Adobe Commerce to Big Cartel Migration Guide

Access Adobe Commerce Admin Panel and export your product catalog, customer data, and order history using the built-in export tools. Navigate to System > Data Transfer > Export to generate CSV files for products, customers, and orders. Use the API endpoints to extract additional data like product images, categories, and custom attributes that may not be included in standard exports.

Review your exported product data and consolidate variants to fit Big Cartel's 50 variant limit per product. Identify which products are essential for your artist business and prioritize them for migration. Group similar products and reduce complex variant combinations (size, color, material) to simpler options that align with Big Cartel's limitations.

Sign up for Big Cartel at bigcartel.com and choose the appropriate plan based on your simplified product count. The free plan supports up to 5 products, while paid plans range from $9.99/month (25 products) to $19.99/month (300 products). Review the plan features to ensure they meet your basic e-commerce needs as an artist or maker.

Browse Big Cartel's theme gallery and select a theme that showcases your artistic products effectively. Most themes are free, with some premium options available for $50-100. Customize your chosen theme by uploading your logo, adjusting colors to match your brand, and configuring the layout to highlight your best work.

Big Cartel doesn't support automated CSV imports, so you'll need to manually add each product through the admin interface. Create products one by one, uploading high-quality images, writing compelling descriptions, and setting up your simplified variant structure. Focus on SEO-friendly product titles and detailed descriptions that appeal to your artistic audience.

Set up payment processing through Big Cartel's integrated options including Stripe, PayPal, and Square. Big Cartel doesn't charge additional transaction fees beyond what the payment processors charge. Configure your preferred payment methods and test the checkout process to ensure smooth transactions for your art customers.

Configure shipping rates and methods suitable for your art products, considering factors like fragile items, size variations, and international shipping. Big Cartel offers flat rate shipping, calculated shipping, and free shipping options. Set up different shipping zones and rates based on your typical customer locations and product dimensions.

Set up tax collection based on your business location and where you're required to collect sales tax. Big Cartel provides basic tax configuration options including state-based tax rates and the ability to include or exclude tax in product prices. Configure tax settings for your primary sales regions and ensure compliance with local tax requirements.

Manually recreate important pages like About, Artist Statement, Shipping & Returns, and Contact information in Big Cartel's page editor. Focus on content that tells your artistic story and builds trust with potential customers. Optimize content for Big Cartel's simpler page structure while maintaining your brand voice and essential business information.

Big Cartel doesn't support customer account imports, so existing customers will need to create new accounts when they make their next purchase. Prepare a communication strategy to inform your existing customers about the platform change and any new account requirements. Consider offering a discount code to encourage customers to make their first purchase on the new platform.

Configure your custom domain to point to your Big Cartel store (requires Gold plan or higher) or use the provided bigcartel.com subdomain. If using a custom domain, update DNS settings and set up basic redirects from your old Adobe Commerce URLs to corresponding Big Cartel pages. Focus on redirecting your most important product and category pages.