Shopify Migration Checklist

Migrations do not fail at go-live. They fail at week four, when Google finishes re-crawling the new site and the SEO gaps surface. Every item on this checklist exists because a real migration failed without it.

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16+

Years in business

500+

Projects Delivered

50+

Team Members

98%

Client Retention

Week 3-6

when most post-migration SEO problems surface

Google does not re-evaluate a migrated site immediately. Most ranking movement becomes visible between weeks three and six post-launch as crawlers complete their re-assessment. Shero monitors daily through the full period.

1 year

minimum duration to keep 301 redirects live

Redirects should stay live for a minimum of one year after migration, ideally indefinitely. Removing redirects before Google has fully transferred ranking signals from the old URLs to the new ones loses accumulated link equity permanently.

16+

years of platform migration experience

Shero has managed platform migrations to Shopify since the platform launched. Every item on this checklist exists because a real migration failed without it.

98%

client retention

Most Shero migration clients continue on a Shopify support retainer after launch. The Shopify SEO migration page covers the full SEO workstream built into every Shero migration engagement.

Working with Shero has been an outstanding experience. Their team is highly skilled and easy to work with.

Douglas J. Stang, VP, E-commerce, Justrite Safety Group

What this checklist covers

This checklist covers the complete Shopify migration workstream from pre-migration audit through 90-day post-launch stabilisation. It is built from Shero's platform migration practice across Magento, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, SFCC, and custom platforms. Use it as a project management framework for your migration. Every item is a verified failure point from a real migration. Items marked as pre-launch are non-negotiable before DNS change. Items marked as post-launch define the monitoring period.

  • Pre-migration: source platform audit and data export
  • Pre-migration: URL inventory and redirect map build
  • Pre-migration: metadata backup and mapping
  • Launch: DNS change process and verification
  • Post-launch: Search Console setup and sitemap submission
  • Post-launch: 90-day organic monitoring protocol

Why brands work with Shero on migration

A checklist tells you what to do. An experienced agency tells you what will go wrong and in which order. The most expensive migration mistakes are the ones that look fine at launch and surface four weeks later when the team has moved on and Search Console starts showing the gaps.

01

Crawl the source platform before a single product is migrated

Run Screaming Frog on the source platform before migration begins. Export every indexed URL with its title tag, meta description, canonical, and internal link count. This export is the baseline for every redirect and metadata decision. Teams that skip this step miss thousands of indexed URLs Google will look for after launch.

02

The redirect map must cover every indexed URL, not just the high-traffic pages

Every URL Google has indexed will be tested after launch. A missing redirect on a page with 40 backlinks loses those links permanently. Shero builds redirect maps from the full Screaming Frog export, not from Analytics top-pages reports. One-to-one mapping, no redirect chains, verified before DNS change.

03

Back up all title tags and meta descriptions before migration

Shopify themes auto-generate metadata if fields are empty on import. A five-year-old product page with optimised title tags becomes a theme default the moment it lands in Shopify without explicit field values. Shero exports and maps all metadata to Shopify's import format so nothing is overwritten.

04

Test every redirect in staging before the DNS change

Redirect maps with thousands of entries have errors. Those errors are free to fix in staging and expensive after launch when Google has already crawled the broken URLs. Shero verifies every redirect in staging with a crawl tool before any DNS change is authorised. The Shopify SEO migration page covers the full workstream.

05

Annotate the migration date in GA4 and Search Console on go-live day

Migration annotations in GA4 and Search Console let the team correlate traffic changes with the migration event rather than guessing weeks later whether a traffic drop is migration-related or seasonal. Set the annotation on go-live day. If it is not set on the day, it cannot be set accurately later.

06

Monitor crawl errors in Search Console daily for 90 days, not monthly

Search Console crawl errors need daily review for 90 days post-migration, not monthly. A broken redirect spotted after 30 days loses 30 days of crawl equity recovery. Shero reviews Search Console error reports daily through the full stabilisation period. The migration services hub covers the full scope.

Our Work

View All
Provide solutions for industrial safety protection

Justrite

JustRite Safety Group is a leading manufacturer of workplace safety products with roots going back to 1906. The brand partnered with Shero to merge four separate Magento stores into a single multi-store megasite, allowing customers to shop across all brands with one shared cart.

Justrite
Premium Chocolates

Sarris Candies

Sarris Candies is a beloved retailer known for its premium chocolates and sweet treats. Looking to modernize their digital storefront, the brand partnered with Shero to move from a legacy custom .NET system to a more scalable, mobile-friendly, and marketing-flexible.

Sarris Candies
Drums and percussion instruments

Memphis Drum Shop

Memphis Drum Shop is a premier destination for drummers, offering a vast selection of drums, cymbals, and percussion instruments. Looking to reduce costs and modernize their platform, the brand partnered with Shero to migrate from Magento to Shopify with seamless ERP integration and custom browsing features.

Memphis Drum Shop
Premium milled golf putters & golf accessories

Swag Golf

Swag Golf is known for its limited-edition, bold golf gear and lifestyle products with a devoted following. Looking to align their online store with their unapologetic brand identity, the brand partnered with Shero to overhaul their Shopify theme, develop a dedicated evergreen product strategy, and drive stronger conversions.

Swag Golf

A 30-minute call with Shero produces a specific scope, timeline, and recommendation. No generic proposals.

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The Shopify migration checklist

01

Pre-migration: source platform audit

Crawl the source platform. Export all indexed URLs with metadata, canonical tags, internal link counts, and backlink data. Identify high-value pages requiring extra redirect attention.

02

Pre-launch: staging environment verification

Test every redirect in staging with a crawl tool before DNS change. Verify canonical tag configuration for Shopify's collection/product URL duplicate. Confirm sitemap contains only canonical 200-status URLs.

03

Launch day: DNS change and immediate checks

Change DNS. Annotate migration date in GA4 and Search Console. Verify sitemap at /sitemap.xml and submit to Search Console. Spot-check top-priority redirects immediately after DNS propagation.

04

Post-launch week 1: full redirect verification

Run a full crawl of the new Shopify store within 48 hours of launch. Compare against the pre-migration URL inventory. Identify and fix any missing redirects before Google crawls them.

05

Post-launch: 90-day monitoring

Monitor Search Console crawl errors, organic traffic, and key ranking positions daily for 90 days. Most issues surface between weeks three and six as Google completes its re-evaluation of the migrated site.

Frequently asked questions.

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What our clients say.

We design experiences that make a difference. See what our clients have to say about working with us.

Justrite Safety Group

"The collaboration between us and Shero Commerce on the Justrite multi-store site went beyond what we had hoped for.  They are a terrific partner to work with.  Their team’s dedication to understanding our unique requirements and delivering a high-quality, customized solution has greatly enhanced our online presence. The new website not only showcases our products effectively but also streamlines the shopping experience for our customers. We couldn’t be happier with the results and look forward to working with Shero Commerce on future projects."

Douglas J. Stang

VP of eCommerce / Justrite Safety Group

GEN-Y Hitch

"This has been the most impressive vendor partnership I have experienced. Every meeting felt purposeful, every milestone was clear, and the process was incredibly well-supported from start to finish. Shero delivered a seamless Shopify migration."

Kendra Borkholder

Kendra Borkholder - Operations Support / GEN-Y Hitch

Alto Music

"As a long-time client, we at Alto Music have always appreciated their technical expertise, but their recent migration of our site from Magento 2 to Shopify was exceptional. Shero preserved the essence of our beloved loyalty and rewards program, seamlessly integrating it into Shopify’s more efficient framework. The transition not only retained our unique features but also significantly simplified site management and reduced costs. We’re thrilled with the results and highly recommend Shero for any e-commerce needs."

Bobby Montemurro

VP Sales & Marketing / Alto Music

Memphis Drum Shop

"Working with the Shero team was professional, efficient, and inspiring. The Shero development team was extremely competent and provided solid solutions for our needs, as well as addressing any bugs or issues that arose during the process. Working with Shero exclusively through video technology was a new concept for our team that forced us to embrace modern methods of communication that will likely benefit our future relationships and business endeavors."

Shaun Carman

eCommerce Manager / Memphis Drum Shop

And you?

Let's build something great together.

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