LightCMS to PrestaShop Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

LightCMS to PrestaShop migration is seamless with Cart2Cart. Ready to move LightCMS store to PrestaShop efficiently and securely? We help you switch from LightCMS to PrestaShop, preserving your SEO and ensuring zero downtime. Our professional service handles every step to transfer data flawlessly, from products to orders. Whether you're seeking a detailed guide for a DIY approach or require expert assistance for a done-for-you service, achieve your LightCMS to PrestaShop migration with confidence. Start your journey now!

Set it up in minutes

What data can be
migrated from LightCMS to PrestaShop

The price of your migration depends on the volume of data to migrate and the additional migration options you pick. To check the price for LightCMS to PrestaShop conversion, click “Get estimates” and follow the suggested steps.

How to Migrate from LightCMS to PrestaShop In 3 Steps?

Connect your Source & Target carts

Choose LightCMS and PrestaShop from the drop-down lists & provide the stores’ URLs in the corresponding fields.

Select the data to migrate & extra options

Choose the data you want to migrate to PrestaShop and extra options to customise your LightCMS to PrestaShop migration.

Launch your Demo/Full migration

Run a free Demo to see how the Cart2Cart service works, and when happy - launch Full migration.

Migrate LightCMS to PrestaShop: The Ultimate 2025 Guide

Seamlessly Migrate Your E-commerce Store from LightCMS to PrestaShop

As your online business evolves, so too do your platform requirements. If you're currently operating on LightCMS and seeking to enhance your store's capabilities, scalability, and feature set, transitioning to PrestaShop is a strategic move. PrestaShop, a powerful open-source e-commerce solution, offers extensive customization, a robust module marketplace, and a vibrant community, making it an excellent choice for merchants looking for greater control and growth potential.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process of replatforming your e-commerce store from LightCMS to PrestaShop. Given that LightCMS is not directly supported by most automated migration tools, we'll leverage a robust CSV file import/export method to ensure a smooth and accurate data transfer. By following these steps, you can confidently migrate your products, customer data, orders, and other crucial store entities, minimizing downtime and preserving your valuable SEO rankings.

Get ready to unlock new opportunities for your online business with PrestaShop!

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before initiating the data transfer, careful preparation of both your existing LightCMS store and your new PrestaShop environment is essential. This ensures data integrity and a smooth transition.

1. Prepare Your LightCMS Store (Source)

  • Data Export: Since LightCMS does not offer direct API integration for automated migration tools, you will need to export all your store data into CSV files. This includes:
    • Products (SKUs, names, descriptions, prices, images, variants, categories, manufacturers)
    • Product Categories
    • Customer information
    • Order history
    • CMS pages (if applicable)
    • Reviews (if applicable)
    Ensure your CSV files are well-structured and contain all necessary fields for your PrestaShop store. You can refer to our guide on how to prepare your source store for migration for more details.
  • Backup Your Data: Always perform a complete backup of your LightCMS website and database before any major changes or data export. This is your safety net in case anything goes wrong.

2. Prepare Your PrestaShop Store (Target)

  • Fresh Installation: Ensure you have a fresh, clean installation of PrestaShop ready on your hosting server. Avoid installing unnecessary modules or themes at this stage to prevent potential conflicts.
  • FTP/Admin Access: You will need full FTP access to your PrestaShop store's root directory and administrative login credentials for the PrestaShop back office. This is crucial for connecting the migration tool and installing necessary components. For more information, read The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials.
  • Install the Cart2Cart Universal PrestaShop Migration Module: While the migration will primarily use a Connection Bridge, some functionalities might benefit from this module. This plugin is often a prerequisite for seamless data handling with PrestaShop. You can typically find it in the PrestaShop Marketplace or download it directly from your migration service provider.
  • Backup Your PrestaShop: Although it's a new installation, taking a backup is a good practice before any data is imported.
  • Review Target Store Preparation: For comprehensive guidance on setting up your new platform, refer to our how to prepare target store for migration FAQ.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your preparations complete, you are ready to begin the data transfer process. We'll outline the steps using a professional migration wizard, which streamlines the complexities of moving your store entities.

Step 1: Get Started with Your Migration

Begin by navigating to your chosen migration service provider's website. You'll typically find an option to start a new migration. This initial step will guide you into the migration wizard.

Step 2: Connect Your Source Store (LightCMS via CSV)

This is where you'll tell the migration tool about your existing LightCMS store. Since LightCMS data is exported to CSV, you will select 'CSV File to Cart' as your source platform.

Upload the CSV files you prepared earlier, containing your products, categories, customers, orders, and other vital information. The migration wizard will then process these files, recognizing the structure of your LightCMS data.

Step 3: Connect Your Target Store (PrestaShop)

Now, you'll configure the connection to your new PrestaShop store.

  1. From the dropdown menu, select PrestaShop as your Target Cart.
  2. Enter your PrestaShop Admin URL.
  3. Choose a connection method. The most common and recommended methods for PrestaShop include:
    • Upload Connection Bridge: Download the provided 'bridge2cart.zip' file. Extract its contents and upload the entire 'bridge2cart' folder to the root directory of your PrestaShop installation via FTP. This is a secure and direct way to establish communication between the migration tool and your store. Learn more about what a root folder is.
    • Provide Admin Credentials: Some tools allow you to provide your PrestaShop admin login and password. The system will then attempt to automatically install the Connection Bridge for you.
    • Install Add-on from Marketplace: You may also be prompted to install a specific migration add-on from the PrestaShop Marketplace, such as the 'Cart2Cart Universal PrestaShop Migration module'. Follow the on-screen instructions to download, install, and activate the module.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Transfer

This crucial step allows you to define exactly what data you want to move from LightCMS to PrestaShop. You'll typically see a checklist of available entities:

  • Products (including SKUs, product variants, images, descriptions)
  • Product Categories
  • Customers (customer data)
  • Orders (order history)
  • Manufacturers
  • Product Reviews
  • CMS Pages
  • Blogs & Blog Posts
  • Coupons
  • Taxes

You can choose to migrate all entities with a single click or handpick specific data types based on your needs. Ensure you select all relevant data to maintain a complete and functional store.

Step 5: Configure Additional Options & Data Mapping

This stage allows for fine-tuning your migration settings and ensuring data consistency.

Additional Migration Options:

Review the list of additional options to customize your data transfer. Highly recommended options often include:

  • Migrate Images in Description: Essential for preserving product descriptions and CMS page content with embedded images.
  • Clear Target: Opt to clear current data on target store if you've done any testing and want a pristine PrestaShop installation.
  • Preserve Product IDs, Preserve Orders IDs, Preserve Customers IDs: Critical for maintaining internal database references and for SEO if you rely on specific URLs. Learn how Preserve IDs options can be used.
  • Create 301 SEO URLs: Absolutely vital for maintaining your SEO rankings and link equity. This option automatically generates 301 redirects from your old LightCMS URLs to their new PrestaShop counterparts, preventing broken links and a drop in search engine visibility.
  • Password Migration: Allows customers to log into their new PrestaShop accounts using their existing LightCMS passwords, enhancing user experience.

Data Mapping:

You will need to map customer groups and order statuses from your LightCMS data (via CSV) to the corresponding groups and statuses in PrestaShop. This ensures that customer roles (e.g., Guest, Customer) and order states (e.g., Pending, Processing, Completed) are correctly translated on your new platform, maintaining data integrity.

Step 6: Run Demo & Full Migration

Once all configurations are set, it's highly recommended to perform a Free Demo Migration. This will transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-20 products, customers, orders) to your PrestaShop store within a short period. The demo allows you to:

  • Verify the connection and data transfer accuracy.
  • Check how your data (SKUs, product variants, images) looks on PrestaShop.
  • Identify any potential issues before committing to a full migration.

After reviewing the demo results and ensuring everything is as expected, you can proceed with the Full Migration. During this phase, all your selected data entities will be transferred from your LightCMS CSV files to your PrestaShop store. Consider adding Migration Insurance, which offers additional remigrations in case you need to perform the transfer again or update data. Learn how Migration Insurance works.

Post-Migration Steps

The migration tool handles the heavy lifting of data transfer, but a few critical steps remain to ensure your new PrestaShop store is fully operational and optimized.

  1. Thorough Testing: Immediately after the full migration, conduct extensive testing of your PrestaShop store. Check:
    • All product pages, images, and descriptions.
    • Customer accounts and login functionality.
    • Order history and status.
    • Search functionality.
    • The entire checkout process with various payment and shipping methods.
    • Verify 301 redirects are working correctly.
  2. Update DNS Settings: Once you are completely satisfied with your new PrestaShop store, update your domain's DNS records to point to your new PrestaShop hosting. This will make your PrestaShop store live to the public. Plan this carefully to minimize downtime.
  3. Install & Configure New Theme/Modules: Personalize your PrestaShop store with a new theme and install any essential modules (e.g., for SEO, marketing, security, payment gateways, shipping carriers) that weren't part of the migration process.
  4. Review SEO & Analytics: Verify your SEO settings within PrestaShop. Ensure your Google Analytics and other tracking codes are correctly implemented. Submit your new sitemap to search engines.
  5. Inform Your Customers: Announce the migration to your customers, highlighting any new features or improvements. Provide clear instructions if they need to reset passwords (though password migration usually prevents this).
  6. Recent Data Migration (Optional but Recommended): If your LightCMS store remained active during the migration, you might have new orders or customer registrations. Consider a Recent Data Migration Service to transfer only the newly added data, ensuring your PrestaShop store is entirely up-to-date.

Migrating from LightCMS to PrestaShop is a significant undertaking, but with careful planning and the right tools, it can be a seamless process that propels your e-commerce business forward. Should you encounter any challenges or prefer expert assistance, consider exploring our Basic, Extended, Premium, or Ultimate Data Migration Services for a fully managed solution. Happy migrating!

Ways to perform migration from LightCMS to PrestaShop

Automated migration

Just set up the migration and choose the entities to move – the service will do the rest.

Try It Free
Automated Migration

Data Migration Service Package

Delegate the job to the highly-skilled migration experts and get the job done.

Choose Package
Service Package
Customers

Benefits for Store Owners

Ecommerce Agencies

Benefits for Ecommerce Agencies

Clear Target Store data before migration

Will delete all data from your PrestaShop store

free

Move images from products, categories, blog posts descriptions

Those included in the descriptions

Set products quantity to 100 on PrestaShop store

To check how the migration works for out of stock products

+$29

Preserve product IDs on Target Store

Your LightCMS product IDs will be the same in PrestaShop

+$39

Migrate categories and products SEO URLs

Keep your LightCMS URL structure on PrestaShop

Preserve customer IDs on Target Store

Your LightCMS customer IDs will be the same in PrestaShop

Smart update entities

The Smart Update function allows updating your store data that have been edited or modified during or after the Full Migration (e.g., Product quantity, Orders status, etc.).

Migrate invoices, credit memos and shipments

Includes carriers

Skip migration of custom attributes

Skip migration of custom attributes.

free

Choose all the extra migration options and get 40% off their total Price

Try it now
Migration Limitations

The design and store functionality transfer is impossible due to LightCMS to PrestaShop limitations. However, you can recreate it with the help of a 3rd-party developer.

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500+ reviews

LightCMS to PrestaShop Migration Video Tutorial

Let’s figure out everything about LightCMS to PrestaShop migration through Cart2Cart.

Your data is safely locked with Cart2Cart

We built in many security measures so you can safely migrate from LightCMS to PrestaShop. Check out our Security Policy

Server Security

All migrations are performed on a secure dedicated Hetzner server with restricted physical access.

Application Security

HTTPS protocol and 128-bit SSL encryption are used to protect the data being exchanged.

Network Security

The most up-to-date network architecture schema, firewall and access restrictions protect our system from electronic attacks.

Data Access Control

Employee access to customer migration data is restricted, logged and audited.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is my data kept secure during a LightCMS to PrestaShop migration?

Your data security is paramount. We use robust encryption (HTTPS/SSL) and strict access protocols during the LightCMS to PrestaShop migration. All access credentials are temporary and data is processed on secure servers. Read our full Security Policy.

How can I protect my SEO rankings when migrating from LightCMS to PrestaShop?

We safeguard your SEO by migrating 301 redirects, meta descriptions, product/category URLs, and image alt tags from LightCMS to PrestaShop. This preserves your organic traffic and search engine visibility. Post-migration SEO checks are crucial. Get post-migration SEO tips.

Will my store's design and theme transfer from LightCMS to PrestaShop?

No, design and themes are platform-specific and do not transfer directly. You'll need to select a new theme for your PrestaShop store and customize it to match your brand's aesthetic. Only data like products and customers are migrated. Explore theme options.

Can customer passwords be safely migrated from LightCMS to PrestaShop?

Yes, customer passwords can be securely migrated from LightCMS to PrestaShop using specialized encryption. This ensures your customers retain access to their accounts without needing to reset passwords after the transfer. Learn more about password migration.

What data can be migrated from LightCMS to PrestaShop?

Key entities like products, customers, orders, categories, and images can be transferred from LightCMS to PrestaShop. For PrestaShop, the Cart2Cart Universal PrestaShop Migration module is required for bridge connection. LightCMS typically uses CSV export or custom API for data extraction.

How do I ensure data accuracy after migrating from LightCMS to PrestaShop?

To validate data accuracy, always start with a free Demo Migration. Post-full transfer from LightCMS to PrestaShop, meticulously review product counts, order details, customer information, and images to confirm everything is accurate.

What is the typical timeline for a LightCMS to PrestaShop migration?

Migration time from LightCMS to PrestaShop depends on your store's data volume and complexity. Small stores may take a few hours, while larger ones can span days. A Demo Migration provides an accurate time estimate for your specific case.

What factors determine the cost of a LightCMS to PrestaShop migration?

Migration cost is primarily driven by the volume of data (products, customers, orders), number of additional options, and any specific customization services required. Start a free demo to get a precise quote tailored for your LightCMS to PrestaShop project.

Is an automated tool or an expert better for LightCMS to PrestaShop migration?

For a standard LightCMS to PrestaShop migration, an automated tool is efficient and cost-effective. For complex data structures, extensive customizations, or if you prefer hands-off service, a Managed Migration Service from experts ensures optimal results.

Will my LightCMS store experience downtime during migration to PrestaShop?

No, your LightCMS store remains fully operational. The migration to PrestaShop is processed on a secure external server, ensuring zero downtime and continuous sales throughout the data transfer. Learn about our security measures.

Why 150.000+ customers all over the globe have chosen Cart2Cart?

100% non-techie friendly

Cart2Cart is recommended by Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, OpenCart, PrestaShop and other top ecommerce platforms.

Keep selling while migrating

The process of data transfer has no effect on the migrated store. At all.

24/7 live support

Get every bit of help right when you need it. Our live chat experts will eagerly guide you through the entire migration process.

Lightning fast migration

Just a few hours - and all your store data is moved to its new home.

Open to the customers’ needs

We’re ready to help import data from database dump, csv. file, a rare shopping cart etc.

Trusted by eCommerce dominators since 2009

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DAMIEN
Online store owner

Great service which allowed us to transfer products, customers and orders database of our customer from Virtuemart to Prestashop 2 times: a first time in order to prepare the new website and a second time in order to update new customers and new orders placed in the meantime. Without Cart2Cart this would have been more complicated… A great customer service also, very available and very competent. Thanks to them
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From VirtueMart
To PrestaShop
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XAVIER DAGUET
Online store owner

Great Service, and great support team. Used for a migration from Magento to PrestaShop, it works like a charm.
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From Magento
To PrestaShop
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NIEVES TORRES
Online store owner

Tiene un servicio online que me ha salvado la vida. Y de momento todo a funcionado perfecto migrando de woocommerce a prestashop. Me han facilitado la vida y me han alegrado el día
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From WooCommerce
To PrestaShop
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PD123456
Online store owner

Cart2Cart helped me with several PrestaShop migrations. They always give good support, ready to listen and help if needed. I migrated several stores with 15000 products, with no problem.

This is the best migration tool I know.
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To PrestaShop
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MARIO CINQUOTTI
Online store owner

This was the only service that worked for X-Cart5 to PrestaShop migration. Other paid service (even a paid “pro” module on PrestaShop store) revealed completely useless. With Cart2Cart I was able to test migration and quickly see any issue on the target shop. I recommend it
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From X-Cart
To PrestaShop
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DADDO
Online store owner

It’s an easy system to clone products on different platforms. I use it as tool to migrate things from magento to PRestashop and it works perfectly. I would recommend it
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From Magento
To PrestaShop
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GIJS VAN WOERDEKOM
Online store owner

Working with pleasure with you, did a big migration from old prestashop to the latest version, all migrated with no issues and delivered in time! Thanks a lot! Saved me also a lot of time.
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From PrestaShop
To PrestaShop
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RAFA
Online store owner

Great bussiness, and extraordinary on line help, great tech chat, really great service, from old shop Zen cart to a superb prestashop 1.6x. Thanks a lot, save time and money… I recommend for sure
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From Zen Cart
To PrestaShop
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JIRI FARNIK
Online store owner

I was in to move from the Magento to Prestashop.The migration was easy to set up and get running, there was a small problem with the move but the team acted quickly and resolved the issue. Excellent service.
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From Magento
To PrestaShop
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GORDON PEEL
Online store owner

Brilliant…I needed to migrate from oscommerce to Prestashop and Cart2cart made it so very easy. I was doubtful at first so I ran the on-line demo which put me at ease as it so worked well that I went to the next stage and migrated the entire shop. Completed in minutes, no need for any support just followed the simple on-screen instructions and that’s all there was to it. Thank you it was worth every penny
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From osCommerce
To PrestaShop