How to Transfer Your Full Website from WordPress to Shopify (Without Bugs)

How to Transfer Your Full Website from WordPress to Shopify (Without Bugs)

 

Migrating a full website from WordPress → Shopify can be challenging because the two platforms work very differently. This step-by-step HTML tutorial shows you how to safely transfer:

  • Pages
  • Posts / blogs
  • Products
  • Menus
  • Images
  • Redirects
  • Design elements

Follow this guide to avoid bugs, broken layouts, and missing content.

🟦 Step 1 — Export Your WordPress Content

Go to your WordPress Dashboard → Tools → Export

Export everything you need:

  • Posts
  • Pages
  • Products (WooCommerce)
  • Media

This creates an XML file containing all your WordPress data.

🟦 Step 2 — Convert the WordPress XML File for Shopify

Shopify cannot read WordPress XML directly — it needs a CSV file. Use any of these tools:

  • LitExtension (best automated tool)
  • Cart2Cart
  • WordPress → Shopify CSV Converter apps

These tools convert your XML into the correct Shopify CSV format for:

  • Products
  • Blog posts
  • Pages

Tip: Review the CSV before importing to avoid errors.

🟦 Step 3 — Import Products, Pages, and Blogs into Shopify

✔ Import Products

Go to:

Shopify Admin → Products → Import

✔ Import Pages (Manual Copy Recommended)

Because WordPress uses shortcodes and custom markup, copying pages manually avoids broken layouts.

✔ Import Blog Posts

Shopify Admin → Blog Posts → Import

Use the CSV you converted earlier.

🟦 Step 4 — Rebuild Your Menus

WordPress menus do not transfer automatically.

Shopify Admin → Online Store → Navigation

Recreate:

  • Main menu
  • Footer menu
  • Mega menu links

🟦 Step 5 — Fix Image URLs & Upload Missing Images

WordPress stores images in /wp-content/uploads/ which won’t work on Shopify.

✔ Upload Your Images to Shopify

Shopify Admin → Content → Files → Upload

✔ Update Image Links

Replace old URLs with Shopify file URLs.

🟦 Step 6 — Rebuild Your Theme (Shopify Themes Work Differently)

WordPress themes cannot be transferred directly.

You must:

  • Select a Shopify theme (Dawn recommended)
  • Rebuild your homepage sections
  • Recreate your blog layout
  • Re-add custom banners, sliders, icons

Optional: Hire a developer if you need pixel-perfect WordPress replication.

🟦 Step 7 — Set Up URL Redirects (Very Important for SEO!)

WordPress URLs usually look like:

https://yourwebsite.com/2021/10/post-name

Shopify URLs look like:

https://yourwebsite.com/blogs/news/post-name

Add redirects:

Shopify Admin → Online Store → Navigation → URL Redirects

Example redirect:

/2021/10/post-name → /blogs/news/post-name

This prevents 404 errors and protects your Google ranking.

🟦 Step 8 — Transfer Your Domain

You can either:

  • Connect your domain (DNS pointing to Shopify)
  • Transfer your domain to Shopify

Go to:

Shopify Admin → Settings → Domains

🟦 Step 9 — Test Everything Before Launching

Check these:

  • Mobile layout
  • 404 pages
  • Menu links
  • Product pages
  • Checkout
  • Blog images
  • Forms (contact, newsletter)

Fix before making the site public.

🟦 Step 10 — Publish Your Shopify Store 🎉

Once everything looks good:

Go to Online Store → Disable Password

Your new Shopify site is now live!

💡 Final Tips to Avoid Bugs

  • Do NOT copy WordPress shortcodes — they break Shopify.
  • Clean up broken HTML before pasting into Shopify.
  • Resize images for faster speed.
  • Use Shopify-native blocks instead of custom HTML when possible.


 

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