Migrating to PrestaShop: which data and module content can you transfer?
Plan how to transfer products, customers, orders and module data to PrestaShop, including the scope, limitations and tests.
Quick answer
Products, categories, customers and orders are standard areas to assess during a store migration. Images, URLs, pricing rules and data from modules and custom extensions also matter. What can actually be transferred depends on the original platform, its data structures and the chosen migration method.
This assessment is necessary for WooCommerce, Magento, Shopware, Gambio, OXID, VirtueMart, xt:Commerce, osCommerce and Shopify. A platform appearing on a supported systems list does not confirm that every extension’s data can be transferred.
Which data belongs in a migration plan?
| Area | What to check |
|---|---|
| Products and variants | SKUs, descriptions, attributes, combinations, prices and stock |
| Categories | Structure, product assignments, content and existing URLs |
| Images and documents | Files, accessibility and assignments |
| Customers | Addresses, customer groups, additional fields and login methods |
| Orders | Order lines, amounts, statuses and links to customers |
| Vouchers and pricing rules | Remaining balances, validity and how these work in the destination system |
| Modules and plugins | Custom tables, additional fields, settings and business-critical content |
| Integrations | Data flows to ERP, inventory, shipping and accounting systems |
This table describes what needs to be checked. It does not promise that a single migration tool will transfer every item automatically.
What happens to data stored by modules and plugins?
Module features and module data need to be considered separately. A plugin from the existing platform may not work in PrestaShop. Its essential data should still be preserved and mapped to a suitable feature in the new store.
Examples include saved product configurations, loyalty points, additional customer details and custom pricing rules. The data itself matters, but so do its relationships with products, customers and orders.
For every business-critical extension, we recommend recording which data it holds, what is still needed, where that data will go and how the resulting feature will be tested.
What we also check at sjmedia
We develop our own PrestaShop modules and extend existing solutions. Our assessment therefore goes beyond products, customers and orders. We first list the existing features and modules, then identify which information from them is needed in the new store.
History stored by a DATEV module and saved statistical data are examples of information that can easily be overlooked. These records are not necessarily part of the usual master data. During planning, we establish whether they need to be available in the new store, can be transferred or must remain accessible elsewhere.
Not every extension requires custom development. Some existing modules meet the requirements after installation and configuration. We recommend customisation where the required feature or data exchange is not adequately covered.
Is a CSV export enough to migrate an entire store?
Not necessarily. CSV can be suitable for individual data sets. WooCommerce, for example, includes a product import and export tool. It does not provide a complete export of all customer, order and extension data. Source: WooCommerce – product import and export.
The destination store also needs preparation. PrestaShop recommends configuring the necessary settings and importing data in a suitable order. Source: PrestaShop – preparing a migration.
Can customers keep their passwords?
That depends on the original platform and the transfer method. Being able to export a customer record does not automatically mean the existing password can be reused. Shopify, for example, states that customer passwords cannot be migrated through the customer CSV file. Source: Shopify – importing and exporting customers.
If customers need to activate their accounts or set new passwords, that process must be included in the migration plan.
How do you check whether the migration worked?
The number of imported records is only an initial indicator. We also recommend checking samples of prices, variants, customer groups and historical orders, along with complete test orders covering payment, shipping and connected systems.
Sources & further reading
- WooCommerce: product import and export · accessed on
- PrestaShop: preparing a migration · accessed on
- Shopify: importing and exporting customers · accessed on