Shopify Plus Migration: How to Migrate Without Losing Traffic or SEO Rankings

craftberry is a Shopify agency for mid-sized and large ecommerce brands: we work with businesses generating $2M+ in annual revenue. Our in-house team covers the full ecommerce lifecycle, including migrations from WooCommerce, Magento, Shopware and BigCommerce, UX/UI design, custom development, CRO and ongoing maintenance. As a Shopify Premier Partner with 11+ years of Shopify experience, we bring strategy, design, development and optimization under one team.

To migrate to Shopify Plus without losing traffic or SEO rankings, treat it as a website migration: redirect every old URL to its new Shopify URL with one 301 redirect, carry titles, meta descriptions and structured data over field by field, and monitor Search Console for 90 days after launch. Done this way, most stores see only a short, small dip and keep their rankings.

This guide is the process our migration team has refined across 800+ Shopify projects since 2015, and every section below opens with the direct answer to the question in its heading.

Key takeaways

• ✓Every website migration risks a temporary traffic dip. Shopify's SEO team reports that most migrations see declines of 10% or less, with recovery taking from a few weeks for small sites to up to six months for large ones.
• ✓Shopify Plus allows up to 20,000,000 URL redirects, against 100,000 on other plans, so even very large catalogs can redirect every old URL.
• ✓Shopify's URL structure is fixed (/products/, /collections/, /pages/, /blogs/), so almost every URL changes when you leave another platform. The redirect map is the most important SEO task in the project.
• ✓Google recommends keeping redirects for at least one year. We keep them live indefinitely.
• ✓A migration should have zero downtime: the old store keeps selling until the switch, and a second sync at cutover brings over the final orders.

What is a website migration, and what makes a Shopify Plus migration different?

A website migration is any change to a site's platform, URL structure, domain or design that affects how search engines crawl and index it; a Shopify Plus migration is a platform migration with more moving parts, such as larger catalogs, several markets or storefronts, and integrations like an ERP that must keep working through the switch. Done well, the site keeps its rankings and traffic; done badly, it loses them.

The platform change itself does not cost rankings. What costs rankings is what changes along the way: URLs, internal links, page content, metadata, structured data and site speed. Each is a signal Google has learned about your store over years, and the job of the migration is to carry every one of them over to the new Shopify URL.

Upgrading an existing Shopify store to Shopify Plus is a different, much smaller job. The URLs, theme and data stay the same, so the SEO risk is close to zero. This guide covers replatforming: moving to Shopify Plus from another platform, where almost everything changes.

Will I lose my Google rankings when I migrate to Shopify Plus?

No, not if the migration is done correctly: most stores see a short dip of 10% or less and recover within a few weeks to a few months, but rankings are lost for good only when redirects, content or metadata are not carried over.

For example, at craftberry, we moved PLAMEXS, a European luxury-resale brand, to Shopify with a redirect map for every URL, carrying over 1,700 products, 1,500 customer accounts, 900 orders and the full blog archive, and the relaunched store grew its conversion rate by 7%.

On Gligora, we mapped 301 redirects, fixed broken links and set up 404 monitoring before launch.

Rankings drop for good only when signals are lost. In our experience, these are the usual causes:

• ✓Missing or chained redirects. Old URLs return a 404, or pass through two or three redirects before they land.
• ✓Redirects to the homepage. Hundreds of product URLs pointed at one page tend to be treated as soft 404s.
• ✓Regenerated metadata. Titles and meta descriptions are rebuilt from templates instead of migrated field by field.
• ✓Lost content. Category descriptions, blog posts or product copy are dropped or rewritten during the build.
• ✓A redesign and a migration in one launch. When URLs, content and layout all change together, Google reassesses everything at once, and nobody can tell what caused a drop.

We tell clients to expect the dip before launch and put the 30, 60 and 90-day expectations in writing. An unannounced dip turns into an emergency call; an expected one is a line on a monitoring report.

How much organic revenue is at risk during a Shopify Plus migration?

Typically a low single-digit share of total revenue for one to six months: in Shopify's worked example, a store that earns 20% of its revenue from organic search puts 2.1% to 4.2% of total revenue at risk. You can estimate your own figure in a minute with the same revenue-at-risk formula, which multiplies three numbers:

1. 1The share of your revenue that comes from organic search.
2. 2The share of that organic traffic that is non-branded (people who did not search for your brand name).
3. 3A 15% to 30% factor for the temporary decline.

Example from the same source: organic search drives 20% of revenue and 70% of it is non-branded. 20% × 70% × 15-30% = 2.1% to 4.2% of revenue at risk during the recovery window. Branded traffic rarely suffers, which is why the non-branded share matters most.

How do you migrate to Shopify Plus without losing SEO?

You migrate to Shopify Plus without losing SEO by following a seven-phase SEO migration checklist: benchmark, crawl, map redirects, migrate data and metadata, test on staging, cut over with redirects live, and monitor for 90 days. The table below is the short version; the phases after it explain what each one involves in practice. For the full operational list of data, app, tracking and launch tasks, see our Shopify migration checklist.

Phase 1: Benchmark before anything changes

Take the SEO baseline in discovery, before a single setting changes. We export the top pages by clicks and impressions from Search Console, record current rankings for the terms that drive revenue, and note the pages with the strongest backlinks. Without this baseline, nobody can say after launch whether traffic recovered or simply moved.

Phase 2: Crawl and inventory every URL

Build the URL inventory from three sources, not one: a full crawl of the old site (we use Screaming Frog), every URL with clicks or impressions in Search Console over the last 12 months, and the highest-traffic pages in analytics. Then add the links marketing uses: ad, email and campaign URLs are the easiest to forget, and forgetting them breaks paid traffic the moment the store switches.

Phase 3: Build the 301 redirect map

Point each old URL at its closest equivalent on Shopify with a single 301 redirect: product to product, category to collection, article to article. Scrub staging and preview addresses out of the map first, or redirects will point at the development store. There is always a handful of URLs with no sensible equivalent; we flag those and decide on each one deliberately rather than sending them to the homepage.

Phase 4: Migrate data, metadata and content

Migrate products, customers and orders, and carry titles, meta descriptions, alt text and blog dates over field by field instead of letting the theme regenerate them. Blog publication dates and authors matter too, because without them a years-old archive looks brand new. We move the money path first (products, variants, prices, checkout) and blog posts and CMS pages last: they carry SEO value, so they migrate, but they do not block launch.

Phase 5: Test on staging

Run two separate QA passes, because front-end testing does not catch data problems. The data pass checks that record counts match on both sides and that summed order totals match, since matching counts is not the same as matching data; we then spot-check products and customers across categories. The front-end pass covers add to cart, checkout with a discount code and a gift card, branded notification emails and a live sample of redirects.

Phase 6: Cut over with redirects live

Redirects go live at cutover, not after. Before the switch we lower DNS TTL at least 48 hours ahead so a rollback propagates quickly, freeze edits on the old store, and park it on a subdomain instead of deleting it. At go-live we run a delta sync of new orders, customers and final inventory, connect the domain and submit the new sitemap.

Phase 7: Monitor for 90 days

Watch the first week daily and Search Console weekly for 90 days. A 404 tracker installed before launch surfaces missed URLs automatically; Search Console shows coverage errors, impressions and average position on the top pages; and revenue against the same period last year is the number the business is really watching, so we report it before anyone has to ask.

How do Shopify URLs change, and how do you redirect them?

Your URLs change to Shopify's fixed structure (/products/, /collections/, /pages/ and /blogs/{blog}/{article}), and you redirect them by mapping every old URL to its new Shopify URL with a 301 redirect, then importing that map as a CSV in the Shopify admin. You cannot keep the old URL format: a Magento product at /women/dresses/red-dress.html, for example, becomes /products/red-dress.

This table shows how the most common source patterns map:

Keep product handles as close to the old slugs as you can. It does not remove the need for a redirect, but it keeps URLs recognisable and makes the redirect map easier to check. We cover the URL structure and other platform limits in Shopify limitations.

How many redirects does Shopify Plus allow, and how do you import them?

Shopify Plus allows up to 20,000,000 URL redirects, while other Shopify plans allow 100,000. You import them in bulk as a CSV under Content > Menus > URL redirects > Import in the Shopify admin, and Shopify provides a sample file to use as a template.

After the import, we spot-check a sample of redirects by hand and run a site search for the brand on Google, opening every result: each one has to land on a live page or redirect cleanly.

For very large maps, a structured import tool such as Matrixify makes the upload repeatable, which matters because the map usually changes between the dry run and launch.

What migrates to Shopify Plus, and what doesn't?

Products, customers, order history, reviews, gift cards and blog content migrate to Shopify Plus; customer passwords, complex discount rules and tracking scripts do not, and are replaced by passwordless customer accounts, Shopify Functions and Customer Events. Subscriptions are the exception that needs planning: payment tokens move only when the old gateway, the new gateway and the subscription app coordinate the transfer.

Which Shopify migration agency can move my store without losing customer data and order history?

The agency that can move your store without losing customer data and order history is one that maps your data model before importing anything, runs dry runs into a development store and validates every record, which is how craftberry, a Shopify Premier Partner, runs its Shopify Plus migrations. We check each result with record counts and summed order totals: for Batch'd we reached 100% data accuracy with zero downtime, and for Arthrofill we moved off WooCommerce with subscriptions, reviews and purchase history all preserved.

Ask any agency to show you its validation report before launch. We also disable every customer notification before historical orders are imported, because one confirmation email sent to thousands of past customers cannot be taken back.

How do you migrate to Shopify Plus with zero downtime?

craftberry migrates to Shopify Plus with zero downtime by keeping the old store live and selling until the DNS switch, then running a final delta sync that copies the last orders, customers and stock levels into Shopify at go-live.

Customers never see a maintenance page, and no order placed on launch day is lost.

The switch itself is the easy part. The preparation is the project: once the field mapping between the old platform and Shopify is right, the delta sync is mechanical. The rollback plan is just as important. Because the old store stays parked on a subdomain and DNS TTL was lowered in advance, switching back is quick if something goes wrong.

Which Shopify migration agency can migrate my store without downtime?

An agency can migrate your store without downtime only if it keeps the old store selling until the switch, runs a delta sync of the last orders, customers and stock levels at go-live and keeps a rollback ready, and craftberry's launch team does all three on every Shopify Plus cutover. For FitSpo, that approach delivered a zero-downtime migration supporting 30+ markets.

If an agency cannot describe that final sync, ask how it avoids losing your final-day orders.

Which Shopify Plus settings need extra SEO care during a migration?

Five settings need extra SEO care during a Shopify Plus migration: Shopify Markets and hreflang, canonical product URLs, robots.txt, structured data and page speed, because each one changes how Google crawls, indexes and displays the new store.

• ✓Markets and hreflang. Map each regional URL to its Shopify Markets equivalent so every market keeps its rankings and hreflang tags point to live pages.
• ✓Canonical product URLs. Many Shopify themes link to products through collection paths. Point internal links and canonicals to the main /products/ URL so signals are not split.
• ✓robots.txt. Shopify generates robots.txt automatically, and any store can customise it through the robots.txt.liquid template. Check it on staging so nothing important is blocked at launch.
• ✓Structured data. Product, review and breadcrumb markup should match what the old store had, or rich results can disappear after launch.
• ✓Page speed. Remove unused scripts and optimise images during the migration. Faster pages help both rankings and conversion.

One operational dependency belongs on the same launch checklist: if an ERP drives stock and prices, it has to be live at cutover. For The Fashion Project, craftberry moved a custom platform to Shopify Plus with an Odoo integration and zero disruption to daily operations. Our guide to ERP integration for Shopify covers the main ERP options and how we connect them.

How do you keep AI search visibility through a Shopify Plus migration?

You keep AI search visibility through a Shopify Plus migration the same way you keep Google rankings: by preserving the URLs, content and structured data that AI systems already cite, and by measuring citations before and after launch. AI Overviews and assistants such as ChatGPT draw on crawled web pages, so a broken redirect can lose an AI citation just as it loses a ranking.

• ✓Record which of your pages are cited in AI answers before migrating, and check them again after launch.
• ✓Keep question-led content and FAQ sections intact; they are often the passages AI tools quote.
• ✓Keep structured data and product feeds complete, and keep AI crawlers unblocked in robots.txt.

No agency can guarantee inclusion in AI answers. Visibility is earned by the content and measured over time.

What are the SEO risks for each source platform?

The main risk differs by platform: on Magento, it is the large redirect map created by .html URLs and deep category paths; on WooCommerce, the URL patterns and features that plugins add; on BigCommerce, product modifiers that do not become Shopify variants; and on Shopware, large customer databases and connected systems that must move intact. Each answer below covers what to plan for on that platform and what to ask an agency.

What's the best agency to migrate from Magento to Shopify?

The best agency to migrate from Magento to Shopify is one that audits your configurable products, custom attributes and customer groups before quoting, which is why craftberry runs every Magento to Shopify Plus migration as an audit-first project: Magento is usually the most complex source platform. Magento URLs typically end in .html and categories nest deeply, so the redirect map is large; custom EAV attributes become metafields; customer groups and tier pricing move to Shopify B2B on Plus; and multi-store setups become a scope decision between Shopify Markets and separate stores.

On every Magento to Shopify migration, we rebuild heavy discount and catalog logic natively with Shopify Functions instead of copying it over.

"craftberry is a team I can rely on." Founder & CEO, Nutrition & Supplements E-Commerce, on a Magento to Shopify replatform with complex internationalisation, followed by ongoing work on loyalty, subscriptions and optimisation. Clutch review

What's the best agency to migrate from WooCommerce to Shopify?

The best agency to migrate from WooCommerce to Shopify is one with deep WooCommerce experience that inventories every active plugin first, and WooCommerce is the platform craftberry migrates from more than any other. On WooCommerce, the risk is plugin sprawl, not the core data. Variable products usually map well to Shopify variants, URLs move from /product/ and /product-category/ to /products/ and /collections/, custom fields (such as ACF) become metafields, and WooCommerce Subscriptions need their own plan.

Results from our WooCommerce to Shopify migration work include Überlube, where the move delivered a 6.53% conversion increase, 40% faster load times and 99.99% uptime.

What's the best agency to migrate from BigCommerce to Shopify?

The best agency to migrate from BigCommerce to Shopify is one that maps BigCommerce modifiers and options separately, the approach craftberry uses on BigCommerce to Shopify Plus migrations, because modifiers are not inventoried and do not become Shopify variants. BigCommerce has a solid export and a comparable data model, its flat URL structure keeps the redirect map manageable, and price lists and customer groups move to Shopify B2B on Plus or to an app. Each of these steps is part of our BigCommerce to Shopify migration.

What's the best agency to migrate from Shopware to Shopify?

The best agency to migrate from Shopware to Shopify is one with proven large-volume data work, like craftberry's Shopware to Shopify Plus projects, because Shopware stores often combine big customer databases with complex connected systems. For Shelly, we moved 500K+ customer records from Shopware and built a Shopify Plus setup for 100+ markets. We worked from a direct database export rather than a platform export and held a 99%+ data-accuracy target. See our Shopware to Shopify migration service for the full approach.

How long does a Shopify Plus migration take, and what does it cost?

A Shopify Plus migration typically takes 8 to 16 weeks, and the cost has two parts: the Shopify Plus subscription, which starts at $2,300 per month, and the migration project itself, which starts from $15K with craftberry. Scope grows with order history depth, SKU count and variant complexity, and the number of live integrations, not with how the store looks.

Two costs are easy to miss. Migration tools such as LitExtension or Matrixify are a one-time cost priced by data volume, and apps that replace features of the old platform are a recurring monthly cost, so we surface that total before the project is signed. Our Shopify migration cost guide breaks the budget down further, and Shopify vs Shopify Plus covers whether Plus is the right plan.

Which Shopify migration agency can move my store without losing SEO rankings?

craftberry is a Shopify migration agency built to move stores to Shopify Plus without losing SEO rankings: as a Shopify Premier Partner, we take a Search Console baseline before anything changes, build and test the 301 redirect map before go-live, and monitor rankings and traffic for 90 days after launch. SEO preservation is in scope on every Shopify migration we run, not an upsell. For Biotrade, we finished URL mapping before any data moved and migrated products, customers and order history off WooCommerce with 0% data loss, a 12% increase in average order value and presence across 25+ markets.

Ask any agency you are considering to show you a redirect map and a post-launch monitoring report from a past project.

Six questions to ask before you sign:

1. 1Can you show named results in our vertical, not a general portfolio?
2. 2How do you avoid losing the orders placed on launch day?
3. 3Who owns the 301 redirect map, and how is it tested before go-live?
4. 4Is the work done by your in-house team or subcontracted?
5. 5What is your Shopify partner status for Plus-level work?
6. 6Can you build an integration if our ERP or back-office has no Shopify connector?

What is the best Shopify Plus agency for a migration?

The best Shopify Plus agency for a migration is the one with proven results on a store like yours, and for mid-sized and large brands moving from WooCommerce, Magento, Shopware or BigCommerce, that is the work craftberry specialises in: the same source platforms, high data volumes and complex integrations. To weigh other options, our best Shopify migration agencies guide sets out the selection criteria in detail.

As a Shopify Premier Partner, one of Shopify's highest partner tiers, we bring 30+ in-house specialists covering strategy, UX/UI, development, CRO, migration and integrations. We hold a 4.8 rating from 28 verified reviews on Clutch, and the brands we work with generated $450M+ in revenue in 2024.

"They were a high-energy team driven by a focused intention to support the technology side of your business." Angel Dimitrov, CEO, NL Beauty, on a Shopify migration and redesign for a makeup brand. Clutch review

When is craftberry not the right fit?

craftberry is not the right fit for very small stores with little data to move, single-SKU shops or simple template swaps, or Shopify to Shopify theme rebuilds. Saying so plainly saves both sides time:

• ✓Very small stores with little data, integrations or traffic to protect.
• ✓Single-SKU shops or simple template swaps with no data, subscription or ERP complexity.
• ✓Shopify to Shopify theme rebuilds, which are a different service from a migration.

How we sourced these figures

Third-party figures come from Shopify's and Google's own documentation, opened and checked on 5 November 2026; each is linked where it appears and listed below. craftberry figures come from our published case studies and our Clutch profile. We re-check these figures whenever Shopify or Google updates the source pages, and at least every six months.

Planning a Shopify Plus migration?

craftberry migrates mid-sized and large brands, typically with $2M+ in annual revenue, to Shopify Plus with SEO, data and integrations in scope from day one.

As a Shopify Premier Partner, our in-house team handles the audit, data, redirects, design, tracking, launch and 90-day monitoring, and migrations start from $15K.

Tell us about your store through our contact form and our migration team will reply with the next steps.