Shopify Data Migration: What to Transfer (Products, Customers, Orders & SEO)

Shopify data migration is the process of shifting your store’s core data—products, customers, orders, and SEO—from your existing platform to Shopify, making sure nothing breaks, goes missing, or loses its structure along the way.

What is Shopify Data Migration?

Shopify data migration is simply moving your store’s core data—products, customers, orders, reviews, and SEO—from your current platform into Shopify, without breaking how everything works.

The difficulty comes from how differently platforms organize data.

Product variants, customer records, order details, and URLs are all structured differently across platforms. Because of this, the data has to be adjusted to fit Shopify’s system.

If this step is not handled correctly, issues can show up after the move:

• Products may not display as expected
• Customer records can be missing or duplicated
• Order history may be incomplete
• SEO performance can drop

Migration is not limited to transferring data.

You also need to verify that everything works properly inside Shopify:

• Products display correctly with all variants and images
• Customer accounts are complete and linked to their orders
• URLs, metadata, and redirects are in place

The objective is to keep the store running as expected, without affecting users or search visibility.

The 4 Core Types of Data in Shopify Data Migration

Shopify data migration isn’t one single transfer.

You’re dealing with different types of data, and each behaves differently during the move. Some are straightforward. Others can break things if not handled carefully.

These are the four areas that matter most:

1. Product Data

This is everything related to what you sell and how it appears in your store.

It includes:

• Product titles and descriptions
• Variants (size, color, etc.)
• Pricing and SKUs
• Images and media
• Collections and tags

Example of Product Data

This is what customers interact with first.

If variants are off, options won’t match. If images are missing or not linked properly, product pages feel incomplete. Small gaps here are immediately visible.

Product data also affects:

• Navigation and collections
• Search and filtering
• The overall product page experience

2. Customer Data

This is your existing customer base and how it carries over.

It usually includes:

• Names and email addresses
• Shipping and billing details
• Customer tags or groups
• Linked order history

Example of Customer Data

This is what keeps returning customers connected to your store.

One thing to be aware of:

Customer passwords don’t transfer. Customers will need to reset them after migration.

Unclean customer data often results in duplicate profiles, missing details, or incomplete order history.

3. Order Data

This is your store’s past transactions.

It includes:

• Previous orders
• Order status
• Payment and fulfillment details
• Customer-order relationships

Example of Order Data

Most of this data is used behind the scenes—for reporting, support, and records.

Migrated orders may not function like new Shopify orders, but the data still needs to be correct. Missing or incorrect data can cause confusion when looking at reports or handling customer queries.

4. SEO Data

This is what affects how your store shows up in search.

It includes:

• URLs
• Redirects
• Meta titles
• Meta descriptions
• Image alt text
• Structured data

Example of SEO Data

This is where mistakes are the most noticeable in traffic.

When URLs change and redirects aren’t set up correctly, or metadata is missing, rankings can decline. This is a common reason for SEO loss during migration.

Note:

Each of these data types should be handled and checked separately. Trying to move everything in one go usually leads to missed details and post-launch issues.

Shopify Data Migration Overview

Not all types of data carry the same level of complexity or risk during a Shopify migration. Some are straightforward to move, while others can directly impact store functionality and search visibility if handled incorrectly.

Shopify Data Migration Overview
Type of Data	What It Includes	Migration Complexity	Risk Level	Impact if Errors Occur
Product Data	Titles, descriptions, variants, SKUs, images, collections	Medium	High	Broken product pages, incorrect variants, poor user experience
Customer Data	Names, emails, addresses, tags, order linkage	Low–Medium	Medium	Login issues, duplicate accounts, and missing order history
Order Data	Order history, status, transactions, fulfillment details	High	High	Inaccurate reporting, support issues, and incomplete records
SEO Data	URLs, redirects, metadata, alt text, structured data	High	Very High	Ranking loss, traffic drop, broken links

What this means in practice

Each type of data behaves differently during migration:

• Product and SEO data directly affect what users see and how they find your store
• Customer and order data affect operations, reporting, and user continuity

Because of this, the migration process is followed in stages, with each type of data validated separately rather than imported as a single batch.

What Data Does NOT Get Migrated to Shopify Automatically?

Not everything comes over during a Shopify migration.

Some parts simply don’t transfer. They have to be set up again inside Shopify.

Key Elements That Do Not Transfer to Shopify Automatically
Area	What Doesn’t Transfer	What It Means
Customer Accounts	Passwords (encrypted)	Customers will need to reset their passwords after the migration
Apps & Integrations	Reviews, subscriptions, loyalty data	This data doesn’t transfer automatically and needs to be set up again using Shopify apps
Custom Features	Custom checkout logic, pricing rules	These need to be rebuilt using Shopify apps or custom development
Design & Layout	Theme structure, templates, styling	The design won’t carry over and must be recreated in Shopify
URL Structure	Old platform URLs (different format)	You’ll need to map URLs and set up 301 redirects
Store Settings	Shipping, taxes, payment setup	These need to be configured again before launch

Where Most Migration Issues Start

This is where things usually go wrong.

These items are often expected to transfer—but they don’t.

What typically happens:

• Data is moved correctly
• But these pieces are missed

That’s when problems show up after launch.

In most cases, it’s not the data that causes issues. It’s everything around it.

Use the Shopify Migration Checklist to make sure nothing is missed.

Common Shopify Data Migration Mistakes and Their Impact

Shopify isn’t what causes issues during a migration. Problems usually come from how the data is handled.

These are the mistakes that tend to show up after launch—when things don’t work as expected, reports don’t add up, or traffic drops.

Common Shopify Data Migration Mistakes
Mistake	What Happens
Missing redirects	Old URLs aren’t mapped to new ones. This results in broken links and a drop in search visibility and traffic.
No data cleanup	Duplicate products, messy formats, missing fields. This starts affecting filters, search, and backend use
Incorrect field mapping	Data doesn’t line up properly—variants, customers, or orders don’t connect the way they should
Ignoring product variants	Options show wrong, pricing doesn’t match, and inventory tracking gets messy
No post-migration validation	Missing products or incorrect data go unnoticed until customers start reporting issues
Overlooking SEO data	Metadata is lost, URLs change, and rankings drop over time
Skipping end-to-end testing	Checkout, login, or key flows break after the store is already live

Missing these steps is where most migrations start to fall apart. This is exactly what a proper Shopify migration checklist is meant to catch.

When these mistakes usually happen

These issues don’t just happen randomly.

They usually come up when:

• Data is pushed in without being checked
• Differences between platforms are ignored
• SEO is left for later instead of being handled during the move

What to focus on during Shopify data migration

Avoiding these issues isn’t complicated—but it does require attention.

Focus on:

• Treat each data type individually
• Go through product, customer, and order data after import
• Walk through the main user flows before going live
•  Include SEO as part of the migration process

Tools Used for Shopify Data Migration

There isn’t one fixed setup for migrations.

It depends on the store—how much data there is, how clean it is, and how much custom work exists.

In most cases, it’s not just one tool. You end up using a combination—CSV files, APIs, and a few tools depending on the situation.

Common Shopify Migration Tools
Tool	Best For	Key Use Case
Matrixify	Larger or more complex datasets	Handles bulk data like products, customers, orders, and redirects, with control over how everything is structured
LitExtension	Straightforward automated migrations	Used to move structured data from platforms like WooCommerce or Magento
Cart2Cart	Quick, standard migrations	Works for simpler setups where you need to move data without much customization
MigrationPro: Store Migration	Cases where support is needed	Used when you want help managing the process instead of handling everything yourself

How Automation Works in Migration

Tools like LitExtension or Cart2Cart can move structured data.

Products, customers, orders—these usually go through without much issue.

But that’s only part of the work.

Areas that still require manual handling include:

• SEO validation (redirect accuracy, metadata checks)
• Data cleanup and normalization
• Custom features and app-specific data
• Store configuration and testing

This is where most gaps happen.

Matrixify usually comes in when you need to adjust things—fix data, remap fields, or re-import in a controlled way.

How Data Migration Impacts Store Performance

Migration doesn’t end at setup. Most of the impact shows up after the store goes live.

A few small gaps in data can affect how the store performs—traffic, usability, even day-to-day operations.

1. Search Visibility and Traffic

This is usually the first place issues show up.

If redirects are missing or URLs change without being mapped properly, or there is a loss of metadata:

• Rankings drop
• Traffic declines
• Existing backlinks stop contributing value

2. User Experience

This comes down to how the store actually feels to use.

When data isn’t aligned properly, it shows:

• Product images not loading or mismatched
• Variants not reflecting the correct options
• Navigation behaves differently than expected

None of this is complex, but it’s noticeable.

3. Conversion Rates

Traffic alone doesn’t mean much if the store doesn’t convert.

Common issues after migration:

• Incorrect pricing or variant combinations
• Checkout is not completing properly
• Returning customers are unable to access their accounts

These don’t always break the store—but they slow it down.

4. Reporting and Decision-Making

After moving to Shopify, reporting works differently.

Orders fall into two buckets:

• Imported orders (pre-migration)
• Shopify orders (post-migration)

Imported orders don’t drive Shopify reports. They’re mainly there for record-keeping.

As a result:

• Reports show post-migration performance
• Older data is still accessible
• Long-term trends require looking at both

Advanced reporting often involves exports or third-party tools.

5. Customer Accounts and Order History

Customer accounts are usually recreated during migration, not fully moved.

Because of that:

• Previous orders don’t show in the account view
• Order history remains available internally

If order visibility is required, it has to be set up.

This can be done through:

• Proper data mapping
• Customer portal tools
• Custom implementations

6. Operational Efficiency

This is less visible—but it shows up internally.

If setup isn’t complete:

• Shipping rules don’t behave correctly
• Payment setup causes friction
• Inventory tracking becomes inconsistent

Nothing major on its own. But it adds up.

Shopify Data Migration FAQs

1. What data can be migrated to Shopify?

Products, customers, orders, and basic SEO data (like URLs and metadata) can be moved over.

Not everything comes with it, though. Customer account passwords, app data (reviews, subscriptions), and custom features need to be handled separately.

2. Is it possible to migrate customer passwords to Shopify?

No. Customer account passwords can’t be transferred to Shopify.

Shopify doesn’t use the same encryption as other platforms. Customers will need to reset their passwords once the store is live.

It’s better to plan this ahead and inform users early—otherwise it turns into support tickets.

3. Is it necessary to migrate the order history?

Not required for the store to function, but still important. Order history helps with support, reporting, and general context. Most stores bring it over for that reason.

4. Will I lose SEO when migrating to Shopify?

You can, if things aren’t set up properly.

The usual problems are missed redirects, URL changes without mapping, or metadata not being carried over. That’s where most SEO loss during migration comes from. See here- how to protect SEO when migrating to Shopify.

5. How long does Shopify data migration take?

It depends on the store.

Smaller setups can be done in a few days. Larger ones, especially with custom work, can take a few weeks.

Moving the data is the easy part. Checking and fixing things takes longer.

6. What tools are used for Shopify data migration?

Common tools include Matrixify, LitExtension, and Cart2Cart. They help move data, but checking accuracy still has to be done manually.

7. What is the biggest risk during Shopify data migration?

The biggest risk isn’t usually the migration itself.  It usually comes down to minor misses—redirects not in place, mapping errors, or no validation after import.

That’s what creates broken pages, traffic drops, and data issues over time.

8. Can I migrate my store to Shopify without losing data?

Yes—if it’s handled properly. Most data problems happen when mapping is incomplete, validation is missed, or too much is assumed to carry over.

What This Means for Your Migration

Migration isn’t just about moving data over.

It’s about making sure the store still works the same way after launch.

Most problems don’t come from Shopify. They come from gaps—things that weren’t mapped, checked, or set up.

A successful migration comes down to:

• Knowing what won’t transfer
• Planning for it upfront
• Checking everything before going live

That’s what prevents cleanup later.

Plan Your Shopify Migration the Right Way: Additional Resources

👉 Follow our Shopify Migration Guide (step-by-step process)

👉 Download the Shopify Migration Checklist to ensure nothing is missed