Actinic to Shopify Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

Seamlessly Transition Your E-commerce Store from Actinic to Shopify

Moving your online store from an older platform like Actinic to a modern, feature-rich solution like Shopify can unlock significant growth opportunities. Shopify is renowned for its user-friendly interface, robust e-commerce tools, and extensive app ecosystem, making it an ideal choice for merchants looking to scale their business. While Actinic served its purpose, a replatforming offers improved performance, enhanced SEO capabilities, and a superior user experience.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process of migrating your Actinic store data to Shopify. Since Actinic data is typically not directly accessible via an API, we will leverage the efficient CSV.File Data Migration method, coupled with the power of the Cart2Cart migration wizard. Follow these actionable steps to ensure a smooth and successful data transfer, preserving your valuable customer data, product listings, and order history.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before initiating the data transfer, careful preparation is key to minimize downtime and ensure data integrity. Addressing these prerequisites will set the foundation for a seamless transition.

For Your Actinic Store (Source):

• Data Export: Since Actinic does not support direct API connections for migration tools, you will need to export all essential data into CSV files. This includes products (with SKUs, variants, descriptions, images), product categories, customer records, and order history. Ensure your CSV files are well-structured and clean.
• Data Backup: Always create a complete backup of your Actinic store database and files. This serves as a safety net in case any unforeseen issues arise during the export or migration process.
• Review Source Data: Take this opportunity to audit your existing Actinic data. Clean up outdated products, redundant customer entries, or incomplete order information. This will ensure you migrate only high-quality, relevant data to Shopify. For more details on preparing your source store, refer to our How to prepare Source store for migration? FAQ.

For Your Shopify Store (Target):

• Set Up Your Shopify Store: Create a new Shopify account and choose a suitable plan. Be aware that the "Pause and Build" plan blocks order processing, so select an active plan if you intend to run your store immediately after migration.
• Install Cart2Cart App: For a streamlined migration, the Cart2Cart Store Migration App is required. This app facilitates the connection between the migration service and your Shopify store.
• Disable Notifications: It's highly recommended to disable email notifications on your Shopify store during the migration to avoid sending confusing or incomplete order/customer notifications to your clients.
• Theme Selection & Basic Setup: Install your desired Shopify theme and configure basic store settings like currency, shipping zones, and payment gateways. This will allow for proper data mapping and testing post-migration. For further guidance, see How to prepare Target store for migration?.
• API Access (Optional but Recommended): If you choose to connect via API (an alternative to the app), you will need to create a custom app in your Shopify admin, configure the necessary API scopes, and obtain an Admin API access token. This token, along with the X-CSRF token, will be used to establish a secure connection. Read The Short & Essential Guide to Access Credentials for Cart2Cart for more information.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your preparations complete, you are ready to initiate the data transfer using the migration wizard. This section guides you through each step of the process.

Step 1: Start Your Migration

Begin by navigating to the migration wizard. Here, you'll choose to start a do-it-yourself migration, request expert assistance, or estimate the cost of your transfer.

Step 2: Source Store Setup (Actinic via CSV)

This is where you'll tell the wizard about your Actinic store. Since Actinic isn't directly supported by API, you will connect it via a CSV file import.

Select "CSV File to Cart" from the list of supported platforms as your source store type. Then, upload your carefully prepared Actinic CSV files containing products, categories, customers, orders, and any other data you wish to transfer.

Step 3: Target Store Setup (Shopify)

Next, configure your target Shopify store. This step establishes the connection where your Actinic data will be transferred.

Select "Shopify" as your Target Cart. The recommended connection method is to "Install App from Marketplace." Click the provided link to install the Cart2Cart Store Migration App from the Shopify App Store. Follow the on-screen instructions in Shopify, then return to the wizard to confirm the connection. Alternatively, you can opt to provide API access credentials directly, which requires generating an Admin API access token in your Shopify admin.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

This crucial step allows you to define exactly which data entities you want to move from your Actinic CSV files to Shopify. You can select all available data types or pick them individually based on your specific needs.

Typical entities include:

• Products: Including product details, images, SKUs, and variants.
• Product Categories: Ensuring your store's structure is maintained.
• Customers: Transferring customer records, groups, and associated data.
• Orders: Migrating historical order data and statuses.
• Reviews: Note that reviews in Shopify may require the AirReviews app for full functionality post-migration.
• CMS Pages & Blog Posts: Preserving your content and SEO equity.

Step 5: Configure Additional Options & Data Mapping

This stage is vital for fine-tuning your migration, addressing SEO, and ensuring data consistency.

Additional Migration Options

You'll be presented with a range of additional options to customize your data transfer. Highly recommended options include:

• Clear Target Store Data: Useful if you're migrating to a fresh Shopify store and want to remove any pre-existing sample data. Learn more about the Clear current data on Target store before migration option.
• Preserve Order IDs: Maintain your original order numbering from Actinic in Shopify. See How Preserve IDs options can be used?.
• Create 301 SEO URLs: Crucial for maintaining your search engine rankings and link equity. This option creates redirects from your old Actinic URLs to your new Shopify URLs, preventing broken links and ensuring a smooth transition for your visitors and search engines.
• Migrate Images in Product Descriptions: Ensures all embedded images in your product descriptions are transferred.
• Migrate Groups to Tags: This option helps translate customer groups or product groups from your Actinic data into Shopify's tagging system, enhancing organization.

Data Mapping

During the mapping setup, you will match specific data fields from your Actinic CSV files to the corresponding fields in Shopify. This includes:

• Customer Groups Mapping: Associate Actinic customer roles with Shopify customer tags or segments.
• Order Status Mapping: Link Actinic order statuses (e.g., 'Pending,' 'Completed') to their equivalents in Shopify.

Accurate mapping is critical for data consistency and ensuring that your store's operational logic is correctly replicated on Shopify.

Step 6: Run a Free Demo Migration

Before committing to a full migration, run a free demo. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10 products, 10 customers, 10 orders) to your Shopify store. The demo helps you:

• Verify the connection between Actinic (CSV) and Shopify.
• Check the accuracy of data transfer and mapping.
• Identify any potential issues before the full transfer.

Review the demo results thoroughly in your Shopify admin. Make any necessary adjustments to your CSV files or migration options based on what you observe.

Step 7: Start Full Migration

Once you are satisfied with the demo results and have resolved any issues, you can proceed with the full migration. Review the summary of your selected data entities and the total cost.

Consider adding a Migration Insurance Service, which offers additional remigrations if you need to transfer new data or re-run the process. Learn more about How Migration Insurance works?.

Click the button to launch the full data transfer. During this period, it's advisable to keep your Actinic store operational to avoid any interruption in sales, although minimizing changes can prevent data discrepancies. Remember that Shopify's "Pause and Build" plan blocks orders, and it's recommended to disable notifications during the transfer.

Post-Migration Steps

The migration doesn't end when the data transfer is complete. Several critical post-migration tasks are necessary to ensure your new Shopify store is fully functional and optimized.

1. Data Verification: Thoroughly check all migrated data in your Shopify store. Confirm that product details, images, prices, SKUs, customer accounts, and order histories are accurate and complete. Test various aspects, including checkout processes and customer logins.
2. Configure SEO & Redirects: While the migration tool can create 301 redirects, double-check them to ensure all important Actinic URLs redirect to their corresponding Shopify pages. This is crucial for maintaining your SEO rankings and link equity. Submit a new sitemap to search engines.
3. Set Up Payment Gateways & Shipping: Configure your preferred payment methods (Shopify Payments, PayPal, etc.) and set up your shipping zones, rates, and carriers.
4. Install Essential Apps: Explore the Shopify App Store for apps that extend functionality, such as marketing tools, customer service solutions, analytics, and specifically for reviews if not handled during migration (e.g., AirReviews).
5. Update DNS Settings: Once you are confident your Shopify store is ready, update your domain's DNS records to point to Shopify. This will direct all traffic to your new store.
6. Test Everything: Perform comprehensive testing from a customer's perspective. Place test orders, verify email notifications, test discount codes, and ensure all site elements function correctly across different devices.
7. Go Live: Announce your new Shopify store! Monitor your site closely for any issues and be prepared to address them promptly.

Migrating from Actinic to Shopify is a significant undertaking, but by following this detailed guide, you can achieve a successful and impactful replatforming. If you encounter any challenges or require additional assistance, don't hesitate to Contact Us for expert support.