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

Shopify launch checklist after migrating from WooCommerce (2026)