Oracle ATG Web Commerce to Square Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

Seamlessly Transition Your E-commerce Store: Oracle ATG Web Commerce to Square Migration Guide

Moving your online store from an enterprise-level platform like Oracle ATG Web Commerce to a modern, streamlined solution such as Square can significantly enhance your operational efficiency, payment processing, and overall user experience. Oracle ATG, while powerful, often comes with considerable maintenance overhead and complexity. Square, on the other hand, offers an intuitive interface, integrated payment solutions, and a growing ecosystem designed for ease of use and scalability.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process of migrating your valuable e-commerce data – including products, customer records, orders, and more – from Oracle ATG Web Commerce to Square. Given that Oracle ATG Web Commerce typically requires a specialized approach due to its architecture, this migration will primarily be handled through a structured CSV file export from your Oracle ATG system, which will then be imported into your new Square store via a migration tool. This method ensures data integrity and a smooth transition, allowing you to replatform without losing critical information or disrupting your business.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before initiating the data transfer from Oracle ATG Web Commerce to Square, a few preparatory steps are crucial to ensure a smooth and efficient process. Taking the time to properly prepare both your source and target platforms will mitigate potential issues and streamline the migration.

For Your Oracle ATG Web Commerce (Source) Store:

• Data Export Strategy: As Oracle ATG Web Commerce is not directly integrated with standard migration tools in the same way some common platforms are, the migration will necessitate exporting your data into CSV files. You will need access to your Oracle ATG database or file system to extract key data entities such as products, categories, customer information, and orders into a structured CSV format. This is crucial for the CSV.File Data Migration process.
• Comprehensive Data Review: Before export, conduct an audit of your existing data. Clean up any redundant, outdated, or incorrect information. This is an ideal time to streamline your product catalog, customer database, and order history.
• Backup Your Data: Always create a complete backup of your Oracle ATG Web Commerce store’s database and files. This is a critical step to safeguard your data against any unforeseen issues during the export process.
• Identify Customizations: Note any significant customizations or unique features in your Oracle ATG store. Some complex custom functionalities might require a Migration Customization Service to replicate in Square or require a different approach.

For Your Square (Target) Store:

• Set Up Your Square Account: Ensure you have an active Square account and have set up your basic store information. While you can migrate to an existing Square store, it's often recommended to start with a relatively empty or new Square account to avoid conflicts and simplify the post-migration cleanup, especially if using the 'Clear Target' option.
• Admin Access: You will need full administrative access to your Square store to facilitate the data import and make necessary configurations.
• Theme and Layout: Start considering your new store’s design and layout within Square. While data migration handles content, the look and feel will be managed independently within Square’s theme options.
• Third-Party Integrations: If you rely on specific third-party apps or integrations in Oracle ATG, research their availability and equivalents within the Square App Marketplace. Plan to re-establish these connections post-migration.

For more detailed preparation tips, refer to our guides on How to prepare Source store for migration? and How to prepare Target store for migration?.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your preparations complete, you are ready to begin the data transfer from Oracle ATG Web Commerce to Square using a specialized migration wizard. This section outlines the key steps to navigate the migration tool effectively.

Step 1: Initiate the Migration Process

Your migration journey begins by initiating the process through the migration platform. This typically involves selecting the option to start a new data transfer.

Step 2: Configure Your Source Store (Oracle ATG via CSV)

This is where you'll specify Oracle ATG Web Commerce as your source platform, leveraging the CSV file export. Select "CSV File to Cart" as your Source Cart.

• Upload Your CSV Files: You will be prompted to upload the structured CSV files containing your Oracle ATG store data (products, categories, customers, orders, etc.). The migration tool will then process these files.
• No Plugin Required: For CSV file migrations, there is no plugin required, as the connection is made directly through the uploaded files.

Step 3: Set Up Your Target Store (Square)

Next, you will connect your Square store, which will serve as the destination for your migrated data. Select "Square" as your Target Cart. The migration tool will then guide you through the process of connecting to your Square account, usually involving API access credentials.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Transfer

Here, you'll choose which specific types of data, or entities, you wish to migrate from your Oracle ATG CSV files to Square. The CsvToCart method supports a wide range of entities, including:

• Products, Product Categories, Product Manufacturers, Product Reviews
• Customers
• Orders, Invoices, Taxes
• Stores, Coupons
• CMS Pages, Blogs, Blog Posts

Carefully select all the entities crucial for your new Square store. You can choose to migrate all available entities or handpick specific ones based on your requirements.

Step 5: Map Data Fields

The data mapping step ensures that information from your Oracle ATG CSV files is correctly assigned to the corresponding fields in Square. This is particularly important for maintaining data integrity and consistency.

• Customer Groups Mapping: Match customer groups from your source (e.g., 'Wholesale', 'Retail') to appropriate customer segments or groups in Square.
• Order Status Mapping: Align order statuses (e.g., 'Pending', 'Processing', 'Completed') from Oracle ATG with Square's order statuses.

This step is crucial for accurate data transfer, especially for customer and order data, which are vital for ongoing business operations.

Step 6: Choose Additional Migration Options

This stage allows you to refine your migration with various advanced settings. These options can significantly impact your store's performance and SEO post-migration.

• Clear Target Store Data: The "Clear Target" option allows you to remove all existing data from your Square store before the migration starts. This is highly recommended for fresh migrations to avoid duplication and conflicts. Refer to Clear current data on Target store before migration option for more details.
• Migrate Customer Passwords: This feature allows you to transfer customer passwords, enabling a seamless login experience for your existing customers on the new Square store.
• Create 301 Redirects: Automatically generate 301 redirects for product and category URLs. This is essential for preserving your SEO rankings and link equity from Oracle ATG to Square.
• Preserve IDs: Options like "Preserve Category IDs," "Preserve Product IDs," "Preserve Customers IDs," and "Preserve Orders IDs" ensure that the original IDs from Oracle ATG are maintained in Square, which can be beneficial for integrations and historical data. Learn more about How Preserve IDs options can be used?.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensure product and category images embedded within descriptions are also transferred.
• Create Variants from Attributes: If your Oracle ATG products use attributes that should become variants in Square, select this option.

Step 7: Perform a Demo Migration (Recommended)

Before committing to a full migration, it is highly recommended to perform a free demo migration. This transfers a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-20 products, customers, and orders) to your Square store.

• Review Results: The demo allows you to inspect how your data appears in Square, identify any potential mapping issues, and ensure everything is transferring as expected.
• Identify Issues Early: This step is invaluable for catching and rectifying problems before they affect your entire dataset.

A demo migration helps build confidence and provides an opportunity for a Migration Preview Service.

Step 8: Launch Full Migration

Once you are satisfied with the demo results and have addressed any concerns, you can proceed with the full data migration. This step involves transferring all selected data from your Oracle ATG CSV files to your Square store.

• Migration Insurance: Consider adding a Migration Insurance Service. This plan offers a set number of remigrations within a specified period, which can be invaluable for post-migration adjustments or if you need to run the process again. Read more about How Migration Insurance works?.
• Monitor Progress: The migration tool will display the progress of your transfer. You can typically leave the page and receive a notification once it's complete.

Post-Migration Steps

After your data has successfully moved from Oracle ATG Web Commerce to Square, there are several crucial steps to finalize your new store and ensure a seamless experience for your customers.

• Thorough Testing: This is paramount. Systematically test every aspect of your new Square store:
  • Product pages: Check product descriptions, images, prices, SKUs, and variant options.
  • Checkout process: Place test orders to ensure payment gateways, shipping options, and order confirmations work correctly.
  • Customer accounts: Verify customer login functionality and order history.
  • Search functionality: Ensure products are easily discoverable.
  • CMS Pages & Blog Posts: Review content, formatting, and internal links.
• Update DNS and Go Live: Once satisfied with testing, update your Domain Name System (DNS) records to point your domain to your new Square store. Plan for a short period of downtime to minimize disruption during this transition.
• Implement 301 Redirects: Even if you opted for automatic 301 redirects during migration, it's wise to review and manually add any critical redirects for pages that might have changed URLs or were not covered by the automated process. This preserves your SEO and prevents broken links.
• Configure Payment and Shipping: Set up your Square payment processing, integrate any preferred third-party payment gateways, and configure all your shipping zones, rates, and methods accurately.
• Integrate Third-Party Apps: Reconnect or install any necessary third-party applications or integrations from the Square App Marketplace that your business relies on (e.g., for accounting, marketing, customer support).
• SEO Audit: Conduct a post-migration SEO audit. Check for broken links, crawl errors in Google Search Console, and verify your sitemap. Ensure meta titles and descriptions are intact or updated.
• Notify Customers: Inform your customers about the new store. Provide clear instructions if their login details have changed or if there are any new features they should be aware of.
• Ongoing Monitoring: Continuously monitor your new Square store for performance, user experience, and any potential issues that may arise.

Migrating from Oracle ATG Web Commerce to Square is a significant undertaking, but with careful planning and execution, it can lead to a more efficient, user-friendly, and growth-oriented e-commerce platform. If you encounter any complexities or require specialized assistance, remember that professional services like Database Dump Migration Service or Contact Us for expert guidance are available to ensure a successful transition.