Migrating to Shopify in India: what you need to know before you switch

Platform migration is one of those decisions that looks simple on paper and becomes complicated in execution. I have helped several Indian businesses migrate to Shopify from WooCommerce and Magento. The migrations that went smoothly were planned carefully. The ones that went badly were rushed.

Here is what I wish every Indian business knew before starting the migration process.

What migrates well and what does not

Products, categories, and customer data migrate reasonably well using tools like LitExtension or Cart2Cart. These migration tools handle the heavy lifting and can move thousands of SKUs with their variants, images, and pricing intact.

Order history is more complicated. Historical orders can be imported to Shopify but they behave differently than native Shopify orders. You cannot process refunds or cancellations on imported historical orders through the Shopify interface. This matters for customer service.

Custom functionality does not migrate. If your WooCommerce store has custom code, custom shipping logic, or integrations with Indian ERP systems like TallyPrime or Busy Accounting, those integrations need to be rebuilt as Shopify apps or custom integrations. Budget for this.

SEO data requires careful handling. URL structures change when you move to Shopify. Product pages that were at /shop/product-name are now at /products/product-name. Category pages change. If you do not set up 301 redirects properly, you will lose organic search rankings that took years to build.

India-specific issues to resolve before migrating

GST compliance is the most common challenge for Indian businesses migrating to Shopify. Your current store may generate GST-compliant invoices in a specific format. Shopify's native invoicing does not match Indian GST invoice requirements.

Before migrating, identify a Shopify app that handles Indian GST invoicing. QikInk and similar apps specifically built for India are worth evaluating. Test invoice generation before launch.

Shipping carrier integrations need verification. If you use Shiprocket, Delhivery, Ecom Express, or XpressBees, confirm that your Shopify plan and the app versions you plan to use are compatible. The shipping integrations that work smoothly on WooCommerce sometimes behave differently on Shopify.

Payment gateway migration. If you have a custom arrangement with Razorpay, Cashfree, or Paytm for better rates (common for high-volume merchants), these arrangements typically carry over but you need to explicitly verify with your payment gateway account manager.

The SEO migration checklist

Export all URLs from your existing store before migration. Use Screaming Frog to crawl the site and export every page that gets organic traffic.

Create 301 redirects for every important URL. Shopify allows you to import redirects in bulk via CSV. This is not optional if your store has any organic search presence.

Verify that Shopify maintains your product review content. Reviews often contain keywords that support product page rankings. Losing reviews during migration can hurt both SEO and conversion rates.

Set up Google Search Console verification on the new Shopify store before you take the old site offline. Submit the new sitemap immediately after launch. Monitor for 404 errors in the first week.

Timeline and cost expectations

A straightforward migration with fewer than 500 products and no custom functionality takes four to six weeks with a competent developer.

A migration with complex integrations, large product catalogues, and custom functionality can take three to six months.

Developer cost in India for a well-executed Shopify migration typically ranges from ₹50,000 to ₹3,00,000 depending on complexity. Rushing to find the cheapest option usually results in problems that cost more to fix than the savings.

Frequently asked questions