# Migrating to or from Shopify

> Migrating to or from Shopify, usually between Shopify and PrestaShop or WooCommerce, mixes two very different things: moving data, which is largely mechanical, and rebuilding the store — theme, apps, search visibility — which is the real substance of the work.

- Source canonique : [https://allaux.fr/en/shopify/problemes/migrer-vers-depuis-shopify](https://allaux.fr/en/shopify/problemes/migrer-vers-depuis-shopify)
- Langue : EN
- Dernière mise à jour : 2026-09-30

## Direct answer

> Get the data out first: in the Shopify admin, Products then Export and Customers then Export produce usable CSV files; orders have to come from the Admin API instead. Before any switchover, freeze the redirect map by comparing the two URL structures — Shopify enforces the /products/ and /collections/ prefixes, which neither PrestaShop nor WooCommerce reproduces.

## How I approach a migration

1. **Audit what actually needs carrying over** — I list the data (products, customers, order history), the theme, the installed apps and their real role, and the URLs currently driving organic traffic — before touching anything.
2. **Scope order history honestly** — Order export and import exist on both sides, but Shopify’s own tooling and most target platforms handle history differently: I state upfront what will carry over as is, what will be simplified, and what won’t.
3. **Rebuild the theme, don’t copy it** — Shopify’s Liquid doesn’t translate into PrestaShop’s Twig or WooCommerce’s PHP templates, or the other way round: I rebuild the design on the new platform rather than attempting an automatic conversion.
4. **Find an equivalent for every app** — Every installed app — reviews, loyalty, subscriptions — has behaviour tied to its home platform: I list what’s actually used and look for its equivalent on the target side.
5. **Map every redirect individually** — URL structure differs between Shopify (/products/, /collections/) and PrestaShop or WooCommerce conventions: I build a 301 redirect table for every URL that matters before switching over.

## What I hear regularly

- I want to leave Shopify but I don’t know what will actually carry over
- I was told the migration keeps “everything”, including my full order history
- My current theme doesn’t show up at all after the migration
- My apps, reviews or loyalty, stop working after moving to Shopify
- My organic traffic dropped after a migration that wasn’t prepared properly

## What transfers, what gets rebuilt

Products and customers export and import via CSV with fairly direct field mapping. Orders are trickier: Shopify and most target platforms don’t represent order history the same way, and a goal of keeping 100% of it needs checking concretely, not assuming.

The theme, on the other hand, never migrates as is. Shopify’s Liquid has no direct equivalent in PrestaShop’s Twig or WooCommerce’s PHP templates, and vice versa: the storefront gets rebuilt visually on the target platform, it isn’t copied. The same goes for installed apps: their data and behaviour stay tied to their home platform, and every feature that depends on one needs an equivalent built or installed elsewhere.

Finally, URL structure changes between platforms. Without a 301 redirect table covering the URLs that actually matter for search, a migration can cost visibility built up over years.

## Two quite distinct stages

> Moving the data is the mechanical part of the work. Rebuilding the store — theme, apps, redirects — is its real content, and needs planning before the first export, not partway through.

## Worth reading next

- **WooCommerce migration** — The detail of my approach for a migration to or from WooCommerce. ([/wordpress-woocommerce/migration](/wordpress-woocommerce/migration))
- **WordPress / WooCommerce** — An overview of my WooCommerce work. ([/wordpress-woocommerce](/wordpress-woocommerce))
- **Shopify: overview** — The other Shopify topics I work on. ([/shopify](/shopify))

## FAQ

### Will I keep my full order history when I migrate?

It depends on the two platforms involved. I systematically check what the available tooling allows to carry over, and say so clearly before starting the migration rather than finding out afterwards.

### Will my current theme carry over automatically?

No. Shopify’s Liquid and PrestaShop’s or WooCommerce’s template systems are incompatible: the design gets rebuilt on the target platform.

### What happens to my Shopify apps after migrating to another platform?

They don’t transfer: I list what they actually do for the business and look for an equivalent suited to the new platform, whether native or a module.

### Why do redirects matter so much?

Because URL structure changes between platforms. Without a 301 redirect to the new URL, every page that received organic traffic or external links loses the benefit of it.

### How long does a migration to or from Shopify take?

It mostly depends on the volume of data, the number of apps to replace and the complexity of the theme to rebuild, more than the data transfer itself.