commerce to Shopify Plus

Product Data Challenges

Magento and Shopify handle products differently:

•Magento allows unlimited product options; Shopify limits to 3 options with 100 variants
•Configurable products become variant products requiring restructuring
•Custom attributes need mapping to Shopify metafields
•Bundle products may require app-based solutions

Key Migration Considerations

Extension Replacement

Many Magento extensions solve problems Shopify handles natively. Audit what you actually use versus what you installed years ago.

Integration Rebuilding

ERP, PIM, warehouse management, and other enterprise integrations need rebuilding for Shopify's architecture. Begin planning early.

URL Structure Changes

Magento and Shopify use fundamentally different URL structures. Comprehensive 301 redirects are mandatory for SEO preservation.

Do You Need Shopify Plus?

Stores migrating from Magento Commerce often require Plus for checkout customisation, Scripts, Flow automation, and B2B features.

Common Magento to Shopify App Replacements

•Amasty/Mirasvit Extensions: Various Shopify apps depending on functionality
•Elastic Suite/Algolia: Searchanise, Algolia for Shopify, or native search
•Subscriptions: Recharge, Bold Subscriptions, or Shopify native (Plus)
•Reviews: Yotpo, Judge.me, Loox, or Stamped
•Layered Navigation: Boost Product Filter, Smart Product Filter

Related Checklists

Prepare your new Shopify store for success:

Shopify Plus Migration →

Enterprise-specific migration considerations

SEO Checklist →

Optimise your new store post-migration

Launch Checklist →

Final checks before going live

WooCommerce Migration →

Alternative migration from WooCommerce

Frequently Asked Questions

Magento to Shopify migrations typically take 4-12 weeks depending on complexity. Smaller Magento stores with standard functionality can migrate in 4-6 weeks. Large catalogues (10,000+ products), complex customisations, multiple integrations, or requirements for Shopify Plus extend timelines to 8-12 weeks. Plan for thorough testing regardless of size, as Magento and Shopify have fundamental architectural differences.

Yes, but the structure changes. Magento's configurable products become Shopify products with variants. Magento allows virtually unlimited options per configurable product; Shopify limits products to 3 options with 100 variant combinations. For products exceeding these limits, you may need to restructure as separate products, use variant extension apps, or implement custom solutions. Audit your configurables before migration to identify any requiring restructuring.

Many Magento stores, particularly those on Magento Commerce (formerly Enterprise), benefit from Shopify Plus. Consider Plus if you need checkout customisation, Shopify Scripts for complex promotions, B2B functionality, multiple expansion stores, or advanced automation via Shopify Flow. Stores doing over 500k GBP monthly or with complex requirements typically find Plus features essential. Standard Shopify plans suffice for simpler stores.

First, assess whether the functionality is still needed. Many Magento extensions solve problems that Shopify handles natively. For genuinely unique requirements, explore the Shopify App Store for alternatives, consider custom app development, or evaluate whether Shopify Plus features (Scripts, Flow, Functions) can achieve the same outcome. Some functionality may not translate directly; be prepared to adapt workflows rather than replicate them exactly.

With proper planning, SEO can be preserved. Create comprehensive 301 redirects from every Magento URL to its Shopify equivalent. Migrate all meta titles, descriptions, and heading structures. Note that Magento and Shopify use different URL structures by default, making redirects essential. Submit your new sitemap to Google Search Console immediately post-migration. Expect some temporary ranking fluctuation, but properly redirected sites typically recover within 2-6 weeks.

Migrating customer data is generally recommended for maintaining relationships and enabling features like customer accounts. For order history, consider how far back is useful. Many stores migrate 2-3 years of orders for customer service reference. Migrating all historical orders from a 10-year-old Magento installation adds complexity without clear benefit. Orders imported to Shopify are marked as such and cannot be edited like native orders.

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