Shopify to WooCommerce: UK migration checklist

What to take away

Map the Shopify URLs you cannot afford to lose

Export the Shopify sitemap and your Search Console performance report, then list every URL that earns clicks or links.

Product pages, collections, blog posts and landing pages all matter. Shopify collection URLs commonly use the /collections/ path, while product variants may have their own URLs or canonical signals; check these against the WooCommerce destinations. Record Shopify CDN image URLs and update image references on the new site, as those image paths may not transfer with your domain. Cart and checkout URLs can be dropped because they were never indexable.

A migration only pays if the new store fits how you sell, so weigh product counts, subscription needs and design freedom before committing.

Open each old URL and note its job: product, category or guide. Include any existing Shopify redirects in the map, so they are not lost in the move.

Redirect each old .co.uk address to its replacement

Write the redirect map as a spreadsheet with two columns: the old path and the new path. Apply it at server level or with the WordPress Redirection plugin; Rank Math and Yoast SEO also offer redirect features, depending on edition. For catalogue imports, compare Cart2Cart, LitExtension and WP All Import with its WooCommerce add-on. Check each tool's coverage for variants, images, customers, orders and URL fields; an import does not replace the redirect map.

Small details break matches, from trailing slashes to capital letters. Shopify product handles are usually lowercase words split by hyphens, so copying that permalink pattern in WooCommerce saves rewrites.

Point internal links and the XML sitemap at the new addresses before launch. Then remove the old Shopify sitemap from Search Console and submit the replacement.

Crawl the finished map and fix any chain longer than one hop.

Rebuild UK VAT and shipping settings in WooCommerce

Shopify applies tax rules quietly in the background. WooCommerce starts with none, so you enter every rate and attach it to the right product. Check the current VAT rates before you open the tax settings.

Zero-rated goods such as children's clothes and most food follow the product, not the shop. Put them in a separate tax class so a mixed basket still totals correctly.

The Value Added Tax Regulations 1995 set out what a VAT invoice must show and how long records are kept, so compare your new invoice template with them.

Shipping needs the same care. Rebuild zones by UK postcode area, then add rates. If you promised free delivery over a set spend, enter the same number and test a basket just below it.

Rebuild cookies and consent after the move

A new WooCommerce install brings a different plugin set, and several of those plugins may set their own cookies. The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) govern the use of cookies and similar technologies; consent is generally required unless an exception applies. The ICO's guidance on storage and access technologies explains the rules. Complianz – GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent is one plugin option for managing consent on the new site.

Keep a short register of each cookie, its purpose and its lifetime. If analytics or advertising tags ran on Shopify, check whether they now fire before consent.

Run the migration in five steps

For an agency-led move, compare UK ecommerce agencies such as Swanky, Eastside Co and Space 48. Use the UK ecommerce platform migration services guide to structure your questions, and confirm each agency has relevant Shopify-to-WooCommerce experience. Ask for the redirect map, import scope, VAT and shipping rebuild, and post-launch SEO support in writing.

Common questions

Will I lose my Google rankings if I move to WooCommerce?

Not if the domain stays the same and every indexed URL redirects to a live page of matching intent. Expect short dips while Google recrawls, so check coverage weekly for a month.

How long does a Shopify to WooCommerce migration take?

A shop with a few hundred products usually takes two to four weeks when built on a staging copy. Catalogues with subscriptions or several integrations take longer.

Do I need to register for VAT again?

No. VAT registration belongs to the business, not the platform. Only the invoice layout and the record-keeping routine change.

Can I keep Shopify Payments and my Shopify apps?

Shopify Payments only works inside Shopify, so you will need a replacement gateway that supports WooCommerce. Options include Stripe, Worldpay, Opayo (formerly Sage Pay) and PayPal; check that the gateway suits your merchant account and payment needs. Apps do not transfer at all.