Cart66 to Square Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

Seamlessly Transition Your E-commerce Store from Cart66 to Square

Embarking on a platform migration is a pivotal decision for any online merchant. If you're considering moving your e-commerce store from Cart66 to Square, you're looking to leverage Square's integrated ecosystem, powerful point-of-sale capabilities, and streamlined operational tools. This comprehensive guide, crafted by e-commerce content experts, will walk you through every critical step of transferring your valuable store data, ensuring a smooth transition and preserving your SEO integrity and customer experience.

Replatforming from Cart66 to Square can unlock new growth opportunities, enhance your store's scalability, and simplify management. Our detailed instructions will help you confidently navigate this data transfer, making the switch as efficient and error-free as possible.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before initiating the data migration process, thorough preparation is key. Ensuring both your source (Cart66) and target (Square) platforms are ready will prevent potential roadblocks and ensure data integrity.

For Your Cart66 Store (Source Platform):

• Administrative Access: You will need full administrative login credentials (adminLogin, adminPwd, adminUrl) for your Cart66 dashboard. This grants the migration tool necessary access to your store's backend.
• FTP/SFTP Access: Cart66 migrations typically utilize a bridge connection. This requires FTP or SFTP access to your Cart66 store's root directory on your hosting server to upload the Cart2Cart bridge file. This bridge (bridgeLocation) facilitates secure data extraction. Read our guide on What is a root folder and where can I find it?
• Cart2Cart Cart66 Migration Module: Ensure this specific plugin is installed on your Cart66 platform. It's a critical requirement for establishing the connection and extracting your data efficiently.
• Data Backup: Always create a complete backup of your Cart66 store's database and files before starting any migration. This is a vital safeguard against unforeseen issues.
• Review Source Data: Clean up any outdated or unnecessary data (e.g., old product drafts, unused customer accounts) to streamline the transfer.
• Learn more about how to prepare your source store for migration.

For Your Square Store (Target Platform):

• Set Up Your Square Account: If you haven't already, create and set up your Square Online store. Ensure basic configurations like currency, time zone, and business information are in place.
• Developer API Access: While Cart2Cart handles much of the complexity, be prepared to provide any necessary permissions or API keys generated within your Square Developer Dashboard if prompted by the migration wizard.
• Empty Target Store (Optional but Recommended): For a clean migration, it's often best to start with an empty Square store. If you have existing demo data, consider using the "Clear Target" option during migration. See What does the option "Clear current data on Target store before migration" mean?
• Learn more about how to prepare your target store for migration.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

Leveraging an automated migration solution like Cart2Cart can simplify the complex task of moving your Cart66 store to Square. Follow these steps to ensure a smooth data transfer.

Step 1: Get Started with Cart2Cart

Begin by visiting the Cart2Cart website. You'll be prompted to either register a new account or log in. Once logged in, select the option to "Start New Migration."

Step 2: Connect Your Cart66 Store (Source Cart Setup)

On the migration wizard, choose Cart66 as your Source Cart type. Then, provide your Cart66 store's URL. Next, you will be guided to download and upload the Cart2Cart Bridge file to the root directory of your Cart66 installation via FTP/SFTP. This bridge acts as a secure conduit, allowing the migration tool to extract your store's essential data, including products, customers, and orders. Ensure you have your access credentials ready.

Step 3: Connect Your Square Store (Target Cart Setup)

Now, select Square as your Target Cart type. Enter the URL of your new Square Online store. The wizard will then guide you through any necessary authorization steps to connect Cart2Cart to your Square account. This typically involves granting API access to allow data to be imported correctly.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Transfer

This crucial step allows you to specify exactly what data you want to transfer from Cart66 to Square. You can migrate a wide range of entities, including:

• Products: Including SKUs, variants, descriptions, images, and pricing.
• Product Categories: Maintaining your store's organizational structure.
• Customers: Transferring customer accounts and their associated details.
• Orders: Moving historical order data, ensuring continuity.
• Product Reviews: Preserving valuable social proof.
• Invoices: Migrating billing records.
• Taxes: Transferring tax rules and settings.
• Coupons: Migrating discount codes and promotions.
• CMS Pages: Moving static content pages.

You can choose to migrate all entities or select specific ones based on your needs.

Step 5: Configure Additional Migration Options

Cart2Cart offers various additional options to tailor your data transfer process. These can significantly impact the outcome, especially concerning SEO and data preservation:

• Preserve Product IDs, Order IDs, and Customer IDs: Highly recommended for maintaining historical data and internal linking. Learn How Preserve IDs options can be used?
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensures all product images embedded within descriptions are transferred.
• Password Migration: Allows existing customer passwords to be migrated securely.
• Create 301 SEO URLs: Essential for maintaining your search engine rankings and link equity by redirecting old Cart66 URLs to their new Square counterparts.
• Clear Current Data on Target Store: This option will remove any existing data in your Square store before migration, ensuring a clean slate.

Step 6: Map Data Fields

The data mapping step ensures that your Cart66 data fields correctly align with Square's structure. This typically involves matching:

• Customer Groups: Map your Cart66 customer roles to appropriate Square customer segments.
• Order Statuses: Match your Cart66 order statuses (e.g., "Pending," "Processing," "Completed") to their equivalents in Square.

Careful mapping ensures data consistency and integrity.

Step 7: Perform a Free Demo Migration

Before committing to the full migration, run a free demo. This migrates a limited number of entities (e.g., 10 products, 10 customers, 10 orders) to your Square store. It's an invaluable opportunity to:

• Review the migrated data for accuracy and completeness.
• Check image quality, product details, and customer information.
• Familiarize yourself with the process and verify that everything works as expected.

A demo provides a Migration Preview Service, helping you confirm that the data transfer meets your expectations.

Step 8: Initiate Full Migration

Once you are satisfied with the demo results, proceed with the full migration. This will transfer all selected data from your Cart66 store to Square. During this final stage, consider adding Migration Insurance Service, which provides options for re-migrations in case you need to adjust or re-run the process. Learn How Migration Insurance works?

Post-Migration Steps

The migration doesn't end when the data transfer is complete. These crucial post-migration steps ensure your new Square store is fully operational, optimized, and ready for your customers.

• Thorough Data Review: Scrutinize all migrated data on your Square store. Check product listings (SKUs, variants, descriptions, images), customer accounts, order history, pricing, and all other entities for accuracy and completeness.
• Configure Essential Store Settings: Set up payment gateways, shipping zones, tax rules, and any other specific configurations required for your Square store operations.
• Install Necessary Apps and Integrations: Explore the Square App Marketplace for any third-party applications or integrations that enhance your store's functionality, marketing, or accounting.
• Set Up 301 Redirects: Even if you used the "Create 301 SEO URLs" option during migration, it's vital to manually check and ensure all critical old Cart66 URLs correctly redirect to their new Square counterparts. This is paramount for preserving your SEO rankings and link equity.
• Update DNS Settings: Once you're confident with your new Square store, update your domain's DNS records to point to your Square store. This makes your new store live to the public.
• Conduct Test Orders: Perform several test purchases covering various products, payment methods, and shipping options to ensure a flawless checkout process and order fulfillment.
• Notify Your Customers: Inform your loyal customers about the transition to your new Square store. Highlight any new features or improved user experience.
• Monitor SEO and Performance: Keep a close eye on your search engine rankings, website traffic, and performance metrics using tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to quickly identify and address any potential issues.
• Consider Recent Data Migration: If new orders or customer data accumulate on your old Cart66 store after the main migration, consider a Recent Data Migration Service to transfer only the latest updates.

By diligently following these steps, you can ensure a successful replatforming from Cart66 to Square, setting your business up for continued growth and enhanced operational efficiency. If you encounter any challenges, don't hesitate to contact us for expert assistance.