Shopify to WooCommerce Migration Guide

Access your Shopify admin dashboard and navigate to Settings > Export to download CSV files for products, customers, and orders. Shopify's built-in export tool provides separate files for each data type, which will serve as the foundation for your WooCommerce import. Download product images separately by using the bulk image export feature or third-party tools like Transporter. Ensure you have admin access and note any custom fields or metafields that may require special handling.

Choose a WordPress-compatible hosting provider that supports WooCommerce requirements (PHP 7.4+, MySQL 5.6+, and adequate memory limits). Install WordPress through your hosting control panel or manually, then add the WooCommerce plugin from the WordPress repository. Run through WooCommerce's setup wizard to configure basic store settings including currency, location, and initial payment methods. Ensure your hosting environment meets WooCommerce's recommended specifications for optimal performance.

Browse WooCommerce-compatible themes that match your brand aesthetic and functional requirements, considering mobile responsiveness and page load speeds. Install your chosen theme and begin customization using WordPress Customizer or theme-specific options panels. Configure essential pages like shop, cart, checkout, and account pages that WooCommerce automatically creates. Test theme functionality with sample products to ensure all features work correctly before importing real data.

Use WooCommerce's built-in CSV importer (Tools > Import > WooCommerce products) to upload your Shopify product export file. Map Shopify fields to corresponding WooCommerce fields, paying special attention to product variants, SKUs, and inventory levels. Handle product images by either uploading them to WordPress media library first or using direct URLs if still accessible from Shopify. Since WooCommerce supports unlimited variants compared to Shopify's 100-variant limit, you can expand product options if needed.

Import customer information using WooCommerce's customer import tool or third-party plugins like WP All Import, ensuring compliance with GDPR and privacy regulations. Map Shopify customer fields to WooCommerce user fields, including billing addresses, shipping addresses, and order history where legally permissible. Create customer accounts with temporary passwords and plan to send password reset emails for account activation. Consider whether to import all customers or only those with recent purchase activity.

Set up payment processing by installing and configuring WooCommerce payment gateway plugins for your preferred processors (Stripe, PayPal, Square, etc.). Transfer payment gateway credentials from your Shopify setup, ensuring test mode is enabled initially for verification. Configure payment methods, currencies, and any specific settings like saved payment methods or subscription billing if applicable. Test each payment method thoroughly with small transactions before going live.

Configure WooCommerce shipping zones to match your current Shopify shipping setup, including domestic and international shipping options. Set up shipping methods such as flat rate, free shipping thresholds, calculated shipping, or integration with carriers like UPS, FedEx, or USPS through dedicated plugins. Import or recreate shipping classes and rates, ensuring they align with your business model and customer expectations. Test shipping calculations across different product combinations and destinations.

Set up WooCommerce tax settings to match your Shopify tax configuration, including tax rates for different jurisdictions and product types. Configure tax classes for different product categories and enable automatic tax calculation for applicable regions. For US merchants, consider integrating with services like TaxJar or Avalara for automated sales tax compliance. Ensure tax-inclusive or tax-exclusive pricing matches your previous Shopify setup to avoid customer confusion.

Recreate important store pages like About Us, Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, and FAQ pages using WordPress's page editor. Transfer blog content from Shopify if applicable, maintaining SEO-friendly URLs where possible. Set up essential WooCommerce pages including My Account, Cart, Checkout, and Shop pages, customizing them to match your brand and user experience expectations. Configure WordPress menus to include all necessary navigation elements for optimal user experience.

Create a comprehensive redirect strategy to preserve SEO rankings and ensure customers can find products at their new URLs. Use plugins like Redirection or Yoast SEO Premium to set up 301 redirects from old Shopify URLs to corresponding WooCommerce pages. Map product URLs, category pages, and important content pages, paying special attention to high-traffic and high-converting pages. Monitor for 404 errors and implement catch-all redirects for common URL patterns.

Install crucial WooCommerce extensions and WordPress plugins to replicate Shopify app functionality and enhance store performance. Add plugins for SEO (Yoast or RankMath), security (Wordfence), backup (UpdraftPlus), and performance optimization (caching plugins). Set up integrations with email marketing platforms, analytics tools, and any third-party services you were using with Shopify. Configure plugin settings and ensure all integrations are working correctly with test data.