Shopify migration checklist

Export every indexed URL from Google Search Console over the trailing 12 months. This is the input for the redirect map.

Map every source URL to its Shopify target. Document the disposition (redirect, retire with 410, canonical change) for each.

Map every source-platform field to its Shopify analogue. Identify custom fields needing metafield handling, fields being retired, and fields needing transformation.

For each, decide: replaced by Shopify equivalent, retired entirely, or requires custom re-implementation. Document the decision per app.

The runbook covers the cutover sequence, validation checkpoints, and rollback triggers. Discovery is when this gets drafted; later phases refine it.

Each will surface migration concerns specific to their function. Brands that bring them in at week 1 catch issues that brands bringing them in at week 8 surface as incidents.

Cart2Cart, LitExtension, or Next-Cart. Get three quotes; pick by engagement model fit and reference quality at your brand size.

Matrixify becomes a permanent fixture in the app stack. Install during discovery so the team is fluent by reconciliation time.

Catalog, customers, recent order history via the automated platform. This is the first test of the field mapping.

Custom fields, metafields, B2B price lists via Matrixify. Brands almost always discover field-mapping complexity during this pass that discovery missed.

Pick a cutover date aligned with the lowest-volume billing window. Define the hard "stop charging on source, start charging on target" date.

Stripe, Braintree, or whichever processor handles billing. Loop in the relationship manager two to four weeks before cutover to coordinate token handling.

Map tax zones, exemption certificates, and historical tax data with the finance team. Schedule the post-launch reconciliation pass.

Premium template from Out of the Sandbox, Pixel Union, or similar. Lock the decision in discovery — customisation work scopes against it.

Visual customisation, layout adjustments, brand-specific components. Page builders (Shogun, PageFly) for marketing pages later.

Catch performance regressions before launch. Brands that skip this surface performance issues post-launch that should have been fixed in staging.

Mobile commerce represents the majority of $5M+ DTC traffic. Test every key flow on actual mobile devices, not just dev-tools simulation.

Pick the target subscription app early; subscription migration is its own workstream with specific cutover requirements.

Smile.io, Yotpo Loyalty, or LoyaltyLion. Plan the points balance and tier migration as a workstream parallel to the catalog work.

Loop Returns, Returnly, or AfterShip Returns. Configure return addresses, exchange logic, and refund methods. Test before launch.

Yotpo, Stamped, Junip, or Okendo. Reviews are SEO-relevant; migrating them via Matrixify or vendor-managed migration matters for organic.

Searchanise, Boost AI Search, or Algolia. Catalog-aware setup happens after the seed load completes.

Load the redirect map. Validate every URL against staging before going live. Set up 404 monitoring for post-launch.

Automated daily backups from seed-load completion onward. Standard issue for every migration.

Get the new property verified early so you can monitor URL inspection and validate redirects pre-launch.

Test every redirect in the map against staging before launch. Catches map errors in the controlled environment where they belong.

Meta titles, descriptions, canonical URLs, structured data, sitemaps. Crawl staging with Screaming Frog and compare against source.

Day-zero sitemap submission helps the search engine re-crawl the new structure quickly.

Daily monitoring via Search Console for the full stabilisation window. Each 404 needs disposition.

Explain the password reset, the changed login flow, and any visible site changes. Frame as a security improvement.

Active subscribers need explicit comms about the billing change. Reduce surprise and friction at the next billing cycle.

Loyalty members are the most engaged segment; they deserve advance notice of the changes to their program experience.

Order confirmation, shipping notification, refund confirmation. Match the brand voice; do not let migration-day customers see generic defaults.

For each app-flow change, document the new workflow in the help centre. Surface it from the new app UI for the workflow.

Every team member knows their role, their checkpoints, and the rollback triggers. Done two to three days before cutover.

Last clean snapshot of the source platform state before any changes. Standard recovery requirement.

First step in the billing cutover sequence. Validate the disable before enabling on Shopify.

The visible cutover for customers. Have the DNS changes pre-staged and approved; execute at the agreed time.

First few hours post-cutover are critical. Dedicated monitor for checkout completions, tracking events, and 404 patterns.

3-10x normal ticket volume from password resets and app-flow questions. Capacity should be staffed from cutover day.

Search Console surfaces gaps daily. Each 404 either gets a redirect or is confirmed retired.

Compare two weeks of Shopify revenue and tax data against equivalent source-platform period. Catches discrepancies before month-end close.

Real-time monitoring for authorisation failures, duplicate charges, subscriber cancellations. Resolve issues within hours.

GA4, Triple Whale, and other tools should agree with Shopify within 5%. Larger gaps point to tracking incompleteness.

Tier benefits (free shipping, discount tiers) need to apply correctly on the first post-migration purchases for tier customers.

Recover 20-40% of customers who did not complete the reset initially. Trivial to send, materially valuable.

Finance signs off on the first full month of Shopify revenue and tax data. Closes the stabilisation accounting milestone.