Moving a store to a new platform is a good chance to fix problems, but it is also the moment many stores lose search traffic. Most of that loss is avoidable. This is the checklist I follow.
Before you start
- Record every URL. Crawl the current site and save a list of all pages, including products, collections, blog posts and any pages that already bring in traffic.
- Note what works. In Google Search Console, find the pages that get the most clicks. These are the ones to protect.
- Back up everything. Export products, customers, orders and content.
- Decide the new URL structure. Keep URLs the same where possible. Where they must change, plan each change.
During the build
- Build on a private copy. The old store stays live while the new one is built and tested.
- Move the data. Import products, variants, images, customers and order history, then spot check them.
- Recreate the SEO basics. Page titles, descriptions, headings, image text and structured data should carry over.
- Build the redirect map. Every old URL that changes needs a permanent (301) redirect to its closest new page, not to the home page.
- Test checkout. Place orders with every payment method, and check emails, taxes and shipping.
On launch day
- Switch the domain at a quiet time.
- Make sure the site is not set to block search engines.
- Submit the new sitemap in Search Console.
- Test the redirects with a sample of old URLs.
After launch
- Check Search Console for crawl errors and fix any broken pages.
- Watch traffic and orders daily for the first two weeks.
- Keep the redirects in place for at least a year.
Rankings can move a little after any migration, but a careful plan keeps that small. If you are planning one, tell me about your store and I will scope it.