CoreCommerce to Shopware Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

Migrate CoreCommerce to Shopware: The Ultimate Guide for a Seamless Transition

Embarking on an e-commerce platform migration can feel like a daunting task, but with the right guidance, transitioning from CoreCommerce to Shopware can be a smooth and highly rewarding process. This comprehensive guide, crafted by e-commerce content and SEO experts, will walk you through every critical step, ensuring your valuable store data – from products and customers to orders and reviews – is transferred with precision and integrity. Shopware, known for its robust features, scalability, and developer-friendly environment, offers a powerful upgrade for merchants looking to enhance their online presence, streamline operations, and drive growth.

This article details the step-by-step process of replatforming your CoreCommerce store to Shopware, leveraging an automated migration solution. We'll cover everything from essential prerequisites to post-migration checks, ensuring a successful data transfer and a strong foundation for your new Shopware store.

Prerequisites for Migration

Before initiating your store migration, a few preparatory steps are crucial to ensure a seamless data transfer. Proper preparation on both your source (CoreCommerce) and target (Shopware) platforms will significantly reduce potential issues and downtime.

• CoreCommerce Store Access: Ensure you have full administrative access to your CoreCommerce store, including login credentials and FTP/SFTP access to its root directory. This is essential for installing the Connection Bridge.
• Shopware Store Setup: Have a fresh installation of Shopware (version 5.2.2 or 6.0.0+) ready on your hosting. It's recommended to start with a clean slate to avoid conflicts with existing data. You'll also need administrative access and FTP/SFTP access to your Shopware store's root directory for the Connection Bridge. Consider reviewing our guide on how to prepare your target store for migration.
• Backup Your Data: Always create a complete backup of your CoreCommerce store's database and files before starting any migration. While automated tools are reliable, having a backup provides an extra layer of security.
• Review Supported Entities: The migration process supports a wide range of data entities, including Products, Product Categories, Product Manufacturers, Product Reviews, Customers, Orders, Invoices, Taxes, Stores, Coupons, and CMS Pages. Familiarize yourself with these to plan your data transfer strategy.
• Plugin Requirements: Both CoreCommerce and Shopware migrations will require specific modules or plugins to facilitate the connection. For CoreCommerce, the Cart2Cart CoreCommerce Migration module is needed, and for Shopware, the Cart2Cart Shopware Migration module is required. These plugins often work in conjunction with the Connection Bridge to enable secure data exchange.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps to efficiently migrate your e-commerce data from CoreCommerce to Shopware using an automated migration wizard:

Step 1: Get Started with Cart2Cart

Begin your migration journey by signing up or logging into your Cart2Cart account. The intuitive interface will guide you through the initial setup.

Step 2: Configure Your CoreCommerce Source Store

Next, you'll need to specify your current CoreCommerce store as the source platform. This step establishes the connection from where your data will be extracted.

1. Select CoreCommerce from the list of supported platforms.
2. Enter your CoreCommerce Store URL.
3. Download the Connection Bridge file. This bridge is a small piece of software that facilitates a secure connection between your CoreCommerce store and the migration tool.
4. Unpack the downloaded zip file and upload the 'bridge2cart' folder to the root directory of your CoreCommerce store via FTP/SFTP. The root directory is typically where your store's index.php or configuration files are located. For more details, consult our guide on what is a root folder and where can I find it?
5. Verify the bridge installation. The migration wizard will check if the bridge is correctly installed and accessible.

CoreCommerce specifically uses a Bridge connection method, requiring FTP access for plugin installation and bridge location detection to establish the data link securely. Remember, Cart2Cart employs robust security measures, ensuring your access details are safe. Learn more about the security of your data.

Step 3: Set Up Your Shopware Target Store

Now, it's time to configure your new Shopware store as the destination for your e-commerce data.

1. Select Shopware as your target shopping cart from the dropdown menu.
2. Enter your Shopware Store URL.
3. Similar to the source store, download the Connection Bridge file for Shopware.
4. Unpack the bridge file and upload the 'bridge2cart' folder to the root directory of your Shopware installation via FTP/SFTP.
5. Verify the bridge installation.

Shopware also utilizes a Bridge-only connection method, necessitating the upload of a bridge file and the installation of the Cart2Cart Shopware Migration module for successful data transfer. This method supports FTP access and allows for bridge location detection.

Step 4: Select Entities and Additional Options

This critical step allows you to define exactly which data entities you want to migrate and to customize the migration process with additional features.

• Select Data Entities: Choose the specific data types you wish to transfer. You can select all entities, or pick and choose from products, product categories, customers, orders, product reviews, manufacturers, invoices, taxes, stores, coupons, and CMS pages.
• CoreCommerce Source Options: Take advantage of options specific to your CoreCommerce data, such as:
  • Preserve Product IDs
  • Preserve Category IDs
  • Preserve Orders IDs
  • Preserve Customers IDs
  • Create Variants from Attributes
  • SEO URLs (with 301 SEO URLs creation)
  • Migrate Invoices
  • Password Migration
  • Migrate Groups to Tags
• Shopware Target Options: Enhance your Shopware data with target-specific options like:
  • Migrate Images in Description
  • Clear Target (to remove existing demo data before migration, see Clear current data on Target store before migration option)
  • Preserve Customers IDs
  • Preserve Orders IDs
  • BigCommerce Migrate Variants (note: this might be specific to BigCommerce variants in context, but general variant migration is supported)
  • Concat Short Description

• General Additional Options: Further tailor your migration with general enhancements. These can include:
  • Preserve Product IDs, Preserve Orders IDs, Preserve Customers IDs (How Preserve IDs options can be used?)
  • Create 301 SEO URLs to maintain search engine rankings
  • Migrate customer passwords
  • Migrate images from product descriptions
  • Skip custom attributes (if not needed)

Step 5: Data Mapping

Data mapping is crucial for ensuring that your CoreCommerce data fields align correctly with their counterparts in Shopware. This step typically involves matching customer groups and order statuses from your source store to the corresponding fields in your target Shopware store.

Carefully review and map any mismatched fields. This ensures data consistency and integrity, preventing issues like incorrect customer roles or order states post-migration.

Step 6: Run a Free Demo Migration

Before committing to a full migration, take advantage of the free demo migration. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-20 products, customers, orders) to your Shopware store within a short period.

The demo migration is an invaluable opportunity to:

• Review the migrated data on your Shopware store.
• Check the accuracy of product details, customer information, and order history.
• Test the functionality of your new store with actual migrated data.
• Ensure data mapping was successful.

This step acts as a Migration Preview Service, allowing you to confirm the process works as expected before proceeding with your entire store. If you encounter any issues, you can adjust your settings or contact support for assistance.

Step 7: Initiate the Full Migration

Once you are satisfied with the demo results, you can proceed with the full migration of all your CoreCommerce data to Shopware. The wizard will provide a final summary of selected entities and the total cost.

During this stage, you may also consider adding Migration Insurance, which provides the flexibility of multiple re-migrations within a specific period. This is particularly useful if you anticipate making further adjustments or if new data accumulates on your CoreCommerce store during the migration window. Learn more about how Migration Insurance works.

The full migration will transfer all your selected data entities, ensuring your new Shopware store is fully populated and ready for launch.

Post-Migration Steps

The migration doesn't end when the data transfer is complete. A few crucial post-migration steps will ensure your new Shopware store is fully optimized and performs flawlessly.

• Thorough Data Review: Log into your Shopware admin panel and meticulously check all migrated data. Verify product details (SKUs, variants, images), customer accounts, order histories, and CMS pages. Ensure data integrity across the board.
• Test Store Functionality: Conduct extensive testing of your Shopware store. Place test orders, create new customer accounts, test checkout processes, search functionality, contact forms, and any integrations with third-party apps.
• Configure SEO and Redirects: Implement 301 redirects for any URLs that might have changed during the migration. This is vital for preserving your existing SEO rankings and link equity. Update your Google Search Console settings and submit your new sitemap.
• Install Theme and Plugins: Apply your chosen Shopware theme and install any necessary plugins or extensions for desired functionalities that weren't part of the core migration.
• Update DNS Settings: Once you're confident in your new Shopware store, update your domain's DNS settings to point to your new Shopware hosting. This will make your Shopware store live to the public.
• Notify Customers: Inform your customers about the platform change. Provide clear instructions on how they can access their accounts or if any action is required from their side.
• Consider Recent Data Migration: If there was significant activity on your CoreCommerce store during the migration period, consider using a Recent Data Migration Service to transfer any new orders or customer data that accumulated after your main migration.

By following this detailed guide, you can confidently transition your CoreCommerce store to Shopware, leveraging its powerful capabilities to scale your e-commerce business effectively. If you encounter any challenges or require expert assistance, don't hesitate to contact us.