Saleor to BigCommerce Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

Seamlessly Migrate Your E-commerce Store from Saleor to BigCommerce

For merchants seeking to enhance scalability, streamline operations, and leverage a broader feature set, transitioning from a highly customizable, developer-centric platform like Saleor to a robust, all-in-one SaaS solution such as BigCommerce can be a strategic move. While Saleor offers unparalleled flexibility for developers, BigCommerce provides a powerful, user-friendly environment with extensive out-of-the-box features, a strong app marketplace, and managed hosting, simplifying the complexities of running an online store.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process of moving your valuable e-commerce data – including products, customer records, orders, and more – from Saleor to BigCommerce. We'll detail the necessary preparations, outline the step-by-step migration process, and provide essential post-migration considerations to ensure a smooth transition and maintain your store's performance and SEO rankings.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before initiating the data transfer, careful preparation of both your Saleor source store and your new BigCommerce target store is crucial. This proactive approach minimizes potential issues and ensures data integrity throughout the replatforming process.

Preparing Your Saleor (Source) Store:

• Data Export: Since Saleor is an API-first platform and direct plugin-based migration to BigCommerce isn't always straightforward with standard tools, the most reliable method for data extraction is often through CSV file export. You will need to export all essential data entities such as products (including SKUs, variants, images, descriptions), product categories, customer data, order history, reviews, blog posts, and CMS pages into well-structured CSV files.
• Data Backup: Always perform a complete backup of your Saleor store's database and files. This acts as a safety net, allowing you to restore your store to its original state if any unforeseen issues arise during the migration.
• Review Data: Take this opportunity to clean up any outdated or unnecessary data. Removing redundant products, old customer accounts, or irrelevant content can streamline the migration and improve the performance of your new BigCommerce store.

For more detailed information on preparing your source store, please consult our How to prepare Source store for migration? guide.

Preparing Your BigCommerce (Target) Store:

• New Store Setup: Ensure your new BigCommerce store is already set up and accessible. You don't need to populate it with data, as the migration process will handle that.
• API Credentials: BigCommerce requires API access for data import. You will need to generate specific API credentials within your BigCommerce admin panel: a Client ID, an Access Token, and the API Path. These credentials are vital for establishing a secure connection. BigCommerce also requires HTTPS for API connections and may necessitate custom app development with specific scopes for full data access.
• Custom App Development: As per BigCommerce's `Plugin Requirements`, a custom app with required scopes might be necessary to grant the migration tool sufficient permissions to access and write data to your store.
• Review BigCommerce Settings: Familiarize yourself with BigCommerce's core settings, such as currency, shipping zones, and tax settings, as these will influence how your migrated data is displayed and functions.

For further details on preparing your target store, refer to our How to prepare Target store for migration? article, and for API access, see The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

Once your preparations are complete, you can begin the migration process using a dedicated migration wizard. This guide assumes the use of a professional migration service that handles the complexities of data transfer.

Step 1: Start Your Migration Journey

Begin by accessing the migration wizard, typically found on the service provider's website. Here, you'll be prompted to start a new migration.

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

Connecting your Saleor store for migration typically involves exporting your data into a series of well-structured CSV files. Since Saleor is a highly customizable, API-first platform, direct plugin-based migration to BigCommerce isn't universally available through standard tools. Therefore, the most reliable method for transferring your comprehensive Saleor data (including products, customers, orders, and more) is often through CSV export and subsequent import.

Select 'CSV File to Cart' (or similar option that supports CSV uploads) as your source platform. You will then upload your prepared CSV files containing your Saleor store's data. This method allows you to transfer a wide range of entities, including Products, Categories, Manufacturers, Reviews, Customers, Orders, Invoices, Taxes, Stores, Coupons, CMS Pages, and Blog Posts.

For more information on this method, visit our CSV.File Data Migration page.

Step 3: Configure Your BigCommerce Target Store

Next, you will set up your BigCommerce target store. From the dropdown menu, select 'BigCommerce' as your target cart. You'll then need to provide your BigCommerce store's URL along with the API credentials you generated: the Client ID (Username), Access Token (API Token), and the specific API Path. Remember that BigCommerce has `API rate limits` and requires `HTTPS` for all connections. Ensure your BigCommerce store is ready to accept data, including any `Custom app development` with the `required scopes` as noted in the platform's requirements.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Transfer

In this crucial step, you choose which specific data entities from your Saleor CSV files you wish to transfer to BigCommerce. You can opt to migrate all available entities or select them individually. Common entities include Products, Product Categories, Customers, Orders, Coupons, and CMS Pages. Pay close attention to migrating product data, including SKUs and variants, to ensure your catalog is fully transferred.

Step 5: Define Additional Migration Options

This step allows you to fine-tune your migration with several optional features. Consider selecting:

• Clear Target: This option is useful if your BigCommerce store already contains dummy data that you want to remove before importing your Saleor data. Learn more about clearing current data on Target store before migration.
• 301 SEO URLs: Highly recommended to preserve your search engine rankings and link equity. This option automatically creates 301 redirects from your old Saleor URLs to the corresponding new BigCommerce URLs, preventing broken links and maintaining your SEO.
• Preserve IDs: Options like 'Preserve Product IDs,' 'Preserve Category IDs,' 'Preserve Customers IDs,' and 'Preserve Orders IDs' help maintain consistency for internal tracking and integrations. Explore how Preserve IDs options can be used.
• Create Variants from Attributes: This is essential for products with multiple options (e.g., size, color) to be correctly structured as product variants in BigCommerce.

Step 6: Map Your Data Fields

To ensure consistency, you will need to map customer groups and order statuses from your Saleor source to the appropriate fields in BigCommerce. This step is critical for maintaining data integrity and ensuring that customer roles and order lifecycles are correctly represented in your new store.

Step 7: Run a Free Demo Migration

Before committing to a full migration, conduct a free demo migration. This trial allows you to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10 products, 10 customers, 10 orders) to your BigCommerce store. Review the migrated data thoroughly to ensure everything transferred correctly and appears as expected. This step is invaluable for identifying and resolving any potential mapping or configuration issues early on.

Step 8: Initiate Full Migration with Insurance (Optional)

After a successful demo, you are ready for the full data transfer. Review all your selected options and the estimated cost. Consider adding Migration Insurance Service, which offers additional remigrations in case you need to run the process again, for instance, to transfer recent data updates or make further adjustments. Learn more about how Migration Insurance works.

Post-Migration Steps

Once the migration to BigCommerce is complete, there are several vital steps to undertake to ensure your new store is fully operational, optimized, and ready for your customers.

• Thoroughly Review and Test Your New Store:
  • Product Data: Check all product details, SKUs, variants, pricing, images, and descriptions.
  • Customer Accounts: Verify customer logins (if passwords were migrated) and order history.
  • Orders: Confirm that all past orders, statuses, and associated customer data are correct.
  • Site Functionality: Test the entire customer journey, including product browsing, adding to cart, checkout process, search functionality, and filters.
• Update DNS and Redirects: Point your domain name to your new BigCommerce store. Ensure that all 301 redirects are properly implemented and working to guide visitors from old Saleor URLs to your new BigCommerce URLs, preserving your SEO rankings and preventing broken links.
• Configure Theme and Extensions: Customize your BigCommerce theme to match your brand identity. Install and configure any necessary apps or plugins from the BigCommerce App Store to extend functionality (e.g., shipping, accounting, marketing tools).
• SEO Optimization: Verify that all page titles, meta descriptions, and canonical tags are correct. Submit your new sitemap to search engines. Continue monitoring your SEO performance closely.
• Marketing & Promotions: Update any ongoing marketing campaigns, email templates, and social media links to reflect your new BigCommerce store. Inform your customers about the transition to ensure a seamless shopping experience.
• Employee Training: Train your team on the new BigCommerce platform, focusing on order processing, product management, and customer service workflows.

Migrating from Saleor to BigCommerce is a significant undertaking, but with careful planning and execution, it can lead to a more scalable and feature-rich e-commerce experience. If you encounter any challenges or have further questions, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions or feel free to Contact Us for expert assistance.