Moving platforms is a significant project. This wordpress to shopify migration checklist helps UK small businesses, retailers and startups prepare a concise brief so an agency can quote accurately and plan a smooth transition. Use it to set expectations for design, content, SEO, testing and post-launch support.

Pre-brief planning: define goals and scope

Who this checklist is for

Small and growing UK retailers, subscription-based businesses and startups considering a move from WordPress (typically WooCommerce) to Shopify. If you sell online and want a hosted, ecommerce-first platform, this checklist will help you gather the facts an agency needs.

High-level reasons to consider Shopify

Shopify is built for ecommerce: hosted updates and security, simpler payment and checkout management, and an ecosystem of apps. Trade-offs include platform limits for deeply custom functionality and different URL structures compared with WordPress. Decide whether the benefits matter more than maintaining every current custom feature.

Business goals and scope

List primary goals: increase conversion rate, reduce checkout abandonment, faster page loads, easier product management.
Define KPIs: monthly sales, average order value, conversion rate, load time target, SEO visibility baseline.
Decide scope: full rebuild (new design and structure), phased migration (catalog first), or hybrid (Shopify for products, WordPress for content).
Consider UK-specific needs: VAT rules, distance selling, postage classes and parcel options.

Essential project information to include in the brief

Access and credentials

WordPress admin credentials and any WooCommerce admin accounts.
Hosting panel and FTP/SFTP, domain registrar login and DNS provider details.
Any CDN access (e.g. Cloudflare) and SSL certificate details if managed outside hosting.

Third-party integrations

Provide a list of live integrations and APIs: payment gateways (Stripe, WorldPay), fulfilment partners, ERP/CRM, email marketing platforms, subscriptions, marketplaces and any custom plugins. Note whether you will accept app-based equivalents on Shopify or need bespoke integrations.

Traffic and performance baselines

Grant access to Google Analytics and Search Console or provide recent traffic and conversion reports. An agency will use these to set success metrics and spot priority pages to protect during migration.

Inventory complexity

Give counts and examples: number of SKUs, variants per product, bundled items, digital downloads, subscription products and any product rules. This affects the data migration approach and whether Shopify or Shopify Plus is required.

Design checklist and brief items

Brand and visual assets

Supply logo files, colour palette, fonts or note if a refresh is required.
If you plan a brand update, include goals for tone, photography and examples of sites you like.

Theme selection vs custom theme

Decide whether to use a Shopify theme or commission a custom theme. For many UK retailers a well-chosen theme is faster and more cost-effective. For complex UX or bespoke checkout flows, request a custom build. If you want professional help, mention your interest in our Shopify Web Design service when asking for estimates.

Responsive and UX expectations

State device priorities and breakpoints. Provide conversion-focused requirements: product filtering, variant swatches, quick view, search relevance and one-page or multi-page checkout preferences. For wider ecommerce UX and conversion planning, our E-commerce Store Design service is relevant.

Accessibility and legal

List accessibility expectations (WCAG level target) and required policy pages (privacy, returns, terms). Note any industry-specific compliance requirements.

Content migration checklist

Which pages to migrate or retire

Essential pages: home, product categories, product pages, about, contact, delivery and returns, privacy and terms.
Decide which legacy information pages to retire or consolidate to avoid thin content and duplicate pages.
If you plan to keep some content on WordPress, mention that hybrid approach; our WordPress Web Design experience

Product data

Provide a CSV export of products (SKUs, titles, descriptions, prices, stock, variants, barcodes) or confirm access to export.
Highlight product pages that must keep exact URLs or canonical tags for SEO reasons.
Note image naming conventions and which items require additional photography.

Blog and content

Decide whether to migrate blog posts: include a list of must-keep posts and whether you want to preserve authors, dates and comments. Consider consolidating or rewriting older posts to improve quality.

Media and assets

Provide originals for product photography, SVG logos and large image files. For guidance on handing over assets, see our website redesign asset checklist UK: agency handover guide for UK businesses.

SEO checklist: preserve and improve search visibility

Pre-migration site audit

Request a full crawl and inventory of current URLs, metadata, headings and structured data.
Identify high-value pages and backlinks to prioritise URL preservation.

URL mapping and redirects

Provide a spreadsheet mapping old WordPress URLs to new Shopify URLs and ask for a 301 redirect plan. Include rules for parameterised URLs and any language or regional prefixes.

Metadata and structured data

Ask the agency to preserve existing title tags, meta descriptions and schema where sensible. Where Shopify limits metadata locations, request a plan to rebuild equivalent markup.

Sitemaps, Search Console and analytics

Ensure the new sitemap is submitted to Search Console and verify property ownership if needed. Confirm analytics configuration to preserve tracking continuity.

Monitoring

Agree post-launch monitoring for organic traffic, index coverage and crawl errors for at least 8 weeks. Include a reporting cadence in the brief.

Technical and functional requirements

Checkout, payments and UK tax

Specify payment providers you use and if you need multi-currency or marketplace payments. Define VAT handling and digital services rules for UK sales. If you have B2B-specific flows (account pricing, quotes), mention these and consider our B2B Web Design expertise.

Shipping and fulfilment

List shipping zones, flat rates, carrier-calculated shipping and any fulfilment partners. If you use a warehouse or third-party logistics provider, include API details.

Apps and custom code

Flag key plugins to replicate on Shopify via apps or custom development. Clarify whether existing custom functionality must be rebuilt or can be replaced by an app.

Testing, QA and acceptance criteria

Functional testing

Test carts, discount codes, checkout flows, payment capture and refunds.
Verify account creation, password reset, contact forms and search.

Cross-browser and device testing

Define supported browsers and devices. For mobile breakpoints and responsive checks, see our Responsive Web Design guidance.

SEO checks

Verify redirects, canonical tags, robots.txt, structured data and page-level metadata. Confirm sitemap submission and that no-index pages are correctly handled.

Performance and accessibility

Set performance targets (e.g. acceptable load times) and run basic accessibility testing. Include acceptance criteria to sign off each milestone.

Launch plan and post-launch support

Launch day checklist

Final content freeze and backup of the WordPress site.
DNS switch timing and expected propagation window.
Deploy redirects and confirm SSL is active.
Final smoke tests on transactions and key pages.

Post-launch monitoring and support

Agree a support window (for example: two to four weeks) for urgent bugs, analytics checks and small edits. Include a knowledge transfer session for your team on Shopify admin and product management.

Budget, timelines and proposal checklist

Typical phases and timescales

Ask agencies to break quotes into discovery, design, build, migration, QA and launch phases. Request realistic timelines for small UK stores (often several weeks) and for medium stores allow longer for data and custom work.

What a quote should include

Clear deliverables for each phase, milestones and acceptance criteria.
Explicit exclusions (for example: licensing fees for paid apps, third-party software costs).
Payment terms and the maximum revision cycles; Logo Metic’s settings ask for clarity on revisions and support windows.

Agency briefing template (copy-paste checklist)

Project summary and objectives: [Brief summary, goals, KPIs and preferred launch date]

Must-have features and integrations: [List payments, fulfilment, CRM, subscription or custom features]

Access and assets provided: [WordPress admin, hosting, domain, product CSV, brand assets]

Key milestones and acceptance criteria: [Discovery, design, build, QA, launch and support window]

Budget range: [Optional—share a target budget to get realistic proposals]

Choosing the right agency and final tips

Look for agencies with Shopify examples in their portfolio and transparent processes. Ask for references and a staged plan. Compare quotes by deliverables, not just price, and confirm how change requests and scope creep are handled.

Prepare a short comparison checklist to evaluate two or three proposals: platform experience, proposed team, timeline, included testing and support hours.

FAQ

How long does a typical WordPress to Shopify migration take for a small UK store?

Timescales vary. Small stores with straightforward product lists and a ready design typically take several weeks from discovery to launch. Allow more time for large catalogues, complex integrations or custom features.

Will I lose my SEO rankings when moving from WordPress to Shopify?

Not if you plan carefully. Preserve metadata, implement a comprehensive 301 redirect plan, submit sitemaps and monitor Search Console. Include an SEO audit and post-launch monitoring in your brief.

What content and assets should I prepare before briefing an agency?

Provide product CSVs, image originals, brand assets (logo, fonts, colours), a list of pages to migrate, and access to analytics and Search Console.

Can Shopify handle my existing product variants and custom functionality?

Often yes, but Shopify imposes some structural limits. Describe your variants, bundles and any special rules in the brief so the agency can confirm whether apps or custom development are needed.

What post-launch support should I ask for in the proposal?

Request a defined support window for bug fixes, monitoring of analytics and search console, and training for your team on the Shopify admin. Clarify response times for urgent issues.

Next steps: prepare the brief using the template above and request proposals from two or three agencies. If you’d like a confidential review of your brief or a no-obligation estimate, Request a free consultation with Logo Metic by emailing [email protected] or calling +44 7883 180004.

For brand updates consider our Custom Logo Design service to ensure your new store looks cohesive and professional.

Further reading: If you’re keeping some content on WordPress while moving products to Shopify, our WordPress web design in Manchester: a practical guide for small businesses explains hybrid considerations and content strategies for local businesses.