Wix to Shopify
Migrating from Wix to Shopify represents a strategic upgrade from a website builder with eCommerce features to a dedicated, powerful eCommerce platform. In 2025, with Wix's limitations in scalability, app ecosystem, and advanced eCommerce features, many merchants are making the switch to Shopify for better growth potential.
This comprehensive technical blueprint covers Wix's data export limitations, field mappings to Shopify's REST API, and step-by-step migration execution.
1. The Strategic Pivot: Why Leave Wix?
💰 eCommerce Capabilities
The Wix Pain: Wix is primarily a website builder with basic eCommerce features. Limited product variants, no advanced inventory management, and restricted payment gateway options.
The Shopify Gain: Shopify is built specifically for eCommerce with unlimited products, advanced inventory management, multi-channel selling, and extensive payment options including Shopify Payments.
🚀 App Ecosystem
The Wix Pain: Wix App Market has limited eCommerce-focused apps. Many integrations are basic or require workarounds.
The Shopify Gain: Shopify App Store has 8,000+ apps specifically designed for eCommerce: marketing, fulfillment, customer service, analytics, and more.
🛠 Scalability
The Wix Pain: Wix stores struggle with high traffic and large product catalogs. Performance degrades as you scale.
The Shopify Gain: Shopify's infrastructure automatically scales to handle millions of products and unlimited traffic. Built-in CDN and global edge locations.
⚡ Data Portability
The Wix Pain: Wix has limited data export options. Moving data out is difficult, creating vendor lock-in.
The Shopify Gain: Full data access via API. Easy to export and migrate. No vendor lock-in concerns.
2. The Pre-Migration Architecture Audit
Wix is a hosted platform with limited API access, making migration more challenging than self-hosted platforms.
- Wix Store Version: Are you on Wix Stores or Wix eCommerce? Features differ between plans.
- Data Export: Wix allows CSV export of products, but customer and order data export is limited. May require manual data collection.
- Product Variants: Wix has limited variant support. Complex products may need restructuring in Shopify.
- Custom Fields: Wix custom fields are limited. These map to Shopify metafields.
- No API Access: Wix doesn't provide full API access for automated migration. Manual export or specialized tools required.
3. Exact Data Mapping: The Blueprint
Wix data export is limited, so mapping depends on available CSV exports.
🛍 Product Data Mapping
| Wix Field (Source) | Shopify Field (Target) | Notes & Logic |
|---|---|---|
Product ID |
id (Product API) |
Shopify generates new IDs. Use SKU for mapping. |
Product Name |
title |
Direct string transfer. |
SKU |
variants[].sku |
Wix SKU is at product level, Shopify at variant level. |
Price |
variants[].price |
Price per variant in Shopify. |
Description |
body_html |
HTML content. Wix images need to be downloaded and re-uploaded to Shopify CDN. |
Product Options |
options and variants |
Wix has limited variant support. May need to create variants manually in Shopify. |
Categories |
collections |
Wix categories become Shopify collections. |
👥 Customer Data Mapping
| Wix Field | Shopify Field | Critical Logic |
|---|---|---|
Email |
email |
Unique identifier. Wix customer export may be limited. |
Password |
password (on create) |
Requires password reset. Wix passwords cannot be exported. Customers must create new accounts or reset passwords. |
Address |
addresses[] |
Wix address data may be limited in export. |
📦 Order Data Mapping
| Wix Field | Shopify Field | Mapping Logic |
|---|---|---|
Order Number |
name (order number) |
Preserve Wix order number in Shopify name field if available. |
Order Status |
financial_status, fulfillment_status |
Map Wix order statuses to Shopify's dual status system. |
Total |
total_price |
Direct mapping if order data is exportable. |
4. The Toolkit: Selecting Your Vehicle
Option A: Automated Cloud Migration (Recommended)
Tools: Migration Shop, LitExtension, Cart2Cart
Specialized tools that can access Wix data through available export methods.
- ✅ Pros: Handles Wix export limitations, preserves relationships, creates redirects.
- ❌ Cons: Cost scales with data ($150 - $400). Limited by Wix export capabilities.
Option B: Manual CSV Import
Tools: Wix CSV Export + Shopify Import
Export products from Wix and import via Shopify admin.
- ✅ Pros: Free, direct control.
- ❌ Cons: Limited to products only, no customers/orders, manual work, high error risk.
5. Execution Protocol: Step-by-Step
Phase 1: Environment Preparation
1.1. Prepare Target (Shopify):
Create Shopify store. Enable password protection during migration.
1.2. Prepare Source (Wix):
Export products from Wix (Store Manager > Products > Export). Note: Customer and order data export is limited or unavailable.
Phase 2: Data Collection
2.1. Product Export:
Export products CSV from Wix. Review and clean data before migration.
2.2. Image Collection:
Download product images from Wix. They'll need to be uploaded to Shopify's CDN.
2.3. Customer Data:
Wix customer export is limited. You may need to manually collect customer emails or plan for customers to create new accounts.
Phase 3: Migration Execution
- Use Automated Tool: Recommended for handling Wix export limitations and image migration.
- Create 301 Redirects: Critical for SEO preservation from Wix URLs to Shopify URLs.
- Handle Product Variants: Wix has limited variant support. May need to create variants manually in Shopify.
Phase 4: Post-Migration
4.1. Customer Communication:
Notify customers about the migration. They'll need to create new accounts or reset passwords.
4.2. Verify Products:
Check all products migrated correctly. Verify images, prices, and variants.
4.3. Set Up Redirects:
Ensure old Wix URLs redirect to new Shopify URLs to preserve SEO.
6. Financial Breakdown: Cost of Migration (2025)
Manual CSV
But High Time Cost
Automated Cloud
Average Cost
Agency Service
Starting Cost
7. Troubleshooting & SEO Preservation
Common Challenges
- Limited Data Export: Wix export limitations mean some data may need manual collection or may be lost.
- Product Variants: Wix's limited variant support means complex products may need restructuring in Shopify.
- Customer Accounts: Wix customer passwords cannot be exported. Customers must create new accounts.
- Image Migration: Wix images need to be downloaded and re-uploaded to Shopify's CDN.
The 301 Redirect Strategy
Wix URLs differ significantly from Shopify URLs. Automated migration tools create redirects, but verify in Shopify admin (Online Store > Navigation > URL Redirects).
Ready to Upgrade to a Real eCommerce Platform?
Migrating from Wix to Shopify unlocks true eCommerce capabilities, scalability, and growth potential. While Wix export limitations add complexity, automated migration tools can handle most of the heavy lifting.