Shopware Migration: Data Migration to Shopware 6
We migrate online shops to Shopware 6, from Shopware 5 or other shop systems. Products, variants, customers, orders, media and SEO URLs are carried over in full, and redirects protect your rankings. For mid-sized retailers and manufacturers who want to change systems without data loss and without a sales standstill.
Who needs a migration
Four starting points companies come to us with.
Shopware 5 is end-of-life
Your shop still runs on Shopware 5. There have been no security updates since July 2024 and new PHP versions are not supported.
The shop system holds you back
JTL-Shop, WooCommerce, Magento or another system no longer fits your catalogue, B2B requirements or system landscape.
An update is due
Your Shopware 6 shop needs to move to a current release such as 6.7, but plugins, theme customisations or custom code block the way.
Rankings must not suffer
The shop ranks well organically. The move must not put URLs, meta data and therefore rankings at risk.
Source systems we migrate
The target is always Shopware 6. For Shopware 5 we use the Migration Assistant as a base, for all other systems data export, mapping and custom imports.
Shopware 5
with the Shopware Migration Assistant, extended by custom scripts
Shopware 6 updates
e.g. to 6.7, including plugin and theme review
JTL-Shop
products, variants, customers, orders via export and mapping
WooCommerce / WordPress
products, customers, orders, content
Magento / Adobe Commerce
including attribute sets and customer groups
Shopify
products, customers, order history, redirects
XT-Commerce / modified
replacement of older installations
Oxid, Gambio, PrestaShop
via data export and custom mapping
Which data is migrated
Every migration covers six data areas. The migration concept defines what is migrated and to what extent.
Products and variants
Master data, variants, properties, manufacturers, tier prices, custom fields
Categories
Category tree, assignments, filter configuration, category texts
Customers
Accounts, addresses, customer groups, newsletter status with double opt-in proof
Orders
Order history with line items, payment and shipping status for service and warranty
Media
Product images, downloads, images in description texts with adjusted paths
SEO data
URLs, meta titles and descriptions, canonicals, redirect table
Migration Assistant
The official Shopware tool transfers standard data from Shopware 5 and supports delta runs. It does not migrate shopping worlds, theme customisations, plugin configurations or cross-selling rules.
Custom migration
For other source systems, custom fields, plugin data and special variant structures we write import scripts with their own field mapping. Both approaches can be combined.
How a migration project runs
Six steps, each with a verifiable result.
Inventory
We document plugins, theme customisations, interfaces, custom fields and data volumes of the source system and decide what is migrated, replaced or dropped.
Migration concept
For each data area we define: Migration Assistant or custom migration, field mapping, handling of legacy data, order of steps.
Plugin replacement and theme
For functions without a direct equivalent we find extensions in the Shopware Store or build them. We rebuild the theme on Shopware 6 instead of copying the old templates.
Test migration
First full migration to a staging environment. You check data, processes and presentation with real examples.
SEO redirects
All indexed URLs of the old shop are collected and redirected with 301s to the new URLs. Meta data and canonicals are carried over.
Delta migration and go-live
Shortly before the switch we migrate the data created since the test run. Then switchover, redirect checks, monitoring.
What drives effort and duration
Two shops with a similar catalogue can differ widely in migration effort. These factors determine the scope. After the inventory you receive a quote with itemised positions.
- Number and type of plugins without a Shopware 6 equivalent
- Extent of custom theme work and template overrides
- Data volume and data quality: variants, duplicates, incomplete master data
- Number of connected systems such as ERP, payment, shipping, newsletter
- B2B features: customer groups, individual prices, approval workflows
- Number of indexed URLs and complexity of redirect rules
- Desired depth of order history
Typical pitfalls
These points cost the most time in migration projects. We check them during the inventory.
Plugins without a successor
Not every Shopware 5 plugin has an equivalent. Discovering this mid-project costs time. The plugin list belongs at the very start.
Theme as a copy
Shopware 6 uses Twig instead of Smarty and a different frontend architecture. A one-to-one rebuild of old templates produces a theme that breaks with every update.
Customer passwords and logins
Password hashes are converted on first login. Inform customers in advance, otherwise support requests spike after go-live.
Images in description texts
Media live under different paths in Shopware 6. Hard-coded images in product and category texts must be rewritten.
Order status and ERP
The status system in Shopware 6 is structured differently. The ERP connection must know the new states, otherwise orders get stuck.
Newsletter without proof
If the double opt-in status is not carried over cleanly, those addresses may no longer be contacted.
Redirects from memory
Without a complete URL list from Search Console and a crawl, redirects for old category and filter URLs are missing. That leads to 404 errors and ranking losses.
Frequently asked questions about Shopware migration
Which data can be migrated to Shopware 6?
Products with variants and properties, categories, manufacturers, customers with addresses, orders, media and SEO URLs. Plugin-specific data, shopping worlds and theme customisations are not migrated automatically and need their own solution.
Is the Shopware Migration Assistant enough?
For standard data from Shopware 5 the Migration Assistant is a good base and supports delta runs. It reaches its limits with custom fields that carry logic, plugin data, special variant structures and with any source system other than Shopware 5. There we add custom import scripts or replace it entirely.
Will I lose Google rankings during the migration?
Not if all indexed URLs are collected and redirected with 301s and meta data and canonicals are carried over. Fluctuations in the first weeks after the move are normal, permanent losses with a clean implementation are not.
Can I keep my current theme?
You can keep the design, but not the theme. Shopware 6 has a new template architecture. We rebuild the theme on Shopware 6 and carry over design, colours and layout. It is also the moment to improve presentation and load times.
What determines how long a migration takes?
Mainly the number of plugins without a Shopware 6 equivalent, the extent of custom work, data quality and the number of connected systems. After the inventory we give you a schedule with milestones for your project.
What happens to orders placed during the migration?
That is what the delta migration is for: after the test migration the old shop keeps running. Shortly before go-live we migrate all new customers, orders and changes so nothing is lost.
Do you migrate from systems other than Shopware 5?
Yes. We migrate from JTL-Shop, WooCommerce, Magento, Shopify, XT-Commerce, modified, Oxid, Gambio and PrestaShop to Shopware 6, among others. The route then runs via data export, mapping and custom imports instead of the Migration Assistant.
How does the ERP connection continue after the migration?
Existing interfaces are recorded in the migration concept and moved to Shopware 6 or reconnected. How we connect Shopware with ERP, PIM and marketplaces is described on the data synchronisation page.
Related services and knowledge
Guide: Migrating Shopware 5 to 6
Inventory, plugin replacement, data migration, redirects, go-live checklist
Shopware 6 Development
Shop development, plugins, themes, operations
Data Synchronisation
Connect Shopware with ERP, PIM and marketplaces
E-Procurement and PunchOut
Connect Shopware to procurement systems via cXML or OCI
Planning a migration?
Send us the key facts about your shop: source system, plugins, data volumes. We will get back to you with a proposal for the inventory.