Migration field guide
Shopify to WooCommerce Subscription and App Data Migration
Shopify app data does not automatically follow a store export. Each subscription, review, loyalty, email, tax, search or fulfilment app needs its own source-of-truth review: what data can be exported, which relationships must survive, which WooCommerce tool replaces the workflow and how the transition will be tested.
The migration map.
Give every source record a destination and a verification method before the full import begins.
A responsible sequence
How to plan this workstream.
The exact tools can change. The decisions and checks should not.
- 01Step 1
Build an app dependency register
List every installed app, its owner, business purpose, data held, export method, API access, renewal date and downstream dependencies. Include apps that affect merchandising, customer service and reporting—not only checkout.
- 02Step 2
Separate records from behaviour
An export may recover subscription contracts or review rows without recreating renewal logic, email triggers, fraud rules or customer-facing interfaces. Document both the data and the workflow that uses it.
- 03Step 3
Confirm provider-specific portability
Ask the current and destination providers which fields, IDs, tokens and relationships are portable. Do not assume payment methods, customer credentials, webhook secrets or subscription tokens can be copied.
- 04Step 4
Rebuild and test the replacement
Create scenario tests for new sign-up, renewal, cancellation, refund, failed payment, points earning, review submission and notification delivery. Test failure paths as carefully as successful paths.
- 05Step 5
Control the cutover window
Choose a freeze or delta strategy for records that can change while the new store is being built. Assign an owner to reconcile the final state and disable duplicate automations when traffic moves.
Failure modes
What a clean-looking import can hide.
- An app is removed before its export, API access or data-retention policy is confirmed.
- Subscription records move but reusable payment methods or renewal tokens do not.
- Reviews import without correct product relationships or verification context.
- Old and new automations both run after cutover, sending duplicate emails or creating duplicate records.
- A replacement plugin matches the feature list but not the current operational workflow.
- Private API keys and service credentials are shared through an insecure migration document.
Questions, answered directly
Before the work begins.
The answers below state what can be planned now and which details still depend on the source store or provider.
01Do Shopify apps move to WooCommerce?+
No. Shopify apps do not run on WooCommerce. Each app needs a replacement workflow, and any app-held records require a separate export or API migration if the provider supports one.
02Can Shopify subscriptions be migrated to WooCommerce?+
Sometimes, but portability depends on the subscription and payment providers. Confirm whether contracts, schedules, customer relationships and reusable payment references can move before promising continuity.
03What happens to reviews and loyalty points?+
They may be exportable from their source apps, but the data must be mapped to compatible destination systems. Verify product relationships, authors, ratings, media, point balances, tiers and earning rules with representative accounts.
Primary references
Sources used for this guide
Provider capabilities and platform documentation change. Review the current source documentation again when planning a live migration.