Use this checklist from discovery through post-launch monitoring. Sign off each phase before go-live — audit, data mapping, staging QA, redirects, and launch runbook.
- Discovery must quantify products, customers, orders, subscriptions, and integrations.
- Redirect maps belong in scope before import — not launch week.
- Staging QA needs scenario-based tests, not checkbox reviews.
- Post-launch monitoring for 30 days catches SEO and checkout regressions.
Whether you operate in the US, UK, or Australia, a structured checklist prevents revenue leaks, SEO drops, and data gaps that cost far more than the migration itself. Use this as your internal sign-off document before go-live — each phase should have a named owner and a written pass/fail before you advance.
Start with a migration audit that counts products, variants, customers, orders, subscriptions, and integrations. Without entity counts, timeline and budget estimates are guesses. The checklist below assumes audit deliverables exist: a data map, redirect outline, and integration RACI.
Phase 1: Discovery and audit
- Document current platform, hosting, payment gateways, and fulfilment workflows
- Export product, customer, and order counts; flag subscriptions and B2B accounts
- Inventory custom code, ERP connectors, and marketplace integrations
- Benchmark current organic traffic, top landing pages, and conversion rates
- Complete a migration audit before committing to a timeline or budget
Phase 2: Scope and data mapping
- Define which order history depth you need (12 months vs full archive)
- Map product attributes, metafields, variants, and bundle structures
- Confirm tax, currency, and multi-store requirements for international brands
- Identify content pages, blogs, and landing pages requiring URL preservation
Phase 3: Shopify build and staging
- Configure Shopify Markets, shipping zones, and payment methods per region
- Rebuild theme or migrate design system with performance in mind
- Install and configure apps for reviews, subscriptions, loyalty, and ERP
- Import data to a password-protected staging store for QA
Phase 4: SEO and redirects
- Build a complete 301 redirect map from old URLs to new Shopify URLs
- Import redirects via Online Store → Navigation → URL Redirects in Shopify admin (CSV bulk import for most migrations)
- For redirect volumes above ~100,000 URLs, plan edge redirects via Cloudflare or Fastly with Shopify as origin
- Preserve title tags, meta descriptions, and canonical patterns where possible
- Submit updated sitemap and monitor Search Console after launch
Phase 5: Launch readiness
- Schedule cutover during low-traffic window with rollback plan
- Verify checkout, tax calculation, and email notifications end-to-end
- Lower DNS TTL 48 hours before cutover
- Confirm payment gateway credentials on Shopify before DNS switch
- Prepare launch runbook with roles, timestamps, and rollback criteria
Phase 6: Post-launch monitoring
- Monitor 404s, indexation, and ad platform feeds for 30 days
- Run daily Search Console and analytics review for the first two weeks
- Triage redirect gaps and pattern fixes from crawl diffs
- Verify subscription billing and ERP sync error rates against agreed SLAs
Common mistakes on this topic
- Skipping written sign-off between migration phases.
- Launching without a rollback runbook and low-traffic cutover window.
- Testing only happy-path checkout — not discounts, B2B, or subscriptions.
- Deprioritising blog and content URL redirects behind product URLs.
Questions about this topic
When should I start this checklist?
At vendor selection — before you sign migration delivery. Use it to compare agency proposals apples-to-apples.
Can I use this for Magento or BigCommerce?
Yes. Phases are platform-agnostic; data mapping details differ by source platform.
Who signs off each phase?
Merchandising, CS, finance, and IT stakeholders — not only the agency QA team.
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