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

Seamlessly Migrate Your E-commerce Store from CartKeeper to Square

Transitioning your e-commerce store to a new platform is a pivotal moment for any online business. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of migrating your valuable store data from CartKeeper to Square, ensuring a smooth and efficient transition. While CartKeeper might not offer direct API connections for automated migration, we'll leverage a robust CSV-based migration approach to move your products, customer data, orders, and more, empowering you to unlock Square's modern features and streamlined operations.

By following these steps, you'll be able to replatform your store, preserve critical data integrity, and minimize downtime, allowing you to focus on growing your business on the powerful Square platform.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before embarking on your data transfer journey, it's crucial to prepare both your source (CartKeeper) and target (Square) stores. Proper preparation ensures a smoother process and helps prevent potential data discrepancies.

• For your CartKeeper Store (Source):

  Since CartKeeper is not directly integrated into our automated migration tool, the process will involve exporting your data into CSV files. Ensure you can access your CartKeeper administration panel to export the following entities:

  • Products (including SKUs, variants, descriptions, images, prices)
  • Product Categories
  • Product Manufacturers
  • Product Reviews
  • Customer data (names, addresses, order history)
  • Orders (statuses, details)
  • Invoices
  • Taxes
  • Stores (if multi-store)
  • Coupons
  • CMS Pages
  • Blogs & Blog Posts

  Confirm that your exported CSV files are well-structured and contain all necessary information. You can find more details on how to prepare your Source store for migration.

• For your Square Store (Target):

  Your Square account will be the new home for your e-commerce business. Before migration, ensure the following:

  • Square Account Setup: Have an active Square account and a Square Online store already established.
  • Basic Store Configuration: Complete initial setup steps like setting up your store's basic information, shipping zones, and tax settings.
  • Theme Selection: Choose and customize your desired theme to match your brand's aesthetic.
  • Payment Gateway: Ensure your Square payment gateway is fully configured and ready to accept transactions.
  • Access Credentials: Have your Square API keys or other necessary access credentials readily available for connecting the migration tool.

  For more detailed guidance, refer to how to prepare your Target store for migration.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

Our migration wizard simplifies the complex process of data transfer. Follow these steps to move your CartKeeper data to Square.

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Begin by navigating to our migration wizard. Here, you'll choose to start a do-it-yourself migration, calculate your cost, or request assistance from our team.

Step 2: Set Up Your Source Store (CartKeeper via CSV)

In this step, you will specify CartKeeper as your source platform, utilizing the CSV file import method.

1. Select Source Cart: From the dropdown menu, choose "CSV File to Cart" as your source shopping cart.
2. Upload CSV Files: You will then be prompted to upload the CSV files you exported from your CartKeeper store. Ensure all necessary data files are uploaded correctly.
3. No Plugin Required: For CSV File to Cart migrations, no additional plugin installation is required.

Step 3: Set Up Your Target Store (Square)

Next, configure your Square store as the destination for your data.

1. Select Target Cart: Choose "Square" from the list of supported target carts.
2. Provide Connection Details: Enter your Square store's URL and any required API credentials (e.g., Application ID, Access Token) to establish a secure connection.
3. Install Bridge (if prompted): If necessary, the wizard will guide you to install a connector module or bridge file to facilitate the data transfer.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

This is where you decide precisely what data you want to move from your CartKeeper CSV files to your new Square store.

• You can select specific entities like: Products, Product Categories, Product Manufacturers, Product Reviews, Customers, Orders, Invoices, Taxes, Stores, Coupons, CMS Pages, Blogs, and Blog Posts.
• Alternatively, you can choose to migrate 'All entities' with a single click.

Step 5: Configure Data Mapping

To ensure data consistency and integrity, you'll need to map various data fields from your source CartKeeper (via CSV) to their corresponding fields in Square. This step is crucial for accurate data representation on your new platform.

• Customer Groups Mapping: Match customer roles (e.g., 'Registered Customer') from CartKeeper to appropriate roles in Square.
• Order Status Mapping: Align order statuses (e.g., 'Pending', 'Processing', 'Completed') from CartKeeper to Square's equivalents.
• Product Attributes: Map custom product attributes to ensure SKUs and variants are correctly transferred.

Step 6: Choose Additional Migration Options

Enhance your migration with a range of optional features designed to optimize your new store and preserve SEO value.

• Preserve IDs: This option helps maintain original product, category, customer, and order IDs. Learn more about How Preserve IDs options can be used?
• Create 301 Redirects: Essential for SEO, this option helps redirect old CartKeeper URLs to your new Square URLs, preserving link equity and preventing 404 errors.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensures all product and category images embedded within descriptions are transferred.
• Migrate Customer Passwords: Securely transfers customer passwords, allowing your existing customer base to log in to the new store seamlessly.
• Clear Current Data on Target Store: If you're starting fresh, this option will remove any existing data in your Square store before the migration. Understand what this option means.

Step 7: Run Demo Migration & Full Migration

We highly recommend performing a free demo migration first. This allows you to:

• Preview a limited set of your data transferred to Square.
• Test the functionality of your new store with migrated data.
• Identify and resolve any potential issues before the full transfer.

Once satisfied with the demo, proceed with the full migration. You can also opt for a Migration Insurance Plan to safeguard against unforeseen issues and allow for remigrations.

Post-Migration Steps

Your data is now on Square! However, the process isn't complete until you've thoroughly tested and optimized your new store.

• Comprehensive Testing:

  Rigourously test all aspects of your Square store. Verify product pages, pricing, variants, and stock levels. Ensure the checkout process works flawlessly, from adding items to the cart to processing payments. Check customer accounts, order histories, and contact forms. Test search functionality and category filtering to ensure a smooth user experience.

• Verify SEO and Redirects:

  If you opted for 301 redirects, verify they are functioning correctly using an online redirect checker. This is critical for maintaining your SEO rankings and link equity. Update any hardcoded internal links or canonical tags that might point to your old CartKeeper domain.

• Update DNS Settings:

  Once you're confident that your Square store is fully operational, update your domain's DNS settings to point to your new Square Online store. This makes your new store live to the public. Plan this step carefully to minimize downtime.

• Integrate Third-Party Apps:

  Reconnect any essential third-party integrations, such as analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics), email marketing platforms, accounting software, or shipping carriers. Many of these will have Square integrations available.

• Announce Your New Store:

  Inform your customers about the exciting transition! A simple email or social media announcement can keep them engaged and aware of the improvements.

• Monitor Performance:

  Keep a close eye on your new Square store's performance, site speed, and user feedback. Make adjustments as needed to ensure an optimal shopping experience.

Migrating from CartKeeper to Square is a significant upgrade that positions your business for future growth. By carefully following this guide, leveraging the power of CSV data transfer, and meticulously verifying every detail, you can achieve a successful and impactful replatforming, setting the stage for enhanced sales and operational efficiency on Square.