Axis Commerce to PrestaShop Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

A Comprehensive Guide to Transitioning from Axis Commerce to PrestaShop

Stepping into the future of e-commerce often means embracing a platform that offers enhanced flexibility, robust features, and a thriving community. If you're currently operating on Axis Commerce and considering a strategic replatforming, migrating to PrestaShop can unlock significant growth potential for your online store. PrestaShop, a powerful open-source solution, provides a highly customizable environment for managing products, customer data, orders, and more.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process of transitioning your Axis Commerce store to PrestaShop. Since Axis Commerce data typically requires export, we'll focus on a seamless data transfer method using CSV files, ensuring data integrity and minimizing downtime. Prepare to transform your digital storefront with confidence and precision.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before embarking on your e-commerce platform migration, careful preparation is key to a smooth and successful data transfer. Ensuring both your source (Axis Commerce) and target (PrestaShop) environments are ready will save you time and prevent potential issues.

• Axis Commerce (Source Store) Preparation:
  • Data Audit and Cleanup: Take this opportunity to review your existing Axis Commerce data. Remove outdated products, inactive customer accounts, or redundant information. A clean database will streamline the migration process.
  • Complete Data Backup: Crucially, perform a full backup of your Axis Commerce database and all associated files. This serves as a safety net in case any unforeseen issues arise during the data export or transfer.
  • CSV File Export: As Axis Commerce data is typically migrated via CSV, you will need to export all essential entities (products, categories, customers, orders, etc.) into well-structured CSV files. Ensure these files are organized and accessible. For more details on preparing your source store, refer to our guide on source store preparation.
  • Access Credentials: Ensure you have full administrative access to your Axis Commerce instance to facilitate the data export.
• PrestaShop (Target Store) Preparation:
  • Fresh PrestaShop Installation: Set up a brand new, empty PrestaShop store on your chosen hosting. It's recommended to start fresh to avoid conflicts with existing data.
  • Robust Hosting and Domain: Verify that your PrestaShop hosting environment meets the platform's requirements and that your domain is correctly configured.
  • FTP/SFTP Access: You will need FTP or SFTP access to your PrestaShop store's root directory to upload the connection bridge, which is essential for establishing a secure link for data transfer. Find out what a root folder is and where to find it.
  • Admin Access: Have your PrestaShop admin credentials readily available.
  • Install Cart2Cart Module: PrestaShop migrations require the installation of the 'Cart2Cart Universal PrestaShop Migration module'. This plugin facilitates the secure connection between your migration tool and your PrestaShop store. For comprehensive information on preparing your target store, see our guide on target store preparation.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your stores prepared, let's initiate the migration process using a powerful migration tool, designed to simplify this complex transition. We'll guide you through each step of the migration wizard.

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Begin by accessing the migration wizard. Here, you'll choose to start a new migration process.

Step 2: Source Store Setup (Axis Commerce via CSV)

Connecting your Axis Commerce store involves selecting 'CSV File to Cart' as your source platform. You will then upload the carefully prepared CSV files containing your product data (SKUs, variants, images), customer information, order history, and other entities.

Step 3: Target Store Setup (PrestaShop)

Next, configure your PrestaShop target store. Select 'PrestaShop' from the list of supported carts and provide its Admin URL. The primary connection method for PrestaShop is via a Connection Bridge. You will need to download the bridge file, extract the 'bridge2cart' folder, and upload it to the root directory of your PrestaShop installation via FTP/SFTP. This ensures a secure and direct link for data transfer. Providing your admin credentials is also an option for automated bridge upload. Read our FAQ: Is it safe to provide your company with my access details?

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Transfer

This crucial step allows you to choose exactly which data entities you wish to migrate from Axis Commerce to PrestaShop. You can opt to migrate all available data or select specific items such as:

• Products, including categories, manufacturers, and reviews
• Customers
• Orders and invoices
• Taxes
• Coupons
• CMS Pages and Blog Posts

Step 5: Configure Additional Options & Data Mapping

This stage is vital for tailoring the migration to your specific needs and ensuring data consistency.

Additional Migration Options

Choose from a range of additional options to refine your data transfer. Highly recommended options often include:

• Clear Target Store Data: Decide whether to clear current data on the target store before the migration begins.
• Preserve IDs: Maintain original Product IDs, Category IDs, Customer IDs, and Order IDs. This is important for historical data and SEO. Learn how Preserve IDs options can be used.
• Password Migration: Migrate customer passwords to ensure a smooth transition for your existing customer base.
• Create 301 SEO URLs: Implement 301 redirects to preserve your search engine rankings and link equity by redirecting old Axis Commerce URLs to their new PrestaShop counterparts.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensure product and category descriptions, as well as CMS pages, retain their embedded images.

Note on PrestaShop Limitations: Be aware of multi-store limitations for BigCommerce variants (if applicable to your CSV data) and that SEO options are generally excluded for blogs when migrating to PrestaShop.

Data Mapping Setup

Accurate data mapping is crucial. Here, you'll match customer groups and order statuses from your Axis Commerce data to their corresponding fields in PrestaShop. This ensures that your customer segmentation and order processing workflows remain intact in the new store.

Step 6: Run Demo Migration & Full Migration

Before committing to the full data transfer, execute a demo migration. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-20 products, customers, orders) for free. Review the demo results in your PrestaShop store to verify data accuracy, formatting, and overall integrity. Once satisfied, you can proceed with the full migration. Consider adding Migration Insurance Service for peace of mind, offering remigration options if needed.

Post-Migration Steps

Completing the data transfer is a significant milestone, but the process isn't over. Several crucial post-migration steps are necessary to ensure your new PrestaShop store is fully functional, optimized, and ready for your customers.

• Thorough Store Testing: Conduct extensive testing of your new PrestaShop store. Verify all critical functionalities:
  • Frontend: Test product pages, cart and checkout processes, customer login, account dashboards, search functionality, and navigation.
  • Backend: Confirm product management, order processing, customer information, and inventory management are working correctly in the PrestaShop admin panel.
• Update DNS Records: Once you are confident in your new store, update your domain's DNS records to point to your PrestaShop hosting. This will make your new store live. Be prepared for a propagation period.
• Configure SEO: If you didn't create 301 redirects during the migration, set them up manually. Submit your new sitemap to search engines (Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools) and monitor your SEO rankings. This preserves your link equity and existing visibility.
• Install Essential Modules and Themes: Install any specific PrestaShop modules (e.g., for SEO, marketing, payments, shipping) and your chosen theme to enhance functionality and user experience.
• Update Third-Party Integrations: Reconnect and configure all third-party services, such as payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal), shipping carriers (UPS, FedEx), analytics tools (Google Analytics), CRM systems, and email marketing platforms.
• Notify Customers: Inform your customers about the migration. Provide clear instructions on how to access their accounts and highlight any new features or improvements.
• Monitor Performance: Keep a close eye on your new PrestaShop store's performance, site speed, and user behavior using analytics tools. Address any issues promptly to ensure a smooth shopping experience. Consider a Recent Data Migration Service to catch any new orders placed on Axis Commerce during the DNS propagation period.

By following these steps, your transition from Axis Commerce to PrestaShop will be as seamless and successful as possible, setting your business up for future growth and enhanced online capabilities. If you encounter any challenges or require specialized assistance, don't hesitate to contact our support team.