Oxatis to PrestaShop Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

Seamlessly Transition Your E-commerce Store from Oxatis to PrestaShop

For merchants operating on the Oxatis platform, the decision to replatform to a more flexible and robust solution like PrestaShop can be a game-changer for growth and operational efficiency. PrestaShop offers extensive customization, a vast module marketplace, and greater control over your online store's future. This guide provides a detailed, step-by-step walkthrough for migrating your valuable e-commerce data – including products, customer records, orders, and more – from Oxatis to PrestaShop. Since Oxatis is a closed platform, the migration process will involve exporting your data into CSV files and then importing it into the migration tool as the source, ensuring a smooth and secure data transfer.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before initiating any data transfer, thorough preparation is crucial to ensure data integrity and minimize downtime. Here's what you need to have ready:

• For Your Oxatis Store (Source):
  • Data Export: You will need to export all essential data from your Oxatis store into CSV files. This includes product details (SKUs, variants, descriptions, images), product categories, customer information, and order history. Ensure your CSV files are well-structured and clean. CSV.File Data Migration is a service that can assist with complex CSV structures.
  • Data Cleanup: Review your existing Oxatis data for any inconsistencies, outdated product listings, or duplicate customer entries. Cleaning your data now will prevent issues on your new PrestaShop store.
  • Full Backup: Always perform a complete backup of your Oxatis store's data before starting the migration process. This is a critical safety measure.
• For Your PrestaShop Store (Target):
  • New PrestaShop Installation: Ensure you have a fresh installation of PrestaShop (we recommend the latest stable version) set up on your chosen hosting environment. You'll need admin and FTP access to this installation. For more details on preparation, refer to How to prepare Target store for migration?.
  • Hosting Resources: Verify that your hosting environment meets PrestaShop's requirements and has sufficient resources to handle your migrated data and expected traffic.
  • Theme and Basic Configuration: While not strictly a prerequisite for data transfer, having a basic theme installed and understanding your new store's structure will aid in post-migration verification.
  • Required Module: For seamless connection, you will need to install the Cart2Cart Universal PrestaShop Migration module on your PrestaShop store.

Supported Data Entities for Migration:

When migrating from Oxatis (via CSV) to PrestaShop, you can transfer a wide array of entities, ensuring a comprehensive move of your e-commerce store. These include:

• Products, Product Categories, Product Manufacturers, Product Reviews
• Customers
• Orders, Invoices
• Taxes
• Stores (if applicable via CSV structure)
• Coupons
• CMS Pages, Blogs, Blog Posts

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

The migration process is facilitated by a specialized migration wizard, guiding you through each stage from connection to full data transfer.

Step 1: Initiate Your Migration Project

Begin by navigating to the migration service platform. Here, you'll be prompted to start your migration journey, choose a guided service, or calculate the cost.

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

Since Oxatis does not allow direct API or bridge connection, you will facilitate the data transfer by first exporting your data from Oxatis into CSV files. Then, within the migration wizard:

1. Select 'CSV File to Cart' as your source shopping cart type from the dropdown menu.
2. Upload your prepared CSV files containing your Oxatis data. Ensure these files are correctly formatted according to the tool's guidelines.

For more insights into preparing your source data, consult our How to prepare Source store for migration? guide.

Step 3: Set Up Your Target Store (PrestaShop)

Now, configure your new PrestaShop store as the destination for your data.

1. Choose 'PrestaShop' from the target cart type list.
2. Provide your PrestaShop Admin URL.
3. Select the connection method. PrestaShop typically requires a 'Bridge' connection, which often involves uploading a specific 'bridge2cart' folder to your PrestaShop store's root directory via FTP. Alternatively, some tools may offer an 'Install Add-on from Marketplace' option. The PrestaShop platform specifically requires the Cart2Cart Universal PrestaShop Migration module.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Transfer

This critical step allows you to define exactly which types of data you wish to migrate from your Oxatis CSV files to your PrestaShop store. You can choose to transfer all available entities or meticulously select specific items like products, customers, orders, categories, and more.

Step 5: Configure Additional Migration Options

Enhance your data transfer with a range of advanced settings. These options are vital for preserving data integrity, maintaining SEO, and customizing your new store's setup.

• Preserve IDs: Opt to preserve Product IDs, Orders IDs, and Customers IDs to maintain continuity for internal processes and existing integrations.
• SEO URLs & 301 Redirects: Configure SEO URLs and create 301 SEO URLs to ensure your search engine rankings are preserved post-migration and to avoid broken links.
• Password Migration: If supported, migrate customer passwords to provide a seamless login experience for your existing customer base.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensure all product and category images embedded within descriptions are transferred correctly.
• Clear Target Data: The option to clear current data on Target store before migration is recommended for fresh PrestaShop installations to avoid conflicts.
• Create Variants from Attributes: Leverage this option to correctly structure product variants based on attributes from your CSV data.

Step 6: Map Data Fields

The data mapping step ensures that customer groups, order statuses, and other crucial attributes from your Oxatis data are correctly associated with their equivalents in PrestaShop. This step is essential for maintaining data consistency and proper functionality in your new store.

Step 7: Run a Free Demo Migration (Optional but Recommended)

Before committing to a full transfer, perform a free demo migration. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-20 products, customers, orders) to your PrestaShop store. It's an invaluable opportunity to preview the migration results, verify data accuracy, and ensure everything functions as expected without any financial commitment. Explore our Migration Preview Service for more information.

Step 8: Perform Full Data Transfer

Once you're satisfied with the demo results, proceed with the full migration. This final step transfers all selected data from your Oxatis CSV files to your PrestaShop store. At this stage, you might also consider adding a Migration Insurance Service for peace of mind, offering remigrations if unexpected issues arise. Learn more about how Migration Insurance works.

Post-Migration Steps

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

1. Verify Data Accuracy: Thoroughly check all migrated data, including products (SKUs, variants, prices, images, descriptions), categories, customer accounts, and order details. Ensure all links work, and product attributes are correctly displayed. Test the checkout process with dummy orders.
2. Configure SEO Settings: Implement 301 redirects for any URLs that may have changed to preserve your SEO rankings and link equity. Update your sitemap and resubmit it to search engines like Google via Google Search Console. Pay attention to meta descriptions and alt tags.
3. Install Essential Modules and Integrations: Install and configure necessary PrestaShop modules for payment gateways, shipping methods, marketing automation, analytics, and any other third-party integrations crucial for your business operations.
4. Customize Your Store's Design: Fine-tune your PrestaShop theme, branding elements, and visual layout to ensure a consistent and engaging user experience for your customers.
5. Update DNS Settings: Once you're confident your PrestaShop store is fully ready, update your domain's DNS settings to point to your new PrestaShop hosting. Plan this step carefully to minimize downtime.
6. Perform Extensive Testing: Conduct comprehensive testing across various devices and browsers. Check mobile responsiveness, site speed, and all functionalities from customer registration to order fulfillment.
7. Ongoing Optimization: Continuously monitor your PrestaShop store's performance, security, and implement regular updates. Consider utilizing a Recent Data Migration Service to transfer any new orders or customer data accumulated on your old Oxatis store during the final stages of the DNS propagation.

Migrating from Oxatis to PrestaShop is a significant undertaking, but with careful planning and the right tools, it can be a smooth and rewarding transition. If you encounter any challenges or prefer expert assistance, don't hesitate to contact us for support.