How to Test a Store Migration Before Going Live

Migrating your online store to a new platform can unlock better performance, improved features, and greater scalability — but only if the process is done right. One of the most important (yet often overlooked) steps is testing your migration before going live. Skipping this can lead to data loss, broken links, poor customer experiences, and a drop in SEO rankings. Whether you're migrating from WooCommerce to Shopify, PrestaShop to BigCommerce, or anywhere in between, testing helps you catch and correct issues early — before they affect your customers. In this article, we’ll walk you through the essential steps to test your store migration using tools like Cart2Cart, so you can confidently flip the switch on launch day.

Why Pre-Migration Testing Is Critical

Before we get into the “how,” let’s look at the “why.” Testing your eCommerce migration offers several benefits:
  • ✅ Verifies that all data (products, customers, orders, etc.) is transferred correctly
  • ✅ Identifies formatting, duplication, or mapping issues
  • ✅ Reveals potential SEO or URL structure concerns
  • ✅ Ensures your new store is working as expected
  • ✅ Gives time to fix problems without impacting live traffic or sales
Skipping the testing phase is like launching a rocket without checking the engines — it might work, but if it fails, the fallout can be costly.

Step-by-Step Guide to Testing Your Migration

1. Run a Free Demo Migration (Using Cart2Cart)

If you're using Cart2Cart, your first move is to run a Free Demo Migration. This transfers a limited number of data entities (products, customers, orders, etc.) from your source store to your new platform. Why it matters:
  • You see how the actual migration works.
  • You can inspect the results in a live environment.
  • You avoid surprises during the full migration.
Tip: Use this opportunity to test data mappings, like how categories or product variants display on your new store.

2. Create a Staging Store (Not Your Live Site)

Testing should always be done in a staging environment — a clone of your new store that’s hidden from public view. Most major platforms and hosts offer staging environments. Why it matters:
  • You won’t interrupt live customers.
  • You can test layouts, checkout, and data without pressure.
  • Any mistakes made won’t affect real transactions.
Tip: If you’re migrating to Shopify, consider setting up a password-protected preview store. For WooCommerce or Magento, ask your host about creating a subdomain staging site.

3. Test All Core Store Data

Once the demo migration is complete, thoroughly review the following:

✅ Products & Categories

  • Are all products showing?
  • Do variants, attributes, SKUs, and inventory levels display correctly?
  • Are images loading properly?

✅ Customers & Orders

  • Do customer profiles appear accurately?
  • Can returning customers log in?
  • Are past order histories preserved?

✅ URLs & SEO

  • Are product and category URLs clean and SEO-friendly?
  • If SEO URLs were preserved, do old links still work?
  • Check 301 redirects if URL structures changed.

✅ Prices, Taxes & Shipping

  • Are pricing rules intact?
  • Are tax settings accurate for your regions?
  • Are shipping methods set up and working?
Tip: Use browser-based SEO tools (like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs) to crawl both old and new URLs for comparison.

4. Simulate a Live Purchase

One of the best ways to test your migrated store is to go through the entire buying process:
  1. Create a test customer account
  2. Add products to cart
  3. Apply a discount (if applicable)
  4. Checkout using a test payment method
  5. Receive the order email confirmation
If you encounter any bugs — like a button not working or an email not being triggered — you’ll want to fix these before going live.

5. Test Functionality & Integrations

Check that your store’s plugins, extensions, and integrations are all functioning post-migration:
  • Email marketing tools (e.g., Mailchimp, Klaviyo)
  • Payment gateways (PayPal, Stripe, etc.)
  • Analytics (Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel)
  • Shipping apps and tax calculators
  • POS or ERP integrations
Tip: Make sure any third-party apps are compatible with your new platform version.

6. Fix Issues and Document Changes

Document all issues found during testing and address them systematically:
  • Adjust product data mappings if fields didn’t transfer well
  • Fix missing images or metadata
  • Add 301 redirects to preserve SEO value
  • Re-sync data for any orders/customers created during the testing phase
Once you're confident everything works, back up the tested store configuration. You may need to reapply these adjustments during your full migration.

Bonus: What to Check After Full Migration

Even after you go live, continue monitoring key areas:
  • Google Search Console for crawl errors
  • Analytics traffic and bounce rates
  • Checkout conversion rate
  • Order fulfillment flow
  • Site speed and uptime
Migration is not just a technical event — it’s a customer experience event.

Final Thoughts

Testing your store migration before going live is one of the smartest things you can do to avoid post-launch surprises. With tools like Cart2Cart, it’s easier than ever to run a demo migration and preview results — all without touching your live store. Remember: A flawless migration doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by testing. Thinking about replatforming? Start with a Free Demo Migration from Cart2Cart and test before you commit → Start Here
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