WooCommerce to Shopify
Migrating from WooCommerce to Shopify moves your store from a self-hosted WordPress plugin to a fully managed eCommerce platform. In 2025, merchants choose Shopify for predictable costs, built-in hosting and security, and the ability to run migrations directly from Shopify admin using dedicated apps - no server access or WordPress expertise required.
This guide covers WooCommerce data structure, how it maps to Shopify, and a step-by-step migration path using Shopify apps such as Cart2Cart for products, customers, orders, and SEO-safe redirects.
1. The Strategic Pivot: Why Leave WooCommerce?
Security & Support
The WooCommerce Pain: You depend on WordPress core, WooCommerce, and dozens of plugins for security. One outdated plugin can compromise the store. No single vendor to call for support.
The Shopify Gain: Shopify handles security, PCI compliance, and updates. 24/7 support and migration can be run from Shopify admin via apps.
Hosting & Infrastructure
The WooCommerce Pain: Self-hosted hosting, PHP/MySQL tuning, backups, and uptime are your responsibility. Traffic spikes can take the site down.
The Shopify Gain: Hosting, CDN, SSL, and scaling are included. You focus on selling; migration runs from your new Shopify store.
Modern Features
The WooCommerce Pain: Advanced features require multiple plugins, often with conflicting updates and extra cost. Checkout and cart are fragmented across themes and plugins.
The Shopify Gain: Checkout, payments, multi-channel selling, and analytics are built in. Migrate once from Shopify admin and grow on one stack.
Operations & Apps
The WooCommerce Pain: Plugin sprawl, compatibility breaks after WordPress/Woo updates, and ongoing developer time for maintenance.
The Shopify Gain: App Store apps install in one click. Migration apps run inside Shopify admin and connect to WooCommerce without touching your server.
2. The Pre-Migration Architecture Audit
WooCommerce stores data in WordPress (MySQL): posts for products, postmeta for attributes, and custom tables for orders. A quick audit ensures a smooth migration.
- WooCommerce and WordPress versions: Note your WP and Woo versions; migration apps support recent versions.
- Access method: Migration from Shopify admin typically uses WooCommerce REST API or a bridge - no direct MySQL access required for app-based migration.
- Product types: Simple, variable, grouped, and external products map to Shopify products and variants.
- Plugins: List payment, shipping, and subscription plugins; plan Shopify app replacements.
- Attributes and variations: WooCommerce product attributes and variations map to Shopify options and variants.
3. Exact Data Mapping: The Blueprint
WooCommerce product, customer, and order data maps cleanly to Shopify when using a structured migration app run from Shopify admin.
Product Data Mapping
| WooCommerce (Source) | Shopify (Target) | Notes and Logic |
|---|---|---|
post_id (product) | id | Shopify generates new IDs. Use SKU for mapping. |
post_title | title | Direct string transfer. |
_sku (postmeta) | variants[].sku | SKU at variant level in Shopify. |
_price / variation price | variants[].price | Price per variant. |
post_content | body_html | HTML; images re-hosted to Shopify CDN. |
| Product categories (taxonomy) | collections | WooCommerce categories become Shopify collections. |
| Attributes and variations | options and variants | Variable products become Shopify variants. |
Customer Data Mapping
| WooCommerce Field | Shopify Field | Critical Logic |
|---|---|---|
user_email | email | Unique identifier. |
user_pass | password (on create) | Password reset required. Hashing differs; customers reset passwords post-migration. |
| Billing / shipping (usermeta or orders) | addresses[] | Addresses normalized to Shopify format. |
Order Data Mapping
| WooCommerce Field | Shopify Field | Mapping Logic |
|---|---|---|
order_id | name (order number) | Preserve WooCommerce order ID in name for reference. |
| Order status | financial_status, fulfillment_status | Map statuses to Shopify dual status system. |
| Order total | total_price | Direct mapping; currency conversion if needed. |
4. The Toolkit: Selecting Your Vehicle
Option A: Shopify App Migration (Recommended)
Cart2Cart and similar apps in the Shopify App Store
Install the app in your Shopify store and run the migration from Shopify admin. The app connects to WooCommerce (API or bridge), maps data, and creates redirects - no server or database access from you.
- Pros: No coding, runs from Shopify admin; handles products, customers, orders, and SEO redirects.
- Cons: Cost scales with data volume (typically from a few hundred dollars).
Option B: Custom Integration
WooCommerce REST API + Shopify Admin API
- Pros: Full control and custom mapping.
- Cons: Requires development time, 40+ hours typical.
5. Execution Protocol: Step-by-Step
Phase 1: Environment Preparation
1.1. Prepare Target (Shopify):
Create your Shopify store and, if desired, enable password protection during migration.
1.2. Prepare Source (WooCommerce):
Ensure WooCommerce REST API is available if your migration app uses it; or install the connector required by the app (e.g. Cart2Cart bridge).
Phase 2: Connection Setup from Shopify Admin
2.1. Install the migration app from the Shopify App Store (e.g. Cart2Cart) and open it from your Shopify admin.
2.2. Connect WooCommerce as the source (API key or bridge URL as instructed by the app).
Phase 3: Migration Execution
- Run migration from Shopify admin: Select entities (products, customers, orders), map options if needed, and start the run.
- Create 301 redirects: Use the app redirect feature to preserve SEO from old WooCommerce URLs to new Shopify URLs.
- Handle variations: Ensure variable products are mapped to Shopify variants; the app handles this when configured correctly.
Phase 4: Post-Migration
4.1. Customer communication: Notify customers; they may need to reset passwords.
4.2. Verify data: Spot-check products, collections, orders, and redirects in Shopify admin.
6. Financial Breakdown: Cost of Migration (2025)
Custom Development
Developer Cost
Shopify App (e.g. Cart2Cart)
Typical Range
Agency Service
Starting Cost
7. Troubleshooting and SEO Preservation
Common Challenges
- Variable products: Ensure all variations (size, color, etc.) are selected for migration; they become Shopify variants.
- Custom fields: WooCommerce custom product or order fields may need manual re-creation or a custom script if critical.
- API limits: Large stores may need to run migration in chunks or during off-peak; app documentation explains limits.
The 301 Redirect Strategy
WooCommerce permalinks differ from Shopify. Use the migration app redirect feature (from Shopify admin) to map old product/category URLs to new Shopify URLs and preserve rankings.
Ready to Move Your Store to Shopify?
Migrate from WooCommerce to Shopify using an app run from your Shopify admin - no server access or coding. Preserve products, customers, orders, and SEO with structured mapping and 301 redirects.