Shopify to PrestaShop: plan your data migration

The decision to move to PrestaShop has been made. “Moving the store” now becomes a set of concrete tasks: which variants belong to each product, which images need transferring, and what happens to orders placed after the first export? A Shopify-to-PrestaShop migration should answer these questions before cutover.

We particularly recommend PrestaShop where tailored workflows and technical flexibility justify the move. Our switch-or-optimise guide addresses the decision itself. This article covers implementation once that decision has been justified.

Why is product export only a starting point?

Shopify provides a CSV product export. Image files are not embedded, so their accessible sources must be preserved for transfer. Shopify also warns that careless sorting can disrupt variant and image associations. Custom SEO fields may be blank if they were not explicitly maintained.

Keep an unchanged export and edit a working copy. Examine what each row represents, not just the row count. A row may describe a variant rather than a separate product in the destination platform.

What mapping do Shopify and PrestaShop need?

Create a mapping document containing the source field, destination field, transformation rule and test example. A variant option then becomes an intentionally mapped combination in the destination store. The import method must fit the target version and data model.

Establish which system owns each type of data. If the ERP supplies prices or stock, the initial import should not accidentally replace that responsibility. New internal product IDs are manageable provided relevant relationships remain traceable and integrations are updated.

Which data belongs in the inventory?

A concise inventory prevents the team from considering only visible product pages:

• Products and variants: product codes, options, relationships, stock and pricing rules.
• Media and content: images, files, descriptions, categories and editorial pages.
• Customers: accounts, addresses and additional information that is available and needed.
• Orders: transfer scope, open transactions and traceable access to older records.
• Apps and integrations: additional fields, export options and functions needed after migration.
• URLs and measurement: important landing pages, redirects and subsequent performance checks.

Not everything must exist in the same form in the new store. Older transactions might remain accessible through an appropriate archive; retention obligations need separate clarification. Import additional information only when its purpose, access and implementation are established.

How should app functionality be handled?

Exporting an app's data does not replace its function. Describe what it does in everyday operation. A special form, subscription or extra order detail needs a functioning destination workflow, not just another field.

We see an advantage in PrestaShop here: existing capabilities, suitable modules and targeted development can be combined for the destination implementation. Assess the actual workflow to choose the right approach. Custom work needs clear maintenance and testing responsibilities. Our module and data migration guide explores this inventory further.

What should a test import demonstrate?

Do not select only simple products. Include multiple variants, several images, a changed price and an item with additional information. Ask staff to check that they can locate and edit these products in the back office and that customers can order the correct version.

Compare source and destination using stable identifiers. Check totals and relationships as well as appearance. A technically successful import can still associate the wrong image with a variant. Include a test order through to the ERP where that integration forms part of the project.

How do you avoid gaps at cutover?

New data often appears between the initial test export and migration. Define how changes will be transferred, when particular editing activities pause and who approves the final reconciliation. An export deadline alone is insufficient if the store continues taking orders afterwards.

Plan how outstanding payments and unshipped orders will be handled. They do not necessarily need to be processed in the new store; what matters is an unambiguous, tested division of responsibility. A rollback plan should account for data created since cutover and prevent duplicate processing.

When is the migration ready to launch?

It is ready when agreed data and essential workflows have been checked, outstanding issues evaluated and cutover rehearsed. Use our store relaunch SEO checklist for URL mapping and search checks.

As a PrestaShop agency, we connect data transfer with functional testing. Our aim is a maintainable destination store that delivers the justified operational benefit of switching. A fast import alone is not a sufficient acceptance criterion.