A Shopify migration fails when teams treat it as a theme copy job. Catalog shape, URLs and tracking decide whether rankings and revenue survive the move.
Export your top 50 landing pages by traffic. Those redirects are non-negotiable on launch day.
| Phase | Owner focus | Done when |
|---|---|---|
| URL map | Old paths to Shopify paths | Top pages have tested redirects |
| Catalog | Products, variants, metafields | Sample imports look correct |
| Parallel build | Shopify QA while old store sells | Checkout and search pass checks |
| Cutover | DNS, analytics, support | Launch checklist signed off |
Map URLs before you build
Export current product, collection and page URLs. Decide the Shopify URL pattern early. Build a redirect list from old paths to new ones and test samples before cutover.
Model the catalog for Shopify
Large catalogs need clean product and variant structure. Dumping every SKU as a separate product can make search and admin slow. Group variants where it helps shoppers and merchants.
Keep the old store live during build
Build and QA on Shopify while the live store keeps selling. Soft launch with internal traffic, then move traffic in stages if the catalog is large. Big-bang cutovers raise risk for no real gain.
Connect analytics before launch
Set GA4, pixels and key conversion events on Shopify before public traffic moves. You need a clean read of launch week, not a two-week data gap.
Launch day checks
- Redirects for top landing pages
- Checkout and payment methods in each market
- Search, filters and sold-out states
- Email and SMS flows pointed at the new domain paths
We scope migrations around catalog complexity, redirects and integrations first. Theme polish comes after the data path is safe.
