Moving to Shopify without losing your Google traffic
A platform move is mostly a data and URL project. The checklist we go through before switching the domain.
Most of the traffic lost after a migration comes from old URLs that stop working. The new design gets all the attention, but the redirects decide whether Google keeps sending visitors.
1. Export every URL that matters
Before touching anything, export the old site's URLs: products, categories, pages and blog posts. Add the pages that get traffic or have links from other sites, using Google Search Console. This list becomes your redirect map.
2. Map old URLs to new ones
Shopify uses fixed patterns: /products/, /collections/, /pages/, /blogs/. Your old structure won't match, so every important URL needs a redirect to its new address. Shopify's URL redirects screen accepts a CSV import, which saves a lot of clicking on bigger catalogs.
3. Move the data in the right order
Products first, then customers, then orders if you need the history. After each import, open a sample of products and check variants, images and SEO titles. A matching product count doesn't mean the data is right.
4. Plan for customer passwords
Passwords can't be moved from another platform, so customers will need to activate their account on Shopify. Send the account invites close to launch with a short note that explains why, so people don't mistake them for phishing.
5. Reviews, subscriptions and other app data
These live in apps, not in Shopify itself. Check early whether the new app can import them. Subscriptions need the most planning, because moving saved payment details depends on the payment providers involved.
6. Test before switching the domain
- Open twenty old URLs and confirm each one lands on the right page.
- Place a real test order and refund it.
- Check the emails: order confirmation, shipping, account invite.
- Submit the new sitemap in Search Console right after launch.
Rankings often move a bit in the first weeks. When the redirects are right, they usually settle.
If you're planning a move, a store audit of your current site shows what has to carry over: indexed URLs, redirects, structured data and tracking.
