How to import products from WooCommerce to Shopify

Importing products from WooCommerce to Shopify is easier than it might sound. Whether you’re switching platforms to simplify store management or reach more customers, Shopify gives you the tools to transfer your WooCommerce products without starting from scratch.

Still, migration requires some planning. A rushed import can result in missing images, mismatched variants, and broken product links, frustrating customers and hurting SEO.

In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know: why businesses move to WooCommerce alternatives like Shopify, how to prepare your data, and what’s the best way to transfer your catalog. You’ll also learn how to use Jotform to clean up and organize your product data before moving it into Shopify.

Why migrate from WooCommerce to Shopify?

Many businesses migrate for one reason: simplicity. Shopify handles hosting, security, and maintenance automatically, freeing you from the technical overhead of managing a WordPress-based store.

If you’ve outgrown WooCommerce’s DIY setup or find yourself spending more time troubleshooting plug-ins than selling products, Shopify offers a cleaner experience. (See our full write-up on the advantages of Shopify.) It’s an all-in-one platform that includes powerful sales features.

Other common motivations for switching include

• Ease of use: Shopify’s setup is plug-and-play. There’s no need to maintain plug-ins, themes, or servers.
• Performance and reliability: Shopify’s hosted infrastructure automatically delivers fast page loads and PCI DSS-certified security.
• Ecosystem and support: With over 8,000 apps and 24-7 customer support, Shopify makes scaling far easier than managing multiple WordPress extensions.

Of course, Shopify isn’t ideal for everyone. If your store depends on deep WordPress customization or open-source control, WooCommerce may still be the better fit. A good rule of thumb is to start with the basics of selling online and build from there.

Premigration checklist: What to do before transferring products

Before you import products from WooCommerce to Shopify, take time to prep your data. A clean, organized catalog ensures your product details, images, and SEO settings transfer smoothly.

Start by backing up your WooCommerce store. Use a plug-in like UpdraftPlus or All-in-One WP Migration and Backup to save a copy of your entire site, in case something goes wrong.

Next, review and clean your product data. Export your products to a CSV file, and then check for missing SKUs, inconsistent pricing, duplicate variants, and empty image fields. Fixing these now will save hours of cleanup later.

Don’t forget your SEO and media assets. Make sure product URLs, meta descriptions, and alt text entries are complete, since Shopify may structure these fields differently. Keep your original image files organized in folders, so you can easily relink them if needed.

Lastly, take inventory snapshots, and note any automation rules or custom product fields that Shopify doesn’t natively support. You can often re-create these with apps or custom metafields after the import.

A little preparation up front prevents messy imports and ensures your Shopify catalog launches in top shape.

Premigration checklist

• Back up your entire WooCommerce site.
• Export and clean your product CSV file.
• Fix missing SKUs, images, and pricing errors.
• Prepare SEO fields and organize image folders.
• Record inventory levels and custom data fields.

3 methods to import products from WooCommerce to Shopify

You can import products from WooCommerce to Shopify by moving them manually with CSV files, using a migration app, or hiring a developer. The best method depends on your store size, comfort managing data, and your method for listing products on your website.

1. Manually import using a CSV file (WooCommerce export and Shopify import).

The manual approach gives you full control over your product data but requires patience and attention to detail. Thus, this option is best suited for businesses with small catalogs.

Start by exporting your product data from WooCommerce:

1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Products → All Products → Export.
2. Choose which columns to include (product name, SKU, price, description, etc.).
3. Click Generate CSV to download your file.

Then, import your CSV file into Shopify:

1. In your Shopify admin, go to Products → Import.
2. Upload your WooCommerce CSV file. 
3. Review the mapped fields to ensure names, prices, and variants line up correctly.
4. Click Import Products to complete the process.

Pros: Full control over data and formatting, and no third-party apps required

Cons: Time-consuming, error prone, and manual fixes required

2. Use a migration app (e.g., LitExtension, Cart2Cart, Matrixify).

Migration apps handle most of the heavy lifting for you, especially if you have hundreds or thousands of SKUs. Tools like LitExtension, Cart2Cart, and Matrixify can automatically transfer your WooCommerce products, categories, images, and even orders to Shopify.

Setup is simple:

1. Create an account with the app.
2. Connect your WooCommerce and Shopify stores.
3. Choose what you want to migrate (products, customers, orders, etc.).
4. Start the migration and review your store once complete.

These apps usually charge based on your product count and offer preview migrations before you commit. The process is fast and low risk, making it ideal for growing stores or teams without technical expertise.

Pros: Minimal manual work, fast results, and reliable mapping

Cons: Scaling costs with store size and possibly imperfect transfer of custom fields

3. Hire a developer or use Shopify experts.

If your store has complex data structures (such as custom product fields, bundled products, or multilingual content) hiring a professional might be the most efficient option.

Shopify experts and freelance developers can write scripts or use APIs to transfer data precisely, preserving relationships between custom fields and variants. This option is also the safest if you’re migrating other store elements, such as customers or historical orders, alongside products.

Pros: Hands-off and customizable, with preserved complex relationships

Cons: Higher cost and longer timeline

Each of these methods can successfully transfer WooCommerce products to Shopify, but the right choice depends on your time, budget, and technical comfort level. For most merchants, a migration app offers the best balance of control and simplicity.

Common problems when importing products (and how to solve them)

Even with the right tools, migrating from WooCommerce to Shopify isn’t always seamless. Common issues like missing images, variant mismatches, or duplicate listings can occur during or after import. However, most are easy to fix once you know where to look.

1. Missing or broken product images

When product images fail to import, it’s usually because the file paths in your CSV file are incorrect or Shopify can’t access the original image URLs.

How to fix it

• Make sure your image URLs are publicly accessible.
• Reupload product images directly into Shopify, and link them manually if needed.
• If you’re using a migration app, double-check that image migration is selected as part of your data transfer.

2. Variant or option mismatches

WooCommerce allows more flexible variant naming than Shopify, which can lead to errors if attribute names don’t match exactly.

How to fix it

• Review your CSV file headers for variant names like “Color” or “Size,” and ensure they match Shopify’s structure.
• Merge duplicate variants before importing, to prevent Shopify from creating multiple versions of the same product.
• Use Shopify’s bulk editor to adjust variants after import.

3. Inventory or pricing errors

If your inventory counts or prices look off after import, it’s often due to formatting or decimal inconsistencies in your CSV file.

How to fix it

• Check that your CSV file uses consistent number formatting (e.g., periods for decimals).
• Make sure all inventory quantities are numeric (i.e., no text or symbols).
• Run a quick audit after import using Shopify’s Inventory view.

4. SEO metadata and URL changes

Shopify and WooCommerce structure URLs differently, so your product links may change after migration, potentially affecting SEO.

How to fix it

• Set up 301 redirects from your old WooCommerce URLs to your new Shopify ones.
• Reapply meta titles, descriptions, and alt text entries in Shopify.
• Use tools like Yoast SEO for Shopify or SEO Manager to monitor rankings after migration.

5. Duplicate or missing products

Sometimes, imports create duplicate listings or skip items altogether.

How to fix it

• Identify duplicates by sorting products alphabetically or by SKU.
• Delete extra listings directly in Shopify.
• Reimport any missing products using a clean CSV file or a selective migration tool.

Alternative method: Use Jotform to simplify WooCommerce product imports

If you want even more control over your WooCommerce product data before moving it into Shopify, Jotform offers a smarter middle step. Instead of uploading your WooCommerce CSV file directly to Shopify, you can import it into Jotform to clean, organize, and optimize your catalog first.

This approach gives you the flexibility to edit and standardize product data in a no-code environment before committing to the migration. It’s especially helpful if your catalog has inconsistent titles, missing SKUs, or pricing errors that could lead to import failures.

With Jotform’s Product List field, you can

• Standardize product titles, descriptions, and prices before migration
• Fix SKU mismatches or category errors that might cause import failures
• Build custom product forms for wholesale orders, preorders, or internal product management
• Maintain a centralized, editable database that you can update anytime, even after moving to Shopify

How it works

1. Export your WooCommerce products into a CSV file.
2. In Jotform’s Form Builder, add a Product List field and select Import.
3. Upload your WooCommerce CSV file (Jotform automatically maps key fields like product names, prices, and SKUs).
4. Review, edit, and finalize your product data directly in Jotform.
5. Once your catalog looks perfect, export or sync it with Shopify using the standard CSV import process.

Final thoughts: Is migrating from WooCommerce to Shopify right for you?

Migrating from WooCommerce to Shopify isn’t just a technical move; it’s a shift in how you manage and grow your business. If you’re tired of juggling plug-ins, handling manual updates, or troubleshooting performance issues, Shopify’s all-in-one platform can feel like a breath of fresh air.

That said, the switch isn’t for everyone. WooCommerce still wins when it comes to deep WordPress integration and full control over your code base. But if your priority is ease of use, reliable support, and scalability, Shopify is hard to beat. (We’ve written an article on selling on Shopify, if you want to investigate further.) 

Ultimately, your decision should come down to efficiency. How much time do you spend maintaining your store versus running it? If the answer leans too far toward maintenance, it may be time to migrate. With a bit of preparation and tools like Jotform to streamline your product data, your migration can be smoother, faster, and more reliable than you might expect.