How to Migrate From Wix to Shopify

Wix is an excellent website builder for getting online quickly. Its drag-and-drop editor, AI-powered design tools, and affordable pricing have made it a popular choice for small businesses launching their first website. But when ecommerce becomes a serious revenue channel — not just a side feature of a brochure website — Wix’s limitations become increasingly apparent.

This guide covers the complete process of migrating from Wix to Shopify. Whether your Wix store has fifty products or five thousand, the principles are the same: audit thoroughly, plan meticulously, execute carefully, and monitor relentlessly after launch. Before diving in, review our ecommerce migration checklist for the platform-agnostic foundations.

Why ecommerce brands outgrow Wix

Wix is a general-purpose website builder that added ecommerce functionality. Shopify is a purpose-built ecommerce platform. That fundamental difference explains almost every limitation Wix merchants encounter as they scale.

The tipping point

Most Wix merchants reach the migration tipping point between £30,000 and £150,000 in annual revenue. At this stage, the limitations are no longer minor inconveniences — they are directly costing you money.

Common triggers for migration:

• You need abandoned cart recovery — Wix offers this on Business and eCommerce plans, but with limited customisation compared to Shopify
• You want to sell on multiple channels — Shopify connects natively to Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Google Shopping, and more. Wix’s multi-channel capabilities are significantly more limited.
• Your catalogue is growing — Wix handles small catalogues well but becomes unwieldy as product counts grow into the hundreds or thousands
• You need better analytics — Wix Analytics provides basic traffic and sales data. Shopify’s built-in analytics and seamless integration with tools like Google Analytics 4 and Klaviyo give you the depth needed to make data-driven decisions.
• Your checkout conversion rate is poor — Shopify’s checkout is continuously optimised by a team of hundreds and processes billions in transactions. This level of conversion optimisation is not available on Wix.
• You need API access — Shopify’s REST and GraphQL APIs enable custom integrations with any third-party system. Wix’s API capabilities are more restricted.

When to stay on Wix

Be honest about scenarios where Wix remains a sensible choice. If your platform is not actually holding you back, do not migrate for its own sake.

• Your website is primarily a service business site (portfolio, booking, content) with a small shop component
• You sell fewer than 50 products and have no plans to scale significantly
• You do not need multi-channel selling, advanced discounting, or third-party integrations
• Your revenue is under £30,000 per year and the cost of migration exceeds the potential benefit
• You value Wix’s design flexibility for non-ecommerce pages more than ecommerce functionality

Wix ecommerce limitations in detail

Understanding exactly where Wix falls short helps you plan what needs to change and justify the investment in migration.

Product and catalogue management

• Product options — Wix supports product options and variants, but the system is less flexible than Shopify’s, particularly for complex product configurations
• Inventory management — no multi-location inventory, limited stock management tools compared to Shopify
• Collections — Wix product categories are basic compared to Shopify’s collection system with automated and manual collections
• Metafields — Wix does not have a structured metafield system for storing custom product data

Sales and marketing

• Discount engine — Wix’s discount tools are basic. Shopify supports automatic discounts, BOGO, tiered discounts, and complex rules.
• Gift cards — available on Wix but with fewer customisation options than Shopify
• App ecosystem — Wix has around 300 apps in its App Market. Shopify has over 8,000 in its App Store, with far deeper ecommerce-specific functionality.
• Checkout customisation — Wix checkout is rigid. Shopify (and especially Shopify Plus) offers extensive checkout customisation.

Technical and performance

• Page speed — Wix sites historically underperform on page speed metrics due to the platform’s architecture. Shopify’s CDN and performance-optimised themes generally deliver better Core Web Vitals scores.
• SEO control — while Wix has improved its SEO capabilities significantly, Shopify offers more granular control through theme code access and the Liquid templating language
• API access — Shopify’s API is comprehensive and well-documented, enabling integrations that are not possible on Wix

Pre-migration planning

Thorough planning prevents the most common migration problems. Create a complete inventory of your Wix site before you begin.

Site audit checklist

• Products — total count, product types (physical, digital, service), variants, custom fields, product options
• Product images — total count, image quality, whether they need re-editing for Shopify’s image aspect ratios
• Pages — list every page on your Wix site, including those created with Wix’s editor
• Blog posts — total count, categories, tags, embedded media, custom layouts
• Forms — contact forms, enquiry forms, subscription forms
• Wix Apps — list every installed Wix app and its function
• Integrations — email marketing, analytics, social media, payment processing, shipping
• Custom code — any Wix Velo (previously Corvid) custom code that needs to be replicated
• Customer data — contacts, members, subscriber lists
• Orders — historical order data and how much to migrate

Wix App replacement mapping

For each Wix app, determine the Shopify equivalent:

Wix App / Feature	Shopify equivalent
Wix Stores	Shopify (native)
Wix Bookings	BookThatApp, Tipo, or Sesami
Wix Blog	Shopify Blog (native)
Wix Chat	Shopify Inbox or Tidio
Wix Email Marketing	Klaviyo (recommended)
Wix Analytics	Shopify Analytics + GA4
Wix Forms	Shopify Forms or custom form
Wix Members	Shopify Customer Accounts
Wix Multilingual	Shopify Markets
Wix Subscriptions	Recharge, Skio, or Loop

Exporting data from Wix

Wix’s export capabilities have improved over the years but remain more limited than other platforms. Understanding what exports cleanly and what requires manual work is critical for accurate scoping.

What exports well

• Products — CSV export from Store Products → Export. Includes titles, descriptions, prices, SKUs, stock, images (as URLs), and variant information.
• Contacts — CSV export from the CRM → Contacts section
• Orders — CSV export of order history
• Blog posts — can be exported via RSS feed or WordPress XML export tools

What does not export

• Pages and page content — Wix pages built with the editor cannot be exported. Every page needs manual recreation.
• Design and layout — your Wix design does not transfer. You start fresh with a Shopify theme.
• Product images at full resolution — Wix CDN URLs may serve optimised (compressed) versions. Check image quality and re-upload originals if available.
• Wix Velo code — custom code written in Velo cannot be ported to Shopify. It needs to be rebuilt using Shopify’s Liquid templating language or custom apps.
• SEO settings — while product CSV includes some SEO data, page-level SEO settings need to be manually documented and re-applied.

Image download strategy

Download every image from your Wix media manager before cancelling your subscription. Wix CDN URLs will stop working after your account is cancelled or downgraded.

// Approach for downloading Wix product images
// 1. Export product CSV from Wix
// 2. Extract image URLs from the CSV
// 3. Download each image before cancelling Wix

const fs = require('fs');
const https = require('https');
const csv = require('csv-parser');

const downloadImages = () => {
  fs.createReadStream('wix-products.csv')
    .pipe(csv())
    .on('data', (row) => {
      if (row.productImageUrl) {
        const urls = row.productImageUrl.split(';');
        urls.forEach((url, i) => {
          const filename = `${row.sku || row.handleId}_${i}.jpg`;
          downloadFile(url.trim(), `./images/${filename}`);
        });
      }
    });
};

Product migration process

Wix product data maps reasonably well to Shopify, but there are important differences to manage during the transformation step.

Data field mapping

Wix field	Shopify equivalent	Notes
handleId	Handle	URL slug; clean up for Shopify format
name	Title	Direct mapping
description	Body (HTML)	Clean up Wix-specific HTML classes
price	Variant Price	Verify currency formatting
discountedPrice	Variant Price (with Compare At)	Set original as Compare At Price
sku	Variant SKU	Direct mapping
inventory	Variant Inventory Qty	Direct mapping
weight	Variant Grams	Convert to grams if needed
collection	Tags / Collection membership	Use tags for automated collections
productImageUrl	Image Src	Download and re-upload to Shopify

CSV transformation

Wix’s CSV format differs from Shopify’s expected format. You need to transform the column headers and data format before importing. Key transformations:

• Rename columns to match Shopify’s expected headers
• Convert variant data from Wix’s format to Shopify’s row-per-variant structure
• Replace Wix image URLs with your locally downloaded image paths (or upload separately via API)
• Clean up HTML in descriptions — remove Wix-specific class names and inline styles
• Convert weight units if necessary (Wix uses kg by default; verify Shopify is set to the same)

SEO preservation

Wix and Shopify use completely different URL structures. Without proper redirect mapping, any organic traffic your Wix site receives will be lost.

URL structure differences

Content type	Wix URL pattern	Shopify URL pattern
Products	/product-page/product-name	/products/product-name
Categories	/shop?Category=Name or custom	/collections/collection-name
Blog posts	/post/post-title	/blogs/news/post-title
Pages	/page-name	/pages/page-name
Shop page	/shop	/collections/all

Redirect strategy

1. Crawl your Wix site using Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to capture every indexable URL
2. Cross-reference with Google Search Console to identify pages with organic traffic and backlinks
3. Create a redirect mapping spreadsheet — every old URL mapped to its new Shopify URL
4. Import redirects into Shopify via Settings → Navigation → URL Redirects (CSV upload for bulk)
5. Handle query parameter URLs — Wix shop category pages often use query parameters (?Category=Dresses) which Shopify redirects handle differently. Test thoroughly.
6. Submit new sitemap to Google Search Console immediately after go-live

Content and page rebuild

Wix pages cannot be exported. Every page on your Wix site needs to be manually recreated on Shopify. This is often the most time-consuming part of a Wix migration.

Page types and their Shopify equivalents

• Homepage — rebuild using Shopify’s section-based editor. This is your most important page and should be rebuilt with ecommerce conversion in mind, not just design aesthetics.
• About page — create as a Shopify page with custom sections or a standard page template
• Contact page — use Shopify’s built-in contact form or a form app
• Gallery / portfolio pages — no direct Shopify equivalent. Use custom theme sections or a gallery app.
• Landing pages — rebuild using Shopify sections or a page builder app like Shogun or GemPages

Blog migration

Wix blog posts can be exported via RSS or manual copy. For each post:

1. Copy the content and convert to clean HTML
2. Download and re-upload all blog images
3. Recreate as a Shopify blog post with correct publish date, tags, and author
4. Apply SEO title and meta description from the original post
5. Update all internal links to point to new Shopify URLs

Design and theme selection

Wix’s visual editor allows pixel-perfect design control. Shopify’s approach is different — themes provide a structured framework of customisable sections. This is a trade-off: you lose some layout flexibility but gain a system that is specifically optimised for ecommerce conversion.

Theme options

• Free Shopify themes — Dawn and others provide clean, fast foundations. For stores migrating from Wix, these are often sufficient with minor customisation.
• Premium themes — £200–£400. More design options and built-in features. Good for stores that want a polished look without custom development.
• Custom theme — built to your specifications. If your Wix site had a distinctive brand identity, a custom Shopify theme ensures this carries over properly.

Design considerations for Wix migrants

• Accept the constraints — Shopify themes are section-based, not pixel-perfect editors. This is actually an advantage for ecommerce because it enforces design patterns that convert.
• Focus on product pages — your product page design is more important than homepage aesthetics. This is where revenue is generated.
• Mobile-first — many Wix sites look great on desktop but suffer on mobile. Build your Shopify theme mobile-first from the start.
• Performance — Wix sites are often heavy. Your new Shopify store should be noticeably faster. Do not add unnecessary apps or custom code that recreates the performance problems you are leaving behind.

Integration setup

One of the primary drivers for migrating to Shopify is access to its vastly larger integration ecosystem. Set up your priority integrations before go-live.

Priority integrations

• Email marketing — migrate from Wix Email Marketing to Klaviyo. The Shopify-Klaviyo integration provides ecommerce-specific email flows (abandoned cart, post-purchase, winback) that drive measurable revenue.
• Analytics — set up Google Analytics 4 and Google Tag Manager. Verify ecommerce tracking is firing correctly for all purchase events.
• Payment processing — set up Shopify Payments (powered by Stripe in the UK). This gives you the lowest transaction fees and the most seamless checkout experience.
• Shipping — configure Shopify Shipping rates or connect a third-party shipping solution. Set up Royal Mail, DPD, or your preferred carriers.
• Reviews — install a review collection app and migrate existing reviews if possible
• Accounting — connect Xero, QuickBooks, or FreeAgent via a Shopify integration. See our web design and development services for help with custom integrations.

Testing, launch, and post-migration

Systematic testing catches issues before they reach customers. This process applies to every migration, and the same principles we apply to Squarespace migrations hold here.

Testing checklist

• Products — verify a representative sample: titles, descriptions, prices, images, variants, inventory levels
• Checkout — complete test purchases with Shopify Payments, PayPal, and any other enabled methods
• Shipping — verify rates for UK domestic and international destinations
• Discount codes — test any discount codes you have created
• Tax — verify VAT is calculating correctly for UK and international orders
• Email notifications — trigger order confirmation, shipping notification, and account creation emails
• Redirects — validate every redirect from your mapping spreadsheet
• Mobile — test on actual iOS and Android devices across all key pages
• Performance — run PageSpeed Insights and verify Core Web Vitals scores
• Forms — test all contact and enquiry forms
• Integrations — verify all third-party integrations are sending and receiving data correctly

Go-live process

1. Download all media from Wix as a final backup
2. Verify all redirects are configured in Shopify
3. Remove the Shopify password page
4. Transfer or update DNS to point your domain to Shopify
5. Verify SSL certificate is active
6. Submit the new sitemap to Google Search Console
7. Verify Google Analytics and conversion tracking are firing
8. Place a test order on the live site

Post-migration monitoring

Monitor these metrics daily for the first 30 days:

• 404 errors — check Search Console for missing redirects
• Organic traffic — compare to pre-migration baselines. Some fluctuation is normal; sharp drops indicate redirect issues.
• Conversion rate — any decline may indicate UX issues that need fixing
• Revenue — the ultimate success metric
• Index coverage — monitor how quickly Google indexes the new URLs

For related migration resources, see our guides on Visualsoft to Shopify and PrestaShop to Shopify migrations.

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Migrating from Wix to Shopify is one of the more straightforward platform migrations because Wix stores tend to be smaller and less complex than those on Magento or WooCommerce. The primary challenges are content page recreation (since Wix pages do not export), image management (download everything before cancelling), and URL redirect mapping (Wix and Shopify URL structures differ significantly).

Get those three things right, and the rest is largely mechanical. The result is a store built on a platform that is purpose-built for ecommerce — faster, more capable, and with an ecosystem that grows with your business.

If you are considering a Wix to Shopify migration, get in touch with us. We will review your current Wix store, give you an honest assessment of what the migration involves, and provide a realistic timeline and budget.