Adobe Business Catalyst to BigCommerce Migration - Step-by-Step Guide & Expert Services

Seamlessly Transition Your E-commerce Store from Adobe Business Catalyst to BigCommerce

The digital landscape is constantly evolving, and for merchants previously on Adobe Business Catalyst, the need to replatform to a more robust, scalable, and feature-rich solution like BigCommerce has become paramount. While Adobe Business Catalyst stores require a CSV-based export for data extraction, this guide will walk you through the entire process of moving your valuable e-commerce data to BigCommerce, ensuring a smooth transition and preserving your hard-earned SEO rankings and customer relationships.

BigCommerce offers a powerful platform with extensive customization options, advanced marketing tools, and a secure infrastructure, making it an excellent choice for businesses looking to grow. This article provides a clear, step-by-step roadmap for your data migration, from initial preparation to post-migration optimization.

Prerequisites for a Successful Migration

Before initiating any data transfer, thorough preparation is crucial. Addressing these prerequisites will minimize potential issues and ensure a more efficient transition.

For Your Adobe Business Catalyst (Source) Store:

• Data Export: As Adobe Business Catalyst is not directly supported by API connections for migration tools, you will need to export all your store's data into CSV files. This includes:
  • Products (with SKUs, variants, attributes, images)
  • Product Categories & Manufacturers
  • Customer data (names, emails, addresses, passwords if possible)
  • Order history (order IDs, statuses, purchased items)
  • Coupons, Blogs, and CMS Pages.

  Ensure these CSV files are well-organized and complete. You can also review our CSV.File Data Migration service for assistance.

• Image & File Management: Collect all product images, category banners, and other media files separately, as these are often linked within your CSV exports but need to be transferred.
• Full Backup: Always perform a complete backup of your Adobe Business Catalyst store before exporting any data. This serves as a safety net.

For Your BigCommerce (Target) Store:

• BigCommerce Store Setup: Ensure you have an active BigCommerce store, either a trial or a paid plan.
• HTTPS Requirement: BigCommerce provides native HTTPS, which is a requirement for API connections.
• API Account Creation: BigCommerce migrations are handled via API. You must create a custom API account in your BigCommerce admin panel with the necessary scopes (permissions) for the migration tool to access and write data. This is critical for data integrity and successful transfer.
  • Navigate to Store Setup > API Accounts.
  • Click Create API Account and select Create BigCommerce API Token.
  • Provide a name (e.g., "Migration Tool").
  • Configure the OAuth Scopes to grant read/write access to all relevant entities (e.g., Products, Orders, Customers, Categories, Information & Pages, Marketing).
  • After creation, securely note down the Client ID, Access Token, and API Path. These credentials are essential for connecting the migration tool. BigCommerce specifically notes that "Custom app development is needed" and a "Custom app with required scopes" is necessary for robust API integration.
• Review BigCommerce Limitations: Be aware of BigCommerce's API rate limits, which might affect the speed of very large migrations.
• Target Store Preparation: Familiarize yourself with the preparation steps for your target store.

Performing the Migration: A Step-by-Step Guide

With your preparations complete, you are ready to begin the migration process using a specialized migration wizard. Follow these steps carefully to ensure a smooth transition of your e-commerce data.

Step 1: Initiate Your Migration

Begin by navigating to the migration wizard interface. This is typically the starting point for setting up your data transfer. Understanding access credentials will be beneficial here.

Step 2: Connect Your Source Store (Adobe Business Catalyst via CSV)

Since Adobe Business Catalyst does not offer direct API integration for migration, you will connect your store using the CSV import method.

1. From the list of supported carts, select CSV File to Cart as your Source Cart.
2. Upload the CSV files containing your exported Adobe Business Catalyst data. Ensure all relevant files (products, customers, orders, etc.) are included.

Step 3: Connect Your Target Store (BigCommerce)

Now, configure the connection to your new BigCommerce store.

1. Select BigCommerce from the list of Target Carts.
2. Enter your BigCommerce store's URL.
3. Provide the API credentials you generated earlier: the Client ID, Access Token, and API Path.

Step 4: Select Data Entities for Migration

This critical step allows you to choose exactly which types of data you wish to transfer from your Adobe Business Catalyst CSV files to BigCommerce. Both platforms support a wide range of entities including:

• Products: Including SKUs, names, descriptions, pricing, images, and product variants based on attributes (size, color, etc.).
• Product Categories: Ensuring your store's navigation structure is maintained.
• Product Manufacturers: For filtering and organization.
• Customers: Including customer data, addresses, and even password migration if your CSV files contain encrypted passwords.
• Orders: Complete order history with order IDs, statuses, and associated customer information.
• Coupons: To transfer your promotional strategies.
• Blog Posts & CMS Pages: For migrating your content marketing efforts and static content.

You can select all entities or choose specific ones based on your needs.

Step 5: Configure Additional Options & Data Mapping

Refine your migration with various additional options and ensure data fields are correctly mapped between your source and target stores.

Additional Options:

These checkboxes allow for a tailored data transfer process:

• Clear current data on Target store before migration: Recommended for a fresh BigCommerce store setup to avoid duplicate or conflicting data. Find out more about the 'Clear Target' option.
• Create 301 SEO URLs: Essential for preserving your search engine rankings and link equity by automatically redirecting old URLs to new ones in BigCommerce.
• Preserve Product IDs, Category IDs, Customer IDs, Order IDs: Maintain internal consistency and historical data by keeping your original IDs. Learn how Preserve IDs options can be used.
• Create Variants from Attributes: Crucial for products with options (e.g., different sizes, colors) to be correctly created as product variants in BigCommerce.
• Migrate Images in Description: Ensures that all embedded images within product descriptions or CMS pages are transferred.
• Password Migration: If supported by your CSV export, this allows customers to log in to the new BigCommerce store with their existing credentials.

Data Mapping:

This step ensures that specific data fields from your Adobe Business Catalyst CSV files correspond correctly to BigCommerce's structure. You will typically map:

• Customer Groups: Match customer roles (e.g., wholesale, retail) from your source to BigCommerce's customer groups.
• Order Statuses: Map the various stages of an order (e.g., 'Pending payment', 'Processing', 'Complete') from your source to their equivalents in BigCommerce.
• Product Attributes: Ensure product attributes (e.g., color, size) are correctly mapped for consistent product data.

Step 6: Run a Free Demo Migration (Highly Recommended)

Before committing to a full transfer, run a free demo migration. This allows you to transfer a limited number of entities (e.g., 10-20 products, customers, orders) to your BigCommerce store. It's an invaluable opportunity to:

• Test the Process: Verify that the connection and mapping are working as expected.
• Identify Issues: Catch any potential data inconsistencies or errors early.
• Review Data Integrity: Check how product variants, images, customer data, and order history appear on your BigCommerce store.

Step 7: Perform the Full Data Migration

Once you are satisfied with the demo results, proceed with the full migration. Review all your selected options and mapped fields one last time. You might also consider purchasing a Migration Insurance Plan to allow for additional remigrations if needed. More details are available in How Migration Insurance works?

Initiate the full data transfer. The duration will depend on the volume of your data. The tool will handle the data transfer in the background, minimizing any potential downtime for your existing Adobe Business Catalyst store.

Post-Migration Steps

After the data transfer is complete, there are several crucial steps to ensure your new BigCommerce store is fully operational and optimized.

• Thorough Data Verification: Rigorously check all migrated data on your BigCommerce store.
  • Products: Confirm SKUs, pricing, images, descriptions, product variants, and stock levels.
  • Customers: Verify customer accounts, addresses, and order history.
  • Orders: Check order details, statuses, and associated customer information.
  • Content: Ensure CMS pages and blog posts are intact and display correctly.
• Configure BigCommerce Store Settings:
  • Payment Gateways: Set up your preferred payment processors (e.g., Stripe, PayPal).
  • Shipping Methods: Configure shipping zones, rates, and carriers.
  • Taxes: Define your tax settings according to your business location.
  • Store Design: Customize your BigCommerce theme to match your brand's aesthetics and enhance user experience.
  • Apps & Integrations: Explore the BigCommerce App Marketplace for any necessary plugins or integrations (e.g., email marketing, accounting, analytics).
• SEO Optimization & Redirects:
  • Verify 301 Redirects: Confirm that all critical old URLs from Adobe Business Catalyst are correctly redirecting to their new BigCommerce counterparts. This is vital for maintaining your SEO rankings and link equity.
  • Update Google Search Console: Inform Google of your site's new location.
  • Broken Link Check: Use SEO tools to scan for any broken links that might have occurred during the transition.
  • Update Metadata: Review and optimize product and page metadata for SEO.
• Test Everything: Place several test orders, check various payment methods, confirm shipping calculations, and test customer account functionalities.
• Go Live: Once everything is verified and configured, update your domain's DNS settings to point to your new BigCommerce store. Consider scheduling this during off-peak hours to minimize impact.
• Ongoing Monitoring: Continuously monitor your BigCommerce store's performance, user experience, and SEO metrics.

Migrating from Adobe Business Catalyst to BigCommerce, while requiring a CSV export, can be a smooth and rewarding process with careful planning and execution. By following this detailed guide, you can ensure your e-commerce business is well-positioned for future growth and success on the BigCommerce platform. Should you require expert assistance, feel free to Contact Us for our specialized migration services.