When it makes sense to leave Wix
Wix is a website builder with a store component. It works well for small catalogs and businesses where the website is mainly a showcase. The limits show up when you need more complex variants, powerful collection filters, selling in several markets, logistics or ERP integrations, automations or a checkout built to convert.
Shopify is built around selling: catalog, inventory, orders, payments, shipping and checkout are the core of the product, and its ecosystem of apps and integrations is far larger. If your store is already an important part of the business, that focus shows in your daily work.
What you can export from Wix
Wix Stores lets you export products to a CSV file, and contacts can be exported from the customers panel. That CSV is not in the format Shopify expects, so you have to transform the columns: name, description, price, SKU, stock, options and image URLs. With few products you can do it by hand; with a large catalog, a script or a migration app is the better choice.
Other things have no direct export or come out incomplete: content pages, blog posts, reviews and order history. For each one, decide whether you move it with a tool, copy it by hand or keep it outside the store.
Pay attention to images. The image URLs in the Wix CSV point to Wix servers, and Shopify downloads them on import as long as they are still reachable. Run the import while your Wix site is still live, and afterwards check that every product has all its photos in the right order. Take the chance to rename files and write descriptive alt text, something many Wix stores never got around to.
- Products with options, prices, SKUs, stock and images
- Contacts and customers with their marketing consent
- Content pages and legal texts
- Blog posts with images and metadata
- List of URLs with traffic from Search Console
Products, options and collections
Wix product options, such as size or color, become Shopify options, and each combination becomes a variant with its own SKU, price and stock. Check that each variant has its image assigned, because that detail is often lost in the conversion.
Wix categories become collections. Use the migration to set up automated collections by tag, product type or metafield, which keep themselves up to date as you add products. Technical information that sat inside the Wix description, such as materials or dimensions, is better moved into metafields so you can show it neatly on the product page and filter by it with Search & Discovery.
The design gets rebuilt, and that is an opportunity
Your Wix design cannot be carried over to Shopify: they are different systems and there is no way to export a template. The theme has to be built again, either from a Theme Store theme or as custom development on Online Store 2.0.
Far from being a problem, this is the moment to rethink the product page, navigation and cart with sales in mind. A well-built theme with sections and blocks lets you edit the homepage, landing pages and product pages from the Shopify theme editor without touching code, which helps a lot when you are used to the drag-and-drop freedom of Wix.
Domain, email and DNS
If you bought your domain through Wix, you have two options: transfer it to another registrar or to Shopify, or keep it where it is and change the DNS records to point to Shopify. Before touching anything, check whether your email is tied to that domain, because a badly done DNS change can leave you without email.
The domain switch should happen once the Shopify store is finished and tested. Until then, you work on the store with its temporary .myshopify.com domain and password protection.
Payments, shipping and setup before launch
Wix and Shopify share no settings, so everything that defines how you sell has to be set up again. Activate Shopify Payments or the gateway you plan to use, add the payment methods your customers expect (in Spain, that includes local options), define shipping zones and rates, and review your tax settings with your advisor. Rebuild your active discounts and codes too.
Before launch, place complete test orders with every payment method and every shipping option, review the confirmation emails the customer receives and check that legal texts, the returns policy and the cookie notice are in place.
URLs and 301 redirects
Wix uses its own paths, such as /product-page/name for products or /post/name for the blog. In Shopify they will be /products/, /collections/, /pages/ and /blogs/. Every old URL with traffic or external links needs a 301 redirect to its new address, which you create in Shopify from the URL redirects section or by importing a CSV.
Carry over SEO titles and meta descriptions as well, and submit the new sitemap to Search Console after launch. At Weblineo we prepare the URL map and redirects as part of our migration service.
Frequently asked questions
Can I move my Wix design to Shopify?
No. Wix templates cannot be exported. The design is rebuilt in Shopify, with an existing or custom theme, and you can keep the same visual identity: colors, fonts and photography.
Will my customers have to register again?
Customer data is imported, but passwords are not. With Shopify's current customer accounts, customers sign in with their email and a one-time code, so they do not need a password. Even so, it is a good idea to let them know with a clear email.
Will I lose rankings when switching from Wix to Shopify?
If you set up 301 redirects for every URL with traffic and keep your texts and metadata, the risk drops a lot. Some movement in the first weeks is normal while Google processes the changes.
Can I keep the domain I bought through Wix?
Yes. You can transfer it or leave it with Wix and point the DNS to Shopify. Check the email linked to the domain first so you do not lose it during the switch.