Moderate 2-4 days 12 steps

Shopify to Webflow Migration Guide

Shopify

Webflow

Migrating from Shopify to Webflow unlocks superior design flexibility and visual development capabilities for your ecommerce store. This guide covers the complete migration process, from exporting product data to rebuilding your custom storefront without coding limitations.

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Shopify to Webflow Migration Preparation

Essential steps to prepare for migrating your ecommerce store from Shopify to Webflow, focusing on design flexibility and visual development capabilities.

Export Your Shopify Store Data

Use Shopify's built-in CSV export feature to download your products, customers, and order history from your admin dashboard. Ensure you export all product variants, keeping in mind Shopify's 100 variant limit per product, and organize the CSV files for easier import into Webflow.

Choose Your Webflow Plan and Set Up Account

Select the appropriate Webflow plan based on your ecommerce needs - Standard ($29/mo) for basic stores, Plus ($74/mo) for growing businesses, or Advanced ($212/mo) for high-volume operations. Create your Webflow account and familiarize yourself with the Designer interface and CMS structure.

Design Your New Store Structure

Leverage Webflow's design flexibility to create your new store layout using the visual website builder. Plan your product categories, collection pages, and checkout flow, taking advantage of Webflow's superior design capabilities that motivated your migration.

Set Up Webflow CMS Collections

Create CMS collections in Webflow for your products, categories, and other dynamic content before importing data. Configure the collection fields to match your Shopify product structure, including pricing, inventory, descriptions, and product images.

Configure Payment and Shipping Settings

Set up your payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal) and configure shipping zones and rates in Webflow Ecommerce. Review and adjust tax settings to match your previous Shopify configuration and ensure compliance with your business requirements.

Plan Your Domain and SEO Migration

Prepare your domain transfer strategy and document your current Shopify URLs for proper 301 redirects. Export your Shopify SEO settings and meta descriptions to maintain search rankings during the transition to Webflow.

Complete Shopify to Webflow Migration Guide

A comprehensive 12-step process to migrate your e-commerce store from Shopify to Webflow, focusing on design flexibility and visual development capabilities while preserving your data and customer experience.

Export Data from Shopify

2-3 hours

Access your Shopify admin panel and navigate to Settings > Data export to download CSV files for products, customers, and orders. Export your products with all variants, images, and metadata included. Also download your customer list with order history and create a backup of your current theme files through the theme editor.

Tips:

• Export data during low-traffic hours to avoid interruptions
• Download high-resolution product images separately from the Files section
• Create multiple export batches if you have over 1000 products

Important:

• Shopify's built-in export has a 100 variant limit per product
• Customer passwords cannot be exported and will need to be reset

Set Up Webflow Account and E-commerce Plan

1 hour

Create your Webflow account and upgrade to an E-commerce plan that supports your product volume and traffic needs. Purchase a custom domain or prepare to transfer your existing domain. Set up your workspace and invite team members who will be involved in the design and development process.

Tips:

• Choose the E-commerce plan based on your monthly order volume
• Consider the CMS plan limits for your product catalog size
• Set up staging and production environments

Important:

• E-commerce features are only available on paid plans
• Domain transfer can take 5-7 days to complete

Design and Build Your Webflow Site Structure

2-4 weeks

Create your site structure using Webflow's visual designer, focusing on the enhanced design flexibility that motivated your migration. Build your homepage, product pages, collection pages, and essential e-commerce pages like cart and checkout. Set up your CMS collections for products, categories, and blog posts if needed.

Tips:

• Start with Webflow's e-commerce template and customize from there
• Use Webflow's responsive design tools to ensure mobile optimization
• Create reusable symbols for consistent design elements

Important:

• Don't publish the site live until migration is complete
• Test all interactive elements thoroughly in preview mode

Configure Product Collections and Fields

1-2 days

Set up your product collection structure in Webflow's CMS with custom fields that match your Shopify product data. Create fields for SKU, price, inventory, product variants, descriptions, and any custom product attributes you were using in Shopify. Configure your product categories and tags to maintain your existing organization structure.

Tips:

• Map out all your Shopify product fields before creating Webflow collections
• Use Webflow's multi-reference fields for product categories and tags
• Set up variant fields to handle your product options

Important:

• Plan your collection structure carefully as changes later can be complex
• Webflow has different field types than Shopify - ensure compatibility

Import Products and Inventory

2-3 days

Transform your Shopify product CSV data to match Webflow's import format and upload your products to the CMS. Since Webflow supports unlimited variants, you can now include all product variations that may have been limited in Shopify. Upload product images and ensure all SKUs, prices, and inventory levels are accurately transferred.

Tips:

• Use Webflow's CSV import template to format your data correctly
• Import products in batches of 100-200 for better control
• Verify image URLs are accessible and properly formatted

Important:

• Double-check pricing and inventory accuracy before import
• Product URLs will change - plan for redirects in later steps

Set Up Payment Processing

2-3 hours

Configure payment gateways in Webflow E-commerce settings, which supports Stripe and PayPal by default. Set up your Stripe account if you don't have one, and configure payment methods, currencies, and tax settings. Test payment processing in Webflow's test mode to ensure everything functions correctly.

Tips:

• Keep your existing payment processor if possible for consistency
• Enable multiple payment methods to reduce cart abandonment
• Configure automatic tax calculation if available in your region

Important:

• Payment gateway fees may differ from your Shopify setup
• Some third-party payment processors may not be available

Configure Shipping and Tax Settings

3-4 hours

Set up your shipping zones, rates, and methods in Webflow to match your current Shopify configuration. Configure tax settings for your applicable regions and ensure compliance with local tax requirements. Set up any shipping calculators or free shipping thresholds that were active on your Shopify store.

Tips:

• Export your current Shopify shipping settings for reference
• Test shipping calculations with various cart combinations
• Set up shipping confirmation emails and tracking

Important:

• Webflow's shipping options may be more limited than Shopify apps
• Verify tax calculation accuracy for your primary markets

Import Customer Data

1-2 days

Import your customer database from Shopify into Webflow, including contact information, order history, and customer segments. Since customer passwords cannot be migrated, prepare a communication strategy to help customers reset their passwords. Set up customer accounts and ensure order history is properly linked.

Tips:

• Send advance notice to customers about the migration and password reset
• Import customer data close to launch to minimize data gaps
• Test the customer login and account creation process

Important:

• All customers will need to reset passwords after migration
• Some customer data fields may not transfer directly

Migrate Content and SEO Elements

2-3 days

Transfer your blog posts, pages, and other content from Shopify to Webflow's CMS. Migrate your SEO settings including meta titles, descriptions, and structured data. Set up Webflow's built-in SEO tools and ensure all content maintains its search engine optimization value.

Tips:

• Use Webflow's SEO panel to optimize each page
• Maintain the same URL structure where possible
• Set up Google Analytics and other tracking codes

Important:

• Some Shopify SEO apps may not have Webflow equivalents
• Content formatting may need manual adjustment

Set Up URL Redirects

1-2 days

Create 301 redirects from your old Shopify URLs to your new Webflow URLs to preserve SEO value and ensure customers can find your products. Map all product pages, collection pages, and content pages. Use Webflow's redirect settings or implement server-level redirects if needed for complex URL structures.

Tips:

• Create a comprehensive URL mapping spreadsheet
• Test redirects with tools like Screaming Frog
• Prioritize redirects for your highest-traffic pages

Important:

• Missing redirects can significantly impact SEO rankings
• Some complex Shopify URL structures may be difficult to replicate

Comprehensive Testing Phase

1 week

Conduct thorough testing of your entire Webflow site including product browsing, cart functionality, checkout process, payment processing, and order fulfillment. Test on multiple devices and browsers to ensure consistent performance. Verify that all integrations, forms, and automated emails are working correctly.

Tips:

• Create a testing checklist covering all e-commerce functions
• Test with real payment amounts in sandbox mode
• Have team members and trusted customers test the user experience

Important:

• Don't rush the testing phase - e-commerce issues can be costly
• Test during different times of day to check performance

Launch and Monitor

3-5 days

Switch your domain DNS to point to Webflow and officially launch your new site. Monitor the site closely for the first 48-72 hours, checking for any issues with orders, payments, or customer access. Set up monitoring tools and be prepared to quickly address any problems that arise during the initial launch period.

Tips:

• Launch during a low-traffic period if possible
• Have your team available for immediate issue resolution
• Monitor Google Search Console for crawl errors

Important:

• DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate globally
• Keep your Shopify store accessible as backup for the first week

What will be migrated

products

Products, descriptions, SKUs, prices, images. Variants: Shopify supports 100 vs Webflow's Unlimited.

customers

Customer contact info, addresses, marketing preferences transfer. Passwords must be reset for security.

orders

Order history for reference. Consider importing last 3-6 months for customer service.

Common challenges and solutions

Key questions and expert answers for businesses migrating from Shopify to Webflow, covering technical considerations, feature differences, and migration best practices.

How long does it typically take to migrate from Shopify to Webflow?

A complete migration usually takes 4-8 weeks depending on store complexity and custom design requirements. This includes time for designing in Webflow's visual editor, setting up the CMS, migrating product data via CSV export, and thorough testing before launch.

Will migrating from Shopify to Webflow hurt my SEO rankings?

SEO impact can be minimized with proper planning, including setting up 301 redirects for all product and page URLs. Webflow offers good SEO capabilities, but you'll need to manually recreate meta descriptions, alt tags, and URL structures since these don't transfer automatically from Shopify's CSV export.

Can I transfer my order history and customer data from Shopify to Webflow?

You can export customer data via Shopify's built-in CSV export, but Webflow has limited native customer account features compared to Shopify. Order history typically cannot be fully transferred, so you may need to keep your Shopify account accessible for historical order references.

What Shopify apps will I lose when moving to Webflow, and are there alternatives?

Webflow has significantly fewer third-party integrations than Shopify's app ecosystem. You'll likely lose specialized apps for inventory management, advanced analytics, and marketing automation. Consider tools like Zapier for connecting external services or evaluate if Webflow's native CMS features meet your needs.

How do Webflow's ecommerce features compare to Shopify's?

Webflow offers basic ecommerce functionality but lacks Shopify's advanced features like abandoned cart recovery, extensive payment gateways, and multi-channel selling. However, Webflow excels in design flexibility and CMS capabilities, making it ideal for businesses prioritizing custom design over complex ecommerce features.

How much downtime should I expect during the migration?

With proper planning, you can achieve zero downtime by building your Webflow site completely before switching DNS. The actual DNS propagation takes 24-48 hours, during which some users might see the old site while others see the new one.

Do I need coding skills to migrate from Shopify to Webflow?

While Webflow is a no-code platform, migrating from Shopify requires understanding of web concepts like DNS, redirects, and data structure. You'll need to manually rebuild your design using Webflow's visual editor and set up the CMS for your products, which requires some technical knowledge.

Can I recreate my current Shopify theme design in Webflow?

Yes, Webflow's design flexibility often allows for more accurate recreations than Shopify themes permit. You'll need to rebuild the design from scratch using Webflow's visual editor, but you'll have complete control over styling, animations, and responsive behavior without theme limitations.

How will customer passwords and accounts transfer to Webflow?

Customer passwords cannot be transferred due to security encryption, so customers will need to create new accounts or use password reset functionality. Webflow's customer account features are also more limited than Shopify's, with basic order tracking and profile management.

Can I continue selling on Shopify while building my Webflow site?

Yes, you should continue operating your Shopify store normally during the migration process. Build and test your complete Webflow site before switching over, ensuring no disruption to sales or customer experience during the transition.

How do the costs compare between Shopify and Webflow for ecommerce?

Webflow's pricing is generally lower (Standard $29/mo vs Shopify Basic $39/mo), but consider additional costs for third-party integrations to replace Shopify's native features. You'll save on transaction fees with Webflow, but may need external tools for advanced ecommerce functionality.

Will my product reviews and ratings transfer from Shopify to Webflow?

Product reviews don't transfer automatically and aren't included in Shopify's standard CSV export. You'll need to manually export reviews if using a third-party review app, then implement a new review system in Webflow, potentially losing review history and SEO value from existing reviews.