Shopify launch checklist after migrating from WooCommerce (2026)
Complete pre-launch checklist for going live on Shopify after WooCommerce — products, payments, shipping, legal pages, DNS, redirects, analytics, testing, and everything to verify before switching over.
Going live on Shopify after migrating from WooCommerce is a high-stakes moment. A missing redirect, broken payment gateway, or incorrect tax setting can directly cost sales. This checklist covers every aspect of the launch — from product data through to DNS — so you can go live with confidence.
Before launch: product data
- All products migrated and visible in Shopify admin
- Product statuses: active products set to "Active," draft products set to "Draft"
- Variant inventory quantities correct per variant
- Product prices correct — including sale prices (mapped to Shopify "Compare at price")
- All product images migrated and displaying correctly (check thumbnails and full size)
- Product variants: all size/colour/material options present and linked to correct images
- SKUs preserved and correct
- Collections created and products correctly assigned
- Product descriptions reviewed: WooCommerce shortcodes removed (e.g. [woo_product_details] renders as plaintext in Shopify)
Before launch: payments and checkout
- Shopify Payments enabled and bank account connected
- Test payment placed and refunded (use Shopify's test card numbers)
- PayPal connected (if relevant to your customer base)
- Correct currency set (GBP for UK stores)
- VAT configured: correct tax rates, digital products zero-rated if applicable
- Checkout email notifications: order confirmation, shipping confirmation working
- Abandoned cart recovery email activated (Shopify native or Klaviyo)
Before launch: shipping
- Shipping zones configured (UK, EU, Rest of World if applicable)
- Shipping rates correct: free shipping thresholds, fixed rates, and carrier-calculated if used
- Shipping profiles: heavy/freight items in separate profile
- Test: add a product to cart and verify correct shipping options appear for UK addresses
- Returns policy page created and linked in footer
Before launch: legal pages
- Privacy policy: updated for Shopify (different cookies and data processors)
- Terms and conditions
- Returns and refunds policy (14-day UK right of return stated)
- Shipping policy (delivery times and methods)
- Cookie consent banner: configured for UK/EU compliance (PECR/GDPR)
- All legal pages linked in footer and checkout
Before launch: SEO and redirects
- 301 redirects created: WooCommerce product URLs → Shopify product URLs
- 301 redirects created: WooCommerce category URLs → Shopify collection URLs
- Redirects tested: visit old WooCommerce URLs and verify they land on correct Shopify page (not 404)
- robots.txt reviewed: Shopify has its own robots.txt — verify no important pages are blocked
- XML sitemap generated: Shopify generates /sitemap.xml automatically
- Google Search Console: submit new sitemap after DNS cutover
Before launch: analytics
- GA4 Measurement ID added in Shopify settings
- Meta Pixel connected via Meta for Shopify app
- Google Ads conversion tracking configured
- Test purchase: verify GA4 and Meta Pixel fire purchase events
Launch day: DNS cutover
- Add custom domain to Shopify (Online Store → Domains)
- Update DNS at your registrar: CNAME www → shops.myshopify.com; A record for root → Shopify IP
- DNS propagation: typically 0–24 hours. Monitor with DNS checker tool.
- SSL certificate: Shopify provisions automatically after domain connection — verify padlock appears
- Set Shopify domain as primary (not yourstore.myshopify.com)
- Redirect yourstore.myshopify.com to primary domain
After launch: verify
- Place a live test order through the full checkout flow
- Check order confirmation email received
- Verify GA4 and Meta Pixel recording the live purchase
- Check Google Search Console: submit sitemap, monitor for crawl errors in first 48 hours
- Test several old WooCommerce URLs to confirm redirects working on live domain
- Check mobile: complete a test checkout on mobile device
- Notify email list: send "We've moved" email to subscribers with announcement
- Update Google Business Profile URL if applicable
- Update any social media bio links to new Shopify URL
WooCommerce shutdown
- Keep WooCommerce accessible (maintenance mode, not deleted) for at least 30 days after migration to allow any remaining redirects or user sessions to resolve
- Do not delete WooCommerce database before all valuable data (orders, customer records) has been archived
- Cancel WooCommerce plugin subscriptions (WooCommerce Subscriptions, Payments, etc.) after confirmed no longer needed
- Cancel web hosting subscription for WooCommerce site after shutdown period
Verwalten Sie Ihre Produkte mit k-sync
Verbinden Sie Ihren Shop, validieren Sie Produkte, optimieren Sie mit KI und pushen Sie zu Shopify in Minuten. Kostenlos bis zu 50 Produkte.
Kostenlos startenWeitere Artikel
Managing products across Shopify and WooCommerce simultaneously (2026)
How to manage product data across both Shopify and WooCommerce at the same time — syncing catalogs, handling platform differences, inventory management, and choosing a central hub.
Shopify bulk editing: built-in vs k-sync — a complete comparison (2026)
A detailed comparison of Shopify's native bulk editing tools versus k-sync for product management — features, limitations, use cases, and when to use each approach.