Choosing a provider
Shopify migration services
A migration provider is responsible for moving years of business records without losing or corrupting them. The difference between providers is less about tools, which many share, and more about how carefully they plan, verify and switch over.
This page explains what to ask a Shopify migration provider and what evidence of a careful migration looks like.
Illustrative diagram
- Stage and date — for example customer import
- Flagged difference — count mismatch or failed records
- Records affected — with examples
- Fix applied or proposed
- Passed checks — counts and samples that matched
- Next stage — only after sign-off
Ask how the migration will be verified
Every provider will say the migration was successful. The useful question is how they will show it. A careful provider compares record counts before and after each import, checks a sample of individual records in detail, and reports anything that did not transfer, with the reason.
That reconciliation should happen at each stage, not only at the end. Finding a product import problem before customers and orders are imported is far easier than unpicking it afterwards.
Questions to ask a migration provider
| Question | A good answer includes |
|---|---|
| How will you move each type of data? | A method per data type, with known limits stated |
| What will not transfer? | A specific list, such as passwords or reviews, with alternatives |
| How will you check the result? | Counts per stage and sample checks of individual records |
| What happens to orders placed during the migration? | A cut-over plan with a final sync or short order freeze |
| How are old links handled? | A redirect list built from the old site's URLs |
What a cut-over plan covers
The cut-over is the short period when the old store stops and the new one starts.
Agree the date
Choose a quiet trading period and tell staff when the old store stops.
Output: Cut-over date
Final sync
Bring across orders and customers created since the main import.
Output: Up-to-date data
Switch
Point the domain at Shopify with redirects already in place.
Output: Shopify live on your domain
Check
Place an order, test old links and watch for problems over the first days.
Output: Post-launch check notes
Decisions that stay with you
Your decisions
Suits you when
- How much order history to keep
- Which old features to replace or drop
- How and when customers are told
Watch out for
- The provider should give options, not decide these
Provider's job
Suits you when
- Choosing and running import methods
- Verification and reporting
- Redirects and technical cut-over
Watch out for
- Ask for written reports at each stage
Warning signs
In the proposal
- "Everything will transfer" with no list of exceptions
- No mention of redirects
- No plan for orders placed during the switch
During the work
- Imports run without counts being reported
- Old platform cancelled before the new store is verified
- Customer emails sent without your approval
How a migration provider should communicate
Migrations involve many small decisions that only you can make: whether a discontinued product should be moved, how to treat customers with duplicate email addresses, which old pages are worth redirecting. A good provider collects these into short decision lists rather than making assumptions.
You should also receive a brief written update after each stage: what was imported, what the counts show, what is waiting for your decision and what happens next. These updates become the audit trail of the migration and make it easy to pick up the work if anyone is unavailable.
Keep ownership of every account
The Shopify store, any migration app subscriptions and the domain should all be in your business's name, with the provider working through collaborator access. If a provider proposes to run the migration from their own accounts, ask how ownership will be transferred, and prefer an arrangement where it never needs to be.
Questions about Shopify migration services
What should a migration report contain?
Counts of products, variants, customers and orders before and after each import, sample checks of individual records, and a list of anything that did not transfer with the reason.
Will you contact my customers about the move?
Only with your approval. We can draft the message, for example about setting new passwords, but you decide when and how it is sent.
Do you need access to my old platform?
Usually admin access or full exports. We use the least access needed and you can remove it after the migration.
How long should I keep my old store after migrating?
Until the Shopify store has traded normally for a while and you are sure nothing is missing. Keep full exports permanently.
Can you migrate in stages?
Yes. Some stores migrate products first, launch, and bring order history across afterwards. The plan states which data is moved when.
What if something is found missing after launch?
The reconciliation report and retained exports make it possible to find and import missing records. Keeping the old platform until you are confident is the safety net.
Sources referenced
Platform features, guidance and rules change. We check the current versions before committing to an approach. This page is general information, not legal advice.
- Shopify Help Center: Migrating to Shopify (opens in a new tab) — reviewed 2026-10-22
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