The Shopify replatform checklist.
Before you migrate, lock down five things: a full data export, an inventory of every app and integration, a URL redirect map, a staging environment to build and test on, and a rollback plan. Almost every migration horror story traces back to one of these being skipped, not to Shopify itself.
Replatform, or just a redesign?
These get used interchangeably and they are not the same job. A redesign changes how your existing store looks and behaves: new theme, same platform, same data, same URLs. A replatform moves your store onto new infrastructure entirely, most often from a legacy platform (WooCommerce, Magento, a custom build) onto Shopify, or from an outgrown Shopify theme onto a new one built for where the brand is now.
The checklist below is written for a replatform, because that is where the real risk lives: customer data, order history and search rankings all have to survive the move. If you are only redesigning on the same platform, most of this still applies, just with lower stakes.
The pre-migration checklist
- Full data export and backup. Customers, order history, product catalog, blog content, metafields, discount codes. Export it and verify the export opens correctly before you touch anything live.
- App and integration inventory. List every app, script and third-party integration touching the current store (reviews, loyalty, subscriptions, ERP, email/SMS, ads pixels) and confirm a Shopify-compatible path for each one. This is where scope usually hides.
- URL redirect map. Every existing URL that Google has indexed needs a 301 to its new equivalent. Skipped redirects are the single biggest cause of a post-migration traffic drop, not the migration itself.
- A staging environment. Build and test the new store on a separate Shopify instance under a different URL, so development never touches the live site customers are ordering from.
- A theme and code audit. Know what you're actually carrying forward. Old stores accumulate carousel implementations nobody uses and tracking scripts nobody can name; a migration is the cheapest time to leave them behind.
- SEO and structured data continuity. Titles, meta descriptions, canonical tags, product schema and the sitemap all need to move with the content, not get rebuilt from scratch after launch.
- A cutover window and a rollback plan. Pick a low-traffic window, but plan as if it will be busy anyway. Know exactly how you'd revert DNS if something breaks after go-live, and who's watching the dashboard for the first 24 hours.
What migration day actually looks like
When we replatformed Miduty from their previous setup onto Shopify, the store was already live and taking 400 to 500 orders a day. Downtime or lost orders were not an option. We built the new store on a separate instance, migrated customer data, order history and blog content down to the last byte, then handled URL redirection and backend reconfiguration for zero drop-offs and full SEO continuity.
Launch day started at 8:30am and the team worked past midnight watching the dashboard. The result: zero minutes of downtime, and Miduty hit its highest-ever revenue day on the day of the migration itself. That is the bar a migration plan should be built to clear, not the exception.
How long it takes, and what it costs
Both depend entirely on scope. A theme rebuild on Shopify with a clean catalog can move fast. A full replatform off another system, with a large catalog, custom integrations and multiple markets, takes longer and costs more. We don't publish a flat rate because a rate card would be wrong for most stores either way. Book a call and we'll scope it against your actual store.
FAQ
How long does a Shopify migration take?
Most replatforms run 4 to 10 weeks depending on catalog size, custom features and how many integrations need rebuilding. A straightforward theme rebuild on the same platform is faster than a full migration from another platform onto Shopify.
How much does a Shopify migration cost?
It depends on your catalog size, integrations and how much custom logic your current theme carries. We scope every migration against the actual store rather than a flat rate card, and give a real number on a call.
Can you migrate a store without any downtime?
Yes, if the new store is built and tested on a separate instance first and traffic is cut over only once everything is verified. We ran Miduty's migration this way at 400 to 500 orders a day with zero minutes of downtime.
Will I lose my Google rankings after migrating?
Not if every old URL 301-redirects to its new equivalent and your metadata, structured data and sitemap move with the content. Ranking dips usually come from skipped redirects, not from the migration itself.