JTL-Shop3 to PrestaShop Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

Embarking on an e-commerce platform migration can be a strategic move to unlock new growth and efficiency for your online store. If you’re currently running your business on JTL-Shop3 and contemplating a transition to PrestaShop, this comprehensive guide is designed to make the replatforming process as smooth and straightforward as possible. PrestaShop offers a robust, feature-rich, and highly customizable environment, making it an excellent choice for merchants looking to scale and enhance their digital presence.

Given that JTL-Shop3 typically handles data through exports, this migration will primarily involve transferring your valuable store data—including products, categories, customer details, order history, and more—via CSV files into your new PrestaShop store. We'll walk you through each critical step, ensuring data integrity and minimal downtime throughout your e-commerce journey.

Prerequisites for a Smooth Migration

Before initiating the data transfer from JTL-Shop3 to PrestaShop, it's crucial to prepare both your source and target platforms. Proper preparation is key to a successful, error-free migration.

For Your JTL-Shop3 (Source) Store:

• Data Export: Since JTL-Shop3 is not directly supported by automated bridges in the same way as some other platforms, your migration will rely on CSV file exports. You will need to export all relevant data—such as products (including SKUs and variants), product categories, manufacturers, customer records, order history, and potentially reviews or CMS pages—into CSV format. Ensure these exports are as complete and clean as possible.
• Data Integrity Check: Review your JTL-Shop3 data for any inconsistencies, missing information, or outdated entries. Cleaning your data now will save significant effort later.
• Backup: Always perform a full backup of your JTL-Shop3 database and files before exporting any data. This provides a safety net in case any issues arise.

For more detailed guidance, refer to our How to prepare Source store for migration? FAQ.

For Your PrestaShop (Target) Store:

• Fresh PrestaShop Installation: Install a fresh, clean instance of PrestaShop on your chosen hosting environment. Ensure it meets PrestaShop's system requirements for optimal performance.
• Admin Access: You’ll need full administrator access credentials (admin email/login and password) to your PrestaShop backend. This is essential for installing the necessary connection bridge or module. Read our The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart for best practices.
• Install Connection Module/Bridge: PrestaShop requires the "Cart2Cart Universal PrestaShop Migration module" for the migration tool to connect. This is typically achieved by uploading a connection bridge file to your store's root directory or installing a module from the marketplace.
• Theme and Extensions: While not strictly a prerequisite for data transfer, consider your desired PrestaShop theme and any essential modules or extensions. You’ll configure these after the core data migration.

For additional details, visit our How to prepare Target store for migration? guide.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these detailed steps to seamlessly transfer your e-commerce data from JTL-Shop3 to PrestaShop using an automated migration wizard.

Step 1: Start Your Migration

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

Step 2: Connect Your Source JTL-Shop3 Store

In this step, you’ll specify your source platform. Since JTL-Shop3 data will be imported via CSV, select "CsvToCart" as your Source Cart. You will then be prompted to upload your prepared CSV files containing your products, categories, customers, orders, and other essential data. This method allows for a comprehensive data transfer of all critical entities.

For more information on preparing your CSV files, consider our CSV.File Data Migration service.

Step 3: Connect Your Target PrestaShop Store

Next, configure your target store. Select "PrestaShop" from the dropdown list of target platforms. You will then need to provide your PrestaShop Admin URL. To establish a connection, choose your preferred method, typically by uploading a Connection Bridge or installing a marketplace add-on.

• Upload Connection Bridge (Recommended): Download the bridge file, extract the 'bridge2cart' folder, and upload it via FTP/SFTP to the root directory of your PrestaShop installation. The root directory is where your main index.php file is located. If you are unsure, refer to What is a root folder and where can I find it?
• Install Add-on from Marketplace: Alternatively, you can install the "Cart2Cart Universal PrestaShop Migration module" directly from the PrestaShop marketplace via your admin panel.

Rest assured that providing your access details is safe. You can learn more in our Is it safe to provide your company with my access details? section.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

This crucial step allows you to specify exactly which types of data you want to transfer from your JTL-Shop3 CSV files to PrestaShop. You can choose to migrate all available entities or select them individually. Common entities include:

• Products (including SKUs, descriptions, images, product variants, and metadata)
• Product Categories
• Manufacturers
• Customers (including customer groups and passwords, if selected)
• Orders (with full order history and statuses)
• Product Reviews
• Invoices
• Taxes
• Coupons
• CMS Pages

Step 5: Configure Additional Options and Data Mapping

Additional Migration Options:

Enhance your data transfer with various additional settings to customize your migration. These options are vital for preserving SEO rankings, maintaining data integrity, and ensuring a seamless user experience:

• Preserve Product IDs, Category IDs, Orders IDs, Customer IDs: Highly recommended to maintain existing links and references. Learn more about How Preserve IDs options can be used?
• Create 301 SEO URLs: Essential for redirecting old JTL-Shop3 URLs to your new PrestaShop URLs, preventing 404 errors and preserving link equity.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensures all product and category images embedded within descriptions are transferred.
• Migrate Customer Passwords: Allows customers to log in to their new PrestaShop accounts using their existing credentials.
• Clear Target Store Data: Useful if you've done test migrations and want to start with a clean slate. Understand Clear current data on Target store before migration option.

Data Mapping Setup:

Accurate data mapping is crucial for ensuring that your source data correctly aligns with the structures of your PrestaShop store. You'll map various fields such as:

• Customer Groups: Match your JTL-Shop3 customer groups (e.g., 'Wholesale', 'Retail') to corresponding PrestaShop customer groups.
• Order Statuses: Align old order statuses (e.g., 'Pending', 'Shipped', 'Completed') to their equivalents in PrestaShop.

Step 6: Run Demo Migration & Full Migration

Once all configurations are set, it's time to test the process.

• Free Demo Migration: Perform a demo to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10 products, 10 customers, 10 orders). This allows you to verify the data transfer, check for any errors, and confirm that mapping and options are working as expected.
• Full Migration: After a successful demo, proceed with the full migration. Review your selections and consider adding a Migration Insurance Service, which offers additional remigrations if needed. This step will transfer all selected data entities from your JTL-Shop3 CSV files to your new PrestaShop store.

For details on insurance, read How Migration Insurance works?

Post-Migration Steps: Ensuring a Flawless Launch

Completing the data transfer is a significant achievement, but the work doesn't stop there. These post-migration tasks are essential for a smooth launch and optimal performance of your new PrestaShop store.

• Thorough Data Verification:
  • Products: Check product descriptions, images, prices, SKUs, inventory levels, and variants. Ensure all product metadata is correctly displayed.
  • Categories: Verify category structure, images, and assigned products.
  • Customers: Test customer login, account details, and order history.
  • Orders: Review recent orders for accuracy, especially order statuses and associated customer data.
  • SEO: Confirm that 301 redirects are functioning correctly and that your SEO URLs are intact. Check Google Search Console for any crawl errors.
• Configure PrestaShop Settings:
  • Shipping & Payment: Set up your preferred shipping carriers, methods, and payment gateways.
  • Taxes: Configure tax rules according to your business location and products.
  • Theme & Design: Customize your PrestaShop theme to reflect your brand identity and ensure an excellent user experience.
  • Modules & Extensions: Install and configure any necessary PrestaShop modules for functionality like marketing, analytics, or security.
• Test All Store Functionality:
  • Perform test purchases through the entire checkout process using different payment methods.
  • Verify user registration, login, password recovery, and contact forms.
  • Test site search functionality and navigation.
• Update DNS and SEO:
  • Once confident in your new store, update your domain's DNS records to point to your PrestaShop installation. Plan this during a low-traffic period to minimize downtime.
  • Monitor your SEO rankings and traffic post-launch. Tools like Google Analytics and Search Console will be invaluable.
• Consider Ongoing Services:
  • For any new orders or customer data generated on JTL-Shop3 during the migration window, consider a Recent Data Migration Service to sync the latest information.
• Decommission Old Store: Once your PrestaShop store is live and fully functional, and you've confirmed all data, you can safely decommission your JTL-Shop3 store.

Migrating from JTL-Shop3 to PrestaShop is a significant undertaking, but with careful planning and execution, you can ensure a successful transition to a more powerful and scalable e-commerce platform. If you encounter any challenges, remember that expert assistance is always available via Contact Us.