Shopify to WooCommerce JSON Migration – A Detailed Guide

When the client first approached me about migrating their 5,000-product Shopify store to WooCommerce, I’ll admit I was concerned. 

Their previous developer had attempted a CSV migration that failed spectacularly, leaving product variations disconnected and images missing. 

That’s when I discovered the power of Shopify to WooCommerce JSON Migration, a method that’s transformed how I handle complex e-commerce platform transitions.

After guiding dozens of store owners through this process over the past five years, I’ve refined a JSON-based migration approach that preserves even the most complicated product relationships.

 In this guide, I’m sharing the exact process I used last month to help a fashion retailer seamlessly transition their entire catalog without losing a single sale.

The Real Reasons Store Owners Are Leaving Shopify.

In my conversations with clients making the switch, three complaints consistently emerge:

“I’m tired of the monthly fees eating into my margins,” explained Sarah, a boutique jewelry store owner whose $79 monthly plan ballooned to over $200 with necessary apps.

“I can’t customize my checkout the way my customers need,” shared Michael, whose B2B office supply business required specialized bulk ordering options Shopify wouldn’t allow.

“I want to own my store completely,” insisted Janet, who discovered her product data was effectively locked into Shopify’s ecosystem after five years of building her business.

These aren’t isolated frustrations. With WordPress powering nearly 40% of all websites and WooCommerce claiming a 28% share of all online stores, the migration trend is accelerating for good reason.

Why JSON is the Secret Weapon for Successful Migrations

I learned the hard way that CSV exports are problematic for complex stores. During one particularly painful migration for a client with 200+ product variations, we discovered that CSV exports:

• Flattened product relationships, breaking parent-variant connections
• Stripped essential metadata like Google category mappings
• Couldn’t properly handle HTML in product descriptions
• Frequently corrupted special characters

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) solved these headaches by maintaining hierarchical data structures exactly as they exist in Shopify. When we switched to JSON-based migration, we preserved:

• Complete product family relationships
• All variant attributes with proper associations
• Rich text formatting in descriptions
• Product tags and category structures
• Accurate inventory levels across warehouse locations

For technically-minded store owners: JSON maintains your data’s integrity because it reflects the actual API structure Shopify uses internally, rather than a flattened export format designed for spreadsheets.

Before You Start: Migration Preparation Checklist

After helping a client lose two weeks of orders during a rushed migration, I now insist on these preparation steps:

1. Perform a complete store audit
   • How many products, variations, and categories do you have?
   • Which products use complex features like subscriptions or custom options?
   • What custom fields or metadata need to be preserved?
2. Secure proper hosting
   • WooCommerce requires solid hosting foundations. For stores with 1,000+ products, I recommend managed WooCommerce hosting with at least:
     • 4GB RAM minimum
     • PHP memory limit of 256MB or higher
     • PHP version 8.0+
3. Install and configure WordPress with WooCommerce
   • Install the latest WordPress version
   • Add WooCommerce and run through the setup wizard
   • Configure basic store settings (currency, location, measurement units)
4. Prepare for potential downtime
   • Schedule your migration during your historically slowest business period
   • Prepare a maintenance mode page that captures email addresses
   • Plan to run both stores in parallel initially

With preparations complete, you’re ready to begin the actual JSON migration process.

The JSON Migration Process: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Extract Your Shopify Data in JSON Format

The foundation of a successful migration is extracting comprehensive data from Shopify. Rather than using the limited CSV export in your admin panel, we’ll tap directly into Shopify’s API:

1. In your browser, navigate to:

https://your-shopify-store.com/products.json?limit=250&page=1

 

This reveals Shopify’s JSON product feed, containing your first 250 products. For larger catalogs, you’ll need to increment the page parameter:

https://your-shopify-store.com/products.json?limit=250&page=2

 

Pro tip: For stores with 1,000+ products, save each JSON page response to your computer as separate files (page1.json, page2.json, etc.). We’ll combine them later.

When I migrated a home goods store with 3,500 products last year, this approach prevented timeout issues that plagued earlier attempts with all-at-once exports.

Step 2: Configure WooCommerce API Access

To securely transfer your data to WooCommerce, you’ll need to generate API credentials:

1. In your WordPress admin, navigate to: WooCommerce → Settings → Advanced → REST API
2. Click “Add Key” and provide a description like “Shopify Migration”
3. Set Permission Level to “Read/Write” (required for importing products)
4. Generate the key and securely save both the Consumer Key and Consumer Secret

These credentials create a secure channel between your migration tool and WooCommerce, preventing unauthorized access while allowing the structured import of your product data.

Step 3: Import Using Shop2Woo or Alternative JSON-Compatible Tools

While several migration tools exist, I’ve found Shop2Woo particularly effective for JSON-based migrations after testing five different solutions with clients of varying technical abilities.

1. Install and activate your chosen migration plugin (Shop2Woo recommended)
2. Navigate to the plugin’s settings page
3. Enter the WooCommerce API credentials from Step 2
4. Upload your saved JSON files or paste the Shopify API endpoint
5. Configure your import preferences:
   • Product status (Published vs. Draft is crucial if you’re testing)
   • Image handling (I recommend the queue method for stability)
   • Category mapping
   • Attribute handling

A hard-earned lesson: Always run your first import as a test with products set to “Draft” status. This allows you to verify everything imports correctly before making products live.

During a recent client migration, this approach revealed that their product SKUs contained special characters that needed cleaning before the final import.

Handling Complex Migration Scenarios

Large Product Catalogs (1,000+ Items)

Large catalogs require special handling. For a sporting goods client with 7,000 products:

1. We broke the import into categories, importing one product category at a time
2. We increased the PHP memory limit and execution time temporarily
3. We scheduled imports during overnight hours to minimize server load
4. We used the “resume on failure” feature to continue from any interruption point

Product Variations and Attributes

For an apparel store with complex sizing:

1. We first imported the attribute structure separately
2. We created a mapping document between Shopify’s option names and WooCommerce’s attribute system
3. We performed test imports with sample products from each variation type
4. We used custom field mapping to preserve size charts and measurement data

Preserving SEO Value

To maintain hard-earned search rankings:

1. We analyzed the URL structure of both platforms
2. We created a comprehensive 301 redirect map
3. We preserved meta descriptions and titles through custom field mapping
4. We ensured image alt tags remained intact during the migration

Post-Migration: Critical Next Steps

After helping numerous store owners complete their migration, I’ve identified these crucial post-migration tasks:

1. Verify Product Integrity
   • Manually check 10-15 products across different categories and complexity levels
   • Verify pricing, inventory, images, and variations match your Shopify store
2. Test the Customer Experience
   • Place test orders using different payment methods
   • Verify tax calculations match expectations
   • Test coupon codes and discounts for accuracy
3. Implement Redirects
   • Set up 301 redirects from old Shopify URLs to new WooCommerce URLs
   • Test key landing pages from Google Analytics to ensure redirects work
4. Update External References
   • Modify social media profile links
   • Update Google Merchant Center feeds
   • Revise email templates and marketing materials

Common Pitfalls and Their Solutions

Missing Images After Migration

When a home décor client found 30% of their product images missing, we discovered:

• Their hosting provider’s upload limits were too restrictive
• Solution: We temporarily increased PHP upload limits and used a batched image import process

Broken Product Variations

For a client selling customizable gift baskets:

• Variation attributes imported but weren’t connected properly
• Solution: We created a manual attribute map and reimported using relationship preservation settings

Lost Sales During Transition

A jewelry store client experienced a dip in conversion rate after migration:

• Analysis revealed checkout abandonment due to unfamiliar new process
• Solution: We implemented a streamlined checkout plugin that more closely matched their Shopify experience

Is Shop2Woo the Right Tool for Your Migration?

After testing numerous migration tools with clients, I’ve found Shop2Woo particularly effective for JSON-based migrations because:

• It works directly with Shopify’s JSON format without requiring format conversion
• It maintains hierarchical relationships between products, variations, and attributes
• Its queueing system prevents server timeout issues common with large catalogs
• It provides detailed logging that makes troubleshooting straightforward

However, it’s not the only option. Cart2Cart offers similar capabilities with more hand-holding (at a higher price point), while LitExtension provides excellent support for additional entity types like customer data and order history.

Final Thoughts: Is the Migration Worth It?

For most of my clients, the answer has been an emphatic yes. Consider these actual results:

• A mid-sized clothing retailer reduced their monthly platform costs from $299 to $47
• A specialty food store finally implemented the custom wholesale portal Shopify couldn’t support
• A handmade goods marketplace gained the ability to create their own custom product fields

The migration process requires careful planning and execution, but with the JSON approach I’ve outlined, you’ll preserve the integrity of your product data while gaining the freedom and flexibility WooCommerce offers.

If you’ve recently completed a migration or are considering one, I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments. What challenges are you facing, or what unexpected benefits have you discovered?