The Ultimate 2026 WooCommerce to Shopify Migration Checklist (For High-Volume Stores)

Phase 1: Preparation & Audit

1.1 The Technical Audit

• [ ] Current URL Crawl: Run Screaming Frog to map every live URL. Save this CSV.
• [ ] Plugin Audit: List all active plugins. Identify which features are native to Shopify and which need Apps.
• [ ] Data Cleanup: Delete spam comments, “Draft” products, and test orders from WooCommerce.
• [ ] Backup: Create a full backup of your WordPress database and wp-content folder.

1.2 The Environment Setup

• [ ] Shopify Store Creation: Set up the Shopify Plus instance.
• [ ] Staff Accounts: Invite developers and stakeholders.

Phase 2: The Data Migration (The Heavy Lift)

2.1 Products & Collections

• [ ] Products: Migrate Title, Description, SKU, Price, Weight, Variants.
• [ ] Images: Transfer all product images and ensure Alt Text is preserved.
• [ ] Collections: Map WooCommerce Categories to Shopify Collections.
• [ ] Review: Verify that “Hidden” products remain hidden.

2.2 Customers & Orders

• [ ] Customers: Migrate Name, Email, Address, Phone, Tags.
• [ ] Orders: Migrate Order History, Payment Status, Fulfillment Status.
• [ ] Activation: (Post-Launch) Send “Account Activation” emails to customers.

2.3 Blogs & Pages

• [ ] Posts: Migrate all blog posts, authors, and dates.
• [ ] Pages: Migrate About, Contact, Terms, Policies.

Phase 3: SEO & Redirect Mapping (Mission Critical)

3.1 The 301 Matrix

• [ ] Map URLs: Create a CSV mapping every Old URL to its New URL.
• [ ] Upload Redirects: Import the CSV to Shopify > Navigation > URL Redirects.
• [ ] Validation: Test a sample of 20 old URLs to ensure they land on the correct new page.

3.2 On-Page SEO

• [ ] Meta Titles: Verify Shopify Title tags match the old Yoast titles.
• [ ] Meta Descriptions: Verify descriptions are transferred.
• [ ] H1 Tags: Ensure every page has exactly one H1.

Phase 4: Design & Functionality

4.1 Theme Development

• [ ] Homepage: Build sections (Hero, Featured Collection, Social Proof).
• [ ] PDP: Build Product Detail Page (Gallery, Buy Button, Description).
• [ ] PLP: Build Collection Page (Filtering, Sorting).
• [ ] Cart/Checkout: Customize Checkout branding (Logo, Colors).

4.2 App Installation

• [ ] Email: Install Klaviyo/Omnisend.
• [ ] Reviews: Install Yotpo/Judge.me and import legacy reviews.
• [ ] Search: Install Search & Discovery app.

Phase 5: Testing (The Sandbox)

5.1 Transaction Testing

• [ ] Test Order: Place a real order using a credit card.
• [ ] Refund: Process a full refund.
• [ ] Fulfillment: Mark order as fulfilled and check email notification.

5.2 Device Testing

• [ ] Mobile: Test checkout flow on iPhone and Android.
• [ ] Tablet: Check layout on iPad.
• [ ] Cross-Browser: Chrome, Safari, Firefox.

Phase 6: Launch Protocol

6.1 The Cutover

• [ ] Freeze Window: Enable “Maintenance Mode” on WooCommerce.
• [ ] Delta Migration: Import only new orders/customers from the last 2 weeks.
• [ ] DNS Update: Update A Record (@) to 23.227.38.65 and CNAME (www) to shops.myshopify.com.
• [ ] SSL: Wait for Shopify SSL to propagate (up to 1 hour).

6.2 Post-Launch

• [ ] Sitemap: Submit sitemap.xml to Google Search Console.
• [ ] Analytics: Verify GA4 is recording real-time traffic.
• [ ] Live Test: Place a live order on the production domain.

[Need Expert Help?]

This checklist is 100+ items long. Missing one step can cost you thousands. If you want a partner to manage this complexity for you, Book a Migration Sprint today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I do this myself?

Technically yes, but for high-volume stores, the risk of data loss or SEO damage is high. We recommend a specialized agency.

How long does the data transfer take?

For 100,000 orders, the API transfer can take 12-24 hours. We run this in the background.

What happens to my email marketing?

You must migrate your segments from your old ESP to Klaviyo (if you are switching) or reconnect your existing ESP.

Sources

• 4 week Migration Sprint
• Shopify Migration Guide
• Google SEO Migration Specs