Thinking about moving your store from Magento to Shopify?
You're not alone. Thousands of DTC brands and retailers are making the switch to Shopify — especially Shopify Plus — for a simpler, scalable, and more conversion-optimized platform.
But let’s be real — migrations can be messy. Between SEO drops, broken URLs, data loss, and downtime, one wrong move could hurt your store’s performance.
That’s why we’ve created this step-by-step Magento to Shopify migration checklist — to help you plan, execute, and optimize your replatforming journey without losing traffic or sales.
Whether you’re doing it yourself, working with a Shopify agency, or partnering with a Shopify Plus expert, this guide covers what you need to know.
Why Migrate from Magento to Shopify?
Lower Total Cost of Ownership: No server headaches, no hidden maintenance costs.
Faster Time-to-Market: Shopify’s drag-and-drop builder and prebuilt themes speed up launch.
App Ecosystem: 8,000+ apps (like ours at Skai Lama) let you customize without complex code.
Shopify Plus Advantages: Automation, robust APIs, and dedicated support for high-growth brands.
Pre-Migration Planning
Back Up Your Magento Store
Before doing anything else, take a full backup of your Magento store — including database, product files, media, and theme assets.
Audit Existing Store Data
Clean up broken links, remove outdated products, and identify which data should or shouldn’t be migrated (e.g., customer passwords cannot be moved directly to Shopify).
Set Clear Migration Goals
Define what success looks like:
Preserve SEO rankings?
Improve mobile UX?
Launch a refreshed design?
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Magento to Shopify Migration Checklist
Successfully migrating from Magento to Shopify requires planning, precision, and testing. Below is your step-by-step checklist — expanded with helpful context, tools, and tips.
1. Choose the Right Shopify Plan
Before anything else, pick a Shopify plan that matches your business size and needs:
Shopify Basic/Standard – Best for new/small stores
Shopify Advanced – Good for growing businesses needing reporting
Shopify Plus – Ideal for enterprise/DTC brands scaling fast
💡 Bonus: Shopify Plus gives you advanced checkout control, powerful automation, and access to Launchpad, Shopify Flow, and B2B features.
📋 Consider using Shopify’s Bogus Gateway to test payments safely.
11. Launch and Notify Your Audience
You're live — now tell the world!
Send out email campaigns (Klaviyo, Mailchimp, etc.)
Update social media links and bio URLs
Add an announcement bar or pop-up on your site
Notify your customer base if any functionality changed
💬 Use Giftkart or GiftLab to offer a “We’ve moved!” gift card or personalized gift to loyal customers.
Magento to Shopify SEO Checklist
Migrating platforms without an SEO strategy is like moving houses and not telling your mailman. You risk losing visibility, rankings, and ultimately, sales.
To avoid these costly mistakes, follow this SEO migration protocol:
Map and Redirect All Legacy URLs
Use a URL mapping sheet to match old Magento URLs with their new Shopify equivalents. Then set up 301 redirects inside Shopify to point search engines and users to the correct pages.
Use Shopify’s built-in URL Redirect Manager
Prioritize high-traffic pages (check in GA or Search Console)
Redirect categories, products, blogs, CMS pages
🛠 Pro Tip: Shopify Plus stores can use custom routing rules and server-level redirects for advanced use cases.
Retain Metadata Wherever Possible
SEO-friendly page titles, descriptions, alt text, and headers should be manually carried over or scripted via import.
Use Matrixify to bulk-edit and import metadata
Copy Magento meta titles/descriptions exactly, unless they were poorly optimized
Immediately verify your new Shopify domain in Google Search Console to start tracking:
Indexation issues
Crawl errors
Keyword performance drops
Also, integrate Google Analytics 4 and enable eCommerce tracking to monitor:
Traffic recovery
Funnel drop-offs
Conversion rate performance
🧠 Don't forget to exclude your IP address from GA data to avoid skewed stats during Shopify a/b testing.
Submit an Updated Sitemap
Shopify auto-generates a sitemap.xml, available at yourstore.com/sitemap.xml.
Submit it to Google Search Console
Remove your old Magento sitemap if hosted externally
Monitor the “Coverage” tab for indexed vs non-indexed pages
Monitor Crawl Errors & SEO Health
Post-launch, check Google Search Console daily for:
404 errors (from missed redirects)
Blocked resources (CSS/JS)
Mobile usability issues
Drop in clicks or impressions
🛡 Want full peace of mind? Skai Lama partners with Shopify Plus SEO agencies that handle technical audits, schema setup, and Google Analytics migration.
🛠 Post-Migration Checklist
Once your store is live, the work isn’t over. This is where you optimize.
✅ Monitor Site Speed & UX
Use:
Google PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse to check page load
Shopify’s admin analytics to track checkout drop-offs and bounce rates
💡 Consider replacing heavy themes or unused apps that may affect speed.
✅ Run Post-Purchase Surveys (with Byte)
Understand the new customer experience by asking:
"How easy was the checkout?"
"What nearly stopped you from purchasing?"
"How did you find us?"
Use Byte to launch engaging, mobile-optimized surveys right after checkout or via email.
Reassure returning customers with a small "thank you" for their patience post-migration.
Use Giftkart to send store credit to loyal customers
Set automated campaigns based on order history
Launch a "We’ve Moved!" offer to re-engage cold segments
✅ Segment & Re-engage Customers
Review newly imported customer data in Shopify:
Tag by last purchase date
Filter by product interest or location
Identify lapsed customers from Magento era
🎯 Use this data to launch personalized campaigns using Klaviyo or Omnisend — and boost conversions with Kite’s custom discount rules or Fly Bundles for product combos.
🧰 Migration Tools
👨🔧 DIY Migration Tools:
Shopify Store Import App – Built-in tool for importing basic product and customer data
Matrixify – Powerful app for complex data migrations, bulk edits, and SEO fields
Rewind – Backup and version control for data, especially valuable during big changes
🤝 Full-Service Option: Work with a Shopify Plus Agency
For stores with:
Large catalogs
Custom business logic
International selling
Subscription models
High SEO dependency
…a Shopify Plus agency ensures nothing breaks during migration.
🎯 Skai Lama collaborates with top Shopify Plus agencies to offer:
Data migration strategy
SEO audits
Design & UX upgrades
App stack consulting
Custom checkout setups using Checkout Wiz
This partnership ensures your replatforming isn’t just a switch — it’s a full upgrade.
🎯 Conclusion
Migrating from Magento to Shopify can feel like a big leap — but with the right strategy, tools, and support, it can be one of the best decisions for your brand’s growth.
Whether you’re looking to reduce complexity, improve speed-to-market, or tap into Shopify’s powerful ecosystem, a well-executed migration protects your SEO, preserves your data, and sets your store up for scale.
By following this checklist and using trusted tools like Matrixify, Giftkart, and Byte, you can avoid common pitfalls and launch with confidence.
And if you’d rather not go it alone, consider working with a Shopify Plus agency like our partners at Skai Lama — we help brands like yours replatform smoothly, with a focus on growth, not just migration.
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FAQ: Magento to Shopify Migration
1. How do I migrate from Magento to Shopify?
2. Should I migrate from Magento to Shopify?
3. How do I migrate to Shopify without losing SEO?
4. What are the risks of migrating to Shopify?
5. What Shopify apps help after migrating from Magento?
6. How long does Magento to Shopify migration take?
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Neetika M
Neetika is the founder of Skai Lama. Passionate about building SaaS, Product Development, and Marketing, she talks about eCommerce Growth, Product Bundling, Gifting, Retention, and Shopify.
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