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

Seamlessly Migrate Your E-commerce Store from Subbly to Square

As your e-commerce business evolves, so too might your platform needs. Transitioning from Subbly to Square can unlock new functionalities, streamline operations, and enhance your overall selling capabilities, especially with Square’s robust POS and integrated payment solutions. While the prospect of moving your entire online store, including valuable customer data, products (SKUs and variants), and orders, might seem daunting, this guide will walk you through a clear, actionable process for a smooth data transfer.

This authoritative how-to article provides a detailed, step-by-step approach to replatforming from Subbly to Square, utilizing a powerful migration tool to ensure data integrity and minimize downtime. We’ll cover everything from initial preparations to post-migration verification, helping you move confidently to your new Square store.

Prerequisites for Migration

A successful e-commerce migration begins with thorough preparation. Before you initiate the data transfer, ensure both your Subbly (source) and Square (target) stores are ready.

Subbly (Source) Preparations:

• Data Backup: Always perform a complete backup of all your Subbly store data – products, customers, orders, blog posts, and any other critical information. This serves as a safety net in case of unforeseen issues.
• Export Data to CSV: Since Subbly is not directly integrated with the migration tool, you will need to export your store’s data into CSV (Comma Separated Values) files. This typically includes exporting products, product categories, customers, and orders. Refer to Subbly’s documentation for specific instructions on how to export your data. The migration will be performed via CSV file import, leveraging the “File only” connection method for the source, with no additional plugins required for Subbly.
• Review CSV Files: Open and review your exported CSV files to ensure all data is present and correctly formatted. This is crucial for avoiding data corruption during the import process.

For more details on preparing your source store, read our FAQ: How to prepare Source store for migration?

Square (Target) Preparations:

• Set Up Your Square Account: Ensure your Square account and online store are fully set up. This includes basic store information, currency settings, and any initial configurations.
• Familiarize with Square Structure: Understand how Square handles product categories, variants, customer groups, and order statuses. This knowledge will be vital during the data mapping phase.
• No Conflicting Data: If you plan to import all your Subbly data, consider whether you want to clear any existing demo data or products on your Square store before migration.

To learn more about preparing your target store, visit our FAQ: How to prepare Target store for migration?

General Prerequisites:

• Access Credentials: Have all necessary login credentials and API access tokens for your Square store readily available for the migration tool to connect.
• Reliable Migration Service: Utilize a trusted migration service that specializes in e-commerce data transfers to ensure data integrity and a seamless transition.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

This section outlines the step-by-step process of using a migration wizard to transfer your e-commerce data from Subbly (via CSV) to Square.

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Begin by accessing the migration tool’s interface. Here, you'll choose to start a do-it-yourself migration, or explore other options such as requesting assistance for a guided service.

Step 2: Configure Subbly as the Source Store (via CSV)

In the migration wizard, you will select your source platform. Since Subbly data is exported into CSV files, you will choose “CSV File to Cart” as your Source Cart type. Upload the CSV files you exported from Subbly, containing your products, customers, orders, and other entities. This method relies on file-only connections and requires no special plugins for the source store.

For more information on this process, refer to our CSV.File Data Migration service.

Step 3: Configure Square as the Target Store

Next, select “Square” as your Target Cart. The migration tool will prompt you to provide the necessary connection details, typically an API key or access tokens, allowing it to securely connect to your Square online store and prepare it for data import. The tool handles the complexities of API access, ensuring a smooth data transfer to Square.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

This crucial step allows you to specify exactly which types of data you wish to transfer from your Subbly CSVs to Square. You can choose to migrate all entities or select specific ones based on your needs.

• Products: Including product categories, manufacturers, and reviews.
• Customers: With their associated data.
• Orders: All historical order data.
• Invoices, Taxes, Stores, Coupons, CMS Pages, Blogs, Blog Posts: Depending on what’s available in your CSV files.

Step 5: Configure Data Mapping and Additional Options

This is where you ensure data consistency between platforms. The migration wizard will present options for mapping your Subbly (CSV) fields to their corresponding fields in Square.

Data Mapping:

You’ll map customer groups and order statuses from your CSV data to appropriate statuses and groups in Square. For instance, a “Pending” order status from Subbly might be mapped to “Open” or “Pending Payment” in Square.

Additional Migration Options:

Enhance your migration with various optional features:

• Clear Target: This option allows you to clear current data on Target store before migration, ensuring no duplicate or conflicting data.
• Preserve IDs: Select options like Preserve Category IDs, Preserve Product IDs, Preserve Customers IDs, and Preserve Orders IDs to maintain the original identifiers, which can be useful for external integrations or historical records.
• Create Variants from Attributes: Essential for products with multiple options (e.g., size, color).
• SEO URLs: Preserve or restructure your product and category SEO URLs, crucial for maintaining your search engine rankings and link equity. Consider implementing 301 redirects for any URL changes.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensure product images embedded in descriptions are transferred.
• Password Migration: Securely transfer customer passwords (if supported and enabled).

Step 6: Run Demo Migration & Full Migration

Before committing to the full data transfer, run a free demo migration. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10 products, 10 customers, 10 orders) to your Square store. Review the demo results thoroughly to identify any potential issues or data inconsistencies. Once you’re satisfied with the demo, proceed with the full migration.

You may also consider adding a Migration Insurance Service, which offers additional remigrations and support. Learn more about How Migration Insurance works?

Post-Migration Steps

Once your data has been successfully transferred to Square, a few critical post-migration tasks remain to ensure your new store is fully operational and optimized.

• Thorough Data Verification: This is perhaps the most important step. Meticulously check every aspect of your new Square store:
  • Products: Verify SKUs, descriptions, images, pricing, inventory levels, and variants for accuracy.
  • Customers: Ensure customer accounts and their associated order histories are correct.
  • Orders: Cross-reference order details, statuses, and transaction data.
  • SEO Elements: Confirm that product and category URLs, meta titles, and descriptions are intact or updated as planned.
• Configure Your Square Store: Personalize your Square online store’s appearance, set up shipping zones, configure payment gateways, and install any necessary Square apps or plugins to extend functionality.
• Implement 301 Redirects: If your URLs have changed during the migration, set up 301 redirects from your old Subbly URLs to the new Square URLs. This is vital for preserving your SEO rankings, maintaining link equity, and ensuring a smooth user experience.
• Test Functionality: Conduct comprehensive testing of all store functionalities, including:
  • The complete checkout process (from adding to cart to payment confirmation).
  • Customer account login and management.
  • Contact forms and other interactive elements.
• Update DNS Settings: Once you are confident your Square store is fully functional and all data is verified, update your domain’s DNS records to point to your new Square online store.
• Announce Your New Store: Inform your customers about your exciting move to Square. Highlight any new features or improvements they can expect.
• Monitor Performance: Keep a close eye on your new store’s performance, sales, and SEO rankings in the weeks following the migration.

Migrating your e-commerce store is a significant undertaking, but with careful planning and the right tools, it can be a seamless transition to a more powerful and scalable platform. The potential benefits of a well-executed website migration, such as improved features and better performance, are well worth the effort. For any questions or professional assistance with your migration, please do not hesitate to Contact Us.