WooCommerce Migration Checklist: Everything You Need to Know

Switching your online store to WooCommerce? Great choice. Whether you’re coming from Shopify, Magento, PrestaShop, Wix, or another eCommerce platform, WooCommerce gives you full control over your store, superior customization, and ownership of your data. But like any platform migration, the process needs to be done carefully and systematically. That’s where this complete WooCommerce migration checklist comes in. Why Use a WooCommerce Migration Checklist? Migrating an online store involves multiple moving parts:
  • Products
  • Customers
  • Orders
  • Categories
  • SEO URLs
  • Design and functionality
Without a proper plan, you risk data loss, broken links, and downtime. A checklist ensures you migrate everything safely and efficiently. Pre-Migration Checklist: Preparing for WooCommerce

1. Define Your Migration Goals

  • Are you migrating just products, or also orders and customers?
  • Are you changing your domain or store design?
  • Will SEO rankings and custom features need to be preserved?
Tip: Knowing your end goals ensures a smoother, cleaner WooCommerce setup.
  1. Audit Your Current Store
  • Export a backup or full data export (CSV, XML, or via API)
  • Remove outdated products, inactive customers, old plugins
  • Document URL structures, custom fields, and important features
  1. Choose Hosting for WooCommerce
  • WooCommerce is self-hosted — pick a reliable provider.
  • Recommended WooCommerce hosts (2025):
SiteGround, Kinsta, Cloudways, Nexcess, Bluehost
  1. Set Up a Fresh WordPress + WooCommerce Install
  • Install the latest version of WordPress
  • Install and activate the WooCommerce plugin
  • Choose a lightweight, WooCommerce-optimized theme:
    • Astra, Storefront, OceanWP, Flatsome
  1. Create a Backup of Your Source Store
  • Back up files, database, and media
  • If migrating from Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce — export a full dataset
  • Use backup plugins or third-party services
Migration Process Checklist: Moving to WooCommerce

6. Choose a Migration Method

Option A: Automated Migration Tool (Recommended)

Use Cart2Cart — a reliable solution to automate the transfer of:
  • Products (with images, SKUs, variations)
  • Categories & tags
  • Customer accounts
  • Order history
  • Coupons, taxes
  • SEO URLs, metadata
Benefits:
  • No coding
  • No data loss
  • No downtime
  • Free demo migration

Option B: Manual Import (for small stores)

  • Use built-in WooCommerce CSV importers for products/customers
  • Use plugins for importing orders (e.g., WP All Import)
  1. Run a Demo Migration
  • Always start with a demo migration
  • Verify:
    • Product titles, descriptions, images
    • Category hierarchy
    • Order structure and customer details
Check how URLs are formatted — critical for SEO preservation.
  1. Perform the Full Migration
  • Begin the full data transfer (automated or manual)
  • Monitor progress — it can take from 30 minutes to several hours
  • Ensure source store remains live during migration to avoid downtime
Post-Migration Checklist: Setting Up WooCommerce

9. Review and Clean Up Imported Data

  • Double-check product descriptions, categories, tags, and stock
  • Confirm tax, shipping, and payment settings
  • Test order checkout flow
  1. Set Up Customer Accounts
  • Customer accounts will be imported, but passwords are encrypted and can’t be moved
  • Send "Reset Password" emails using plugins or email marketing tools
  1. Set Up 301 Redirects (SEO Critical)
Preserve your existing SEO rankings by redirecting old URLs to their WooCommerce counterparts.
  • Use redirect plugins (e.g., Redirection, RankMath Pro)
  • Or select Cart2Cart's SEO URL migration add-on
  1. Install Key Plugins
Purpose Recommended Plugin
SEO RankMath, Yoast SEO
Caching WP Rocket, LiteSpeed
Image Optimization ShortPixel, Imagify
Security Wordfence, Sucuri
Email Marketing MailPoet, Klaviyo
Analytics Google Site Kit, MonsterInsights
  1. Test WooCommerce Store Functionality
  • Add test products to cart
  • Place test orders (simulate payment)
  • Test mobile responsiveness
  • Check email notifications
  1. Enable Payment & Shipping Gateways
  • Configure payment methods: Stripe, PayPal, WooCommerce Payments
  • Set up shipping zones, rates, and options (flat rate, live shipping)
  1. Monitor Performance & SEO
  • Use tools like Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and GTmetrix
  • Watch for crawl errors, broken links, or slow pages
  • Monitor bounce rate and page traffic
Bonus: After Migration Success Checklist
Task Status
SSL installed and secure ✅
Sitemap submitted to Google ✅
Robots.txt optimized ✅
Mobile usability checked ✅
Product schema markup working ✅
Conversion tracking enabled ✅
Final Thoughts Migrating to WooCommerce opens the door to greater flexibility, scalability, and complete store ownership. But without a clear WooCommerce migration checklist, it’s easy to overlook critical steps — from preserving SEO to securing customer data. By following this guide step-by-step, you’ll ensure your store transfers smoothly, securely, and ready for growth in 2025 and beyond. Start Your WooCommerce Migration Today Want a fast, safe, and code-free way to move your store to WooCommerce? Try Cart2Cart's Free Demo Migration and preview your store on WooCommerce — without affecting your live site.
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