Moving from Wix to Shopify: Full DIY Migration Guide

If you have been wondering how to switch from Wix to Shopify yourself without handing the process over to a developer or paying for a migration service, this guide walks through every step in plain language. It also covers how to migrate from Wix to Shopify without losing product data, page content or search engine rankings.

Wix is a capable all-in-one website builder and a genuinely useful starting point for many online stores. But as a store grows, its limitations become more visible: the product management tools are less specialised, the checkout customisation is more restricted, and the ecosystem of ecommerce apps is narrower than what Shopify provides. For store owners whose product range is expanding or whose revenue demands a more purpose-built platform, moving from to Shopify is a logical next step.

This is a DIY Wix to Shopify migration guide. It covers what to prepare, how to export and import your products and customers, how to rebuild pages and navigation, how to move your domain, how to create 301 redirects to protect SEO, and how to test everything before going live.

Why Switch from Wix to Shopify?

Wix remains the most popular all-in-one website builder in the world for good reason. It is accessible, flexible and as we previously discused works well for a wide range of website types. If you have outgrown Wix but are not sure Shopify is the right fit, it is worth reviewing Wix alternatives before committing to a migration. But for store owners who need a dedicated ecommerce platform, Shopify is the most direct upgrade path from Wix and it was built from the ground up specifically for selling.

That specialised focus shows in the details: the checkout is more customisable, the inventory system handles large catalogues more efficiently, the shipping and fulfilment integrations are broader, and the app ecosystem is built specifically around ecommerce workflows. Our detailed Wix vs Shopify comparison covers the full feature breakdown, but the main practical reasons store owners make the switch are:

• Scalability. Shopify handles large product catalogues, high order volumes and complex variant structures more reliably than Wix.
• Checkout control. Shopify gives more flexibility over checkout flow, upsells, abandoned cart recovery and payment options.
• App ecosystem. The Shopify App Store has thousands of commerce-specific integrations: subscriptions, loyalty, wholesale, POS and more.
• SEO tools. Both platforms offer SEO basics, but Shopify’s URL structure, sitemap generation and metadata tools tend to be more predictable at scale.
• Growth infrastructure. Analytics, multi-channel selling, international commerce and fulfilment integrations are more mature in Shopify’s ecosystem.

If any of these gaps are starting to constrain your business, switching makes sense.

Can You Transfer a Wix Site to Shopify Directly?

There is no one-click transfer that fully moves a Wix site into Shopify. The two platforms have different architectures, and the design, URL structure, page layouts, apps and some settings cannot be automatically converted.

Some data, primarily products and customer records, can be exported from Wix and imported into Shopify via CSV or migration apps. But the overall process is better described as a controlled rebuild rather than a straight transfer.

Here is an honest breakdown of what migrates and what needs to be rebuilt:

Understanding this table upfront sets realistic expectations and helps you plan the time the migration will actually take.

What to Prepare Before Moving from Wix to Shopify

Good preparation is the difference between a smooth migration and a chaotic one. Work through this checklist before you open Shopify:

• Back up the Wix site, do not close it during or immediately after migration
• Export all product data from Wix (CSV where supported)
• Export customer data if available
• Download all product images and media files
• Create a full list of all important Wix URLs (product pages, collection pages, blog posts, landing pages)
• Identify your top SEO pages: highest traffic, most backlinks
• Save existing page titles and meta descriptions
• Choose a Shopify plan that fits your needs
• Choose a Shopify theme before you start rebuilding
• Prepare access to your domain registrar and DNS settings
• Decide whether you will use CSV import, manual migration or a migration app
• Prepare your payment, shipping, tax, analytics and tracking setup

Step-by-Step DIY Wix to Shopify Migration

Step 1. Create Your Shopify Store

Go to Shopify.com and create your account. Once inside the dashboard:

• Set your store name, default currency, region and timezone under Settings › General
• Configure your billing information
• Choose and install a Shopify theme: browse the free themes in the Theme Library or explore the Theme Store for premium options; look at real Shopify store examples for design inspiration
• Customise the theme to match your brand: colours, fonts, header and footer layout
• Keep the store password-protected under Online Store › Preferences until launch, this prevents Google from crawling an incomplete site

Do not rush the theme setup. The theme determines the entire visual structure of your store, and changing it significantly later adds extra work.

Step 2. Export Your Data from Wix

Wix does not provide a direct product export that is pre-formatted for Shopify. You have a few options:

Option A: Manual CSV export and formatting. Go to your Wix dashboard, navigate to your store products, and export the available CSV. You will then need to reformat this file to match Shopify’s product import template, which requires specific column names for title, body (HTML), vendor, type, tags, handle, variant SKU, price, inventory, image URLs and more. Download Shopify’s official product CSV template to use as a reference.

Option B: Migration app. Apps like Matrixify (formerly Excelify) or Cart2Cart can automate parts of the product and customer transfer. These tools typically cost money and still require manual review after the import, but they can save significant time for larger catalogues.

Option C: Manual entry. For stores with fewer than 20–30 products, manually entering products directly into Shopify may be faster than formatting CSV files correctly.

Whatever approach you use, save all product images locally before starting. Wix-hosted images will not automatically transfer, you need to upload them to Shopify separately.

Step 3. Import Products to Shopify

Once your CSV is prepared and formatted correctly:

1. In the Shopify admin, go to Products › Import
2. Upload your CSV file and run a test import on a small batch first
3. Review the imported products carefully: check titles, descriptions, prices, SKUs, variants, image assignments and inventory levels
4. Fix any formatting errors and re-import if needed
5. Recreate collections (Shopify’s equivalent of Wix product categories), either manually or using automated collection rules based on product tags
6. Check product URLs: Shopify generates handles automatically, but you can edit them; try to match your old Wix product slugs to minimise redirect complexity later

After import, manually review a sample of products across different types and variants. Automated imports reliably produce formatting issues that need human review.

Step 4. Rebuild Key Pages in Shopify

You cannot transfer your Wix page design directly to Shopify. Every page needs to be rebuilt inside the Shopify theme editor or using a Shopify page builder app (like Shogun or PageFly).

Prioritise rebuilding these pages in order:

• Homepage: most critical for first impressions and conversions
• About page: trust-building content
• Contact page: with a working form
• FAQ page: reduce customer support load
• Shipping and returns policy pages: legally important and frequently visited
• Landing pages: especially any that run paid traffic
• Important blog posts: especially those with organic traffic or backlinks

When rebuilding, carry over the same page titles, headings and meta descriptions from Wix. Keep internal link structure logical and update all links to point to the correct Shopify URLs. Do not simply paste text: format headings properly (H1, H2, H3) and check the reading experience on mobile.

Step 5. Set Up Shopify Collections and Navigation

Collections are how Shopify organises products into browsable categories. After rebuilding your product pages, set up your collection structure:

• Create a collection for each product category from your Wix store
• Add products to collections manually or via automated rules (by tag, product type or price)
• Add collection-level descriptions and images where your theme supports them
• Set up filters and sorting options if your theme allows it

Then rebuild your navigation menus under Online Store › Navigation:

• Main menu: primary categories, key pages
• Footer menu: policies, contact, secondary links

Walk through the site as a first-time visitor and verify that every navigation path reaches the right destination. Update all internal links in page content to use correct Shopify URLs rather than Wix paths.

Step 6. Migrate Customers and Orders

Customers: Export your Wix customer list as a CSV and import it into Shopify under Customers › Import. Check that name, email, phone and address fields have mapped correctly after import.

One important limitation: customer passwords cannot be migrated from Wix to Shopify. Shopify uses a different authentication system. Imported customers will need to set new passwords before they can log into accounts on your new store. Plan a post-launch email to notify them and provide an account activation link.

Order history: Full order history migration is more complex and typically requires a paid migration app. For most small and medium stores, historical order data is not critical for the new store’s operation, but if your business relies on order history for warranty, subscription or loyalty purposes, factor in the extra time and cost this requires.

Step 7. Move Your Domain from Wix to Shopify

If you need a primer on how DNS works before starting this step, our guide on what a domain name is and how domains work covers the basics clearly.

You have two main options:

Option A: Connect your domain (keep it at current registrar). Update your DNS records to point to Shopify without transferring domain management. In Shopify admin, go to Online Store › Domains › Connect existing domain, follow the instructions and update your A record to point to Shopify’s IP (23.227.38.65) and your CNAME record to shops.myshopify.com. DNS propagation typically takes a few hours but can take up to 48 hours.

Option B: Transfer domain management to Shopify. If your domain is registered with Wix, go to My Domains in your Wix dashboard, select the domain, click Advanced › Transfer away from Wix and request an EPP/authorisation code. Provide this code in Shopify’s domain transfer flow under Online Store › Domains › Transfer in your domain. Note: domains registered within the last 60 days cannot be transferred per ICANN rules. The full transfer process takes approximately 7 days.

Whichever option you choose:

• Verify SSL is active after the domain connects (Shopify provisions SSL automatically)
• Preserve email DNS records: MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records can be accidentally overwritten during DNS changes, breaking email delivery
• Test the domain on the live site before announcing the launch

Step 8. Set Up Payments, Shipping, Taxes and Checkout

This step is critical and often underestimated in its complexity. Do not launch without completing and testing every item here.

Payments:

• Enable Shopify Payments if available in your country (removes transaction fees)
• Add alternative payment methods: PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, buy now pay later options
• Test the full checkout flow with a real card using Shopify’s test mode

Shipping:

• Recreate all shipping zones under Settings › Shipping and delivery
• Configure rates by weight, price or carrier for each zone
• Check that free shipping thresholds are set correctly
• Test shipping rates showing at checkout

Taxes:

• Configure tax settings under Settings › Taxes and duties based on your business location and where you sell
• Verify tax collection is correct for your key markets

Checkout:

• Customise checkout branding (logo, colours) under Settings › Checkout
• Configure order confirmation and shipping notification emails under Settings › Notifications
• Do a real test order from a customer’s perspective: add to cart, checkout, pay and verify the confirmation email arrives

Step 9. Create 301 Redirects from Wix URLs to Shopify URLs

This is the step most DIY migrations get wrong and it is the single most important thing you can do to protect your SEO during a Wix to Shopify migration.

Every Wix URL that has organic traffic, backlinks or search rankings needs a 301 redirect pointing to the correct new Shopify URL. Without these, anyone following an old link: from Google, a blog mention or a social post, lands on a 404 error page. Search engines interpret mass 404s as content loss, which can cause significant ranking drops.

Key URL changes to account for in Shopify:

To set up redirects in Shopify, go to Online Store › Navigation › URL Redirects. You can add redirects one by one or upload a CSV for bulk import.

Work through your URL list systematically:

1. Start with your highest-traffic and highest-ranking pages: these carry the most SEO risk
2. Map every old Wix URL to its most relevant Shopify equivalent
3. Do not redirect all old URLs to the homepage, this signals to search engines that content is gone, not moved
4. After launch, check Google Search Console for 404 errors and create redirects for any missed URLs

Step 10. Test Your Shopify Store Before Launch

Run through this checklist methodically before removing the store password:

• Complete a test order end-to-end (add to cart → checkout → payment → confirmation)
• Test on mobile: check every page and the full checkout flow on a phone
• Check all product variants display and price correctly
• Test cart behaviour (add, remove, update quantities)
• Verify all payment methods are active
• Check shipping rates appear correctly at checkout for key zones
• Test discount codes if you use them
• Submit the contact form and verify you receive the notification
• Check all email notifications (order confirmation, shipping update)
• Verify analytics tracking is firing (Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, etc.)
• Check page loading speed, especially homepage and top product pages
• Test all 301 redirects for key old Wix URLs
• Look for 404 errors by browsing the site as a visitor
• Check that all images load on all pages
• Verify SSL is active (HTTPS in browser bar)

Test on multiple devices and browsers. Issues found before launch are free to fix, issues found by customers after launch cost you sales and trust.

Step 11. Launch Your Shopify Store

Once testing is complete:

1. Remove the storefront password under Online Store › Preferences
2. Confirm your domain is pointing to Shopify and SSL is active
3. Submit your XML sitemap to Google Search Console (yourstore.com/sitemap.xml)
4. Check the Coverage report in Search Console for crawl errors and 404s in the days after launch
5. Monitor organic traffic and rankings week-on-week, some short-term fluctuation is normal after a platform migration
6. Test forms and checkout again on the live site, not just on the test version
7. Keep your Wix account and site active for several weeks after launch: use it as a reference and for redirect verification

Do not assume everything is done on launch day. Post-launch monitoring is essential.

Wix to Shopify Migration SEO Checklist

SEO risk is the biggest concern in any platform migration. Run through this checklist in parallel with the technical migration:

• Export all Wix URLs before starting migration
• Identify pages with traffic, rankings or backlinks: prioritise these for redirects
• Map every important old URL to its new Shopify equivalent
• Create 301 redirects for all mapped URLs in Shopify
• Transfer page titles and meta descriptions to all rebuilt pages
• Keep image alt text from Wix where possible; add it where missing
• Rebuild internal links using correct Shopify URLs
• Check canonical URLs on key pages, avoid duplicate content issues
• Recreate or migrate blog content with consistent headings and metadata
• Generate and submit XML sitemap in Google Search Console
• Monitor 404 errors in Search Console for at least 4–6 weeks post-launch
• Track rankings and organic traffic week-on-week after launch
• Avoid changing too many SEO elements at once. make staged changes where possible

Common Mistakes When Switching from Wix to Shopify

• Launching without 301 redirects. This is the most damaging mistake, every unredirected old URL becomes a dead end for search engines and visitors.
• Migrating products but forgetting content pages. About pages, FAQ pages and policy pages also have SEO value and need to be rebuilt and redirected.
• Ignoring blog URLs. Blog posts often carry significant organic traffic and backlinks, map and redirect every one.
• Forgetting email DNS records. Changing nameservers or DNS settings can silently break email delivery if MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records are not preserved.
• Not checking product variants. CSV imports frequently produce errors in variant data (sizes, colours, options) that need manual correction.
• Not testing checkout. A broken checkout is a revenue emergency, test it thoroughly before launch, not after.
• Not reviewing mobile layout. Shopify themes behave differently from Wix layouts on mobile, check every page on a phone.
• Changing URL structure without redirect mapping. If Shopify URLs differ from Wix URLs (they usually do), every changed URL needs a redirect or you lose SEO equity.
• Forgetting meta titles and descriptions. These do not carry over automatically, they need to be re-entered for every page.
• Closing the Wix site too early. Keep Wix active for at least 4–6 weeks after launch for reference and SEO monitoring.
• Not monitoring Search Console after launch. 404 errors and indexation problems surface in Search Console first: check it regularly in the weeks after migration.

How Long Does Wix to Shopify Migration Take?

Realistic time estimates for a DIY migration:

The main time factors are:

• Number of products and variant complexity
• Number of pages and blog posts to rebuild
• Design complexity and amount of custom content
• Number of apps and integrations to replace
• SEO structure and redirect volume
• Amount of manual cleanup needed after import

Plan conservatively: the CSV formatting and manual review stages almost always take longer than expected. For a sense of what professional migration services cost alongside the time investment, our guide on how much a website migration costs covers what drives pricing in both DIY and assisted approaches.

Should You Migrate from Wix to Shopify Yourself or Hire an Expert?

This guide is built for the DIY approach, but it is worth being honest about where the limits of self-migration are.

DIY migration is a good fit if:

• Your store has fewer than 200 products
• Product variants are simple (few options, no complex combinations)
• There are not many SEO-critical pages with significant organic traffic
• The design is relatively straightforward
• You are comfortable working with CSV files and basic DNS settings
• You have time to test everything carefully before and after launch

Consider hiring an expert if:

• Your store has a large catalogue with complex variants
• You have stable organic traffic that generates meaningful revenue
• Your URL structure is complex with many redirects required
• You need a custom-designed Shopify theme
• Multiple third-party integrations need to be reconnected
• Historical order data migration is business-critical
• The cost of lost conversions or traffic during migration is high

For guidance on finding and vetting migration professionals, our guide on how to hire someone to build or migrate a website is a useful reference.

If you are not certain Shopify is the right destination, perhaps you want to evaluate other options before committing. It is worth reviewing Shopify alternatives and our Shopify vs WooCommerce comparison before starting the migration.

Final DIY Wix to Shopify Migration Checklist

Use this as your master reference throughout the process:

Setup

• Shopify store created and basic settings configured
• Theme selected and customised

Products and catalogue

• Products exported from Wix and CSV formatted for Shopify
• Products imported and manually reviewed
• Product images uploaded
• Collections configured and products assigned
• Product URLs checked

Pages and content

• Homepage rebuilt
• Key pages rebuilt (About, Contact, FAQ, policies)
• Landing pages rebuilt
• Blog posts migrated and formatted
• Internal links updated

Navigation

• Main menu created
• Footer menu created

Customers

• Customer list imported
• Post-launch account activation email planned

Domain and technical

• Domain connected to Shopify
• SSL confirmed active
• Email DNS records (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC) preserved

Payments, shipping and checkout

• Payment gateways configured
• Shipping zones and rates set up
• Tax settings configured
• Checkout branding customised
• Transactional emails reviewed

SEO and redirects

• 301 redirects created for all important old Wix URLs
• Page titles and meta descriptions added to all pages
• XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console
• Analytics and tracking pixels installed

Testing and launch

• Test order completed
• Mobile layout checked
• All redirects tested
• Storefront password removed
• 404 errors monitored in Search Console
• Wix site kept accessible for reference

FAQ About Wix to Shopify Migration

Conclusion

DIY Wix to Shopify migration is entirely possible and for small to medium stores, it is the most practical approach. The most important parts of the process are: thorough preparation, correct product import and manual review, page rebuilding in Shopify, domain connection and email DNS preservation, 301 redirects for every important old URL, SEO configuration before launch and careful testing before you remove the storefront password.

Switching from Wix to Shopify is not a one-click process, but it is a structured one. A careful step-by-step approach is what separates a smooth migration from one that causes traffic loss, broken checkouts and frustrated customers.

If you are managing similar migrations across other platforms, our guide on how to switch from Squarespace to Shopify covers a comparable process with platform-specific redirect and SEO considerations.