 "Migrating Customers From Magento 2 To Shopify Using Matrixify: A Technical Guide")
For eCommerce businesses looking to migrate from Magento 2 to Shopify, customer data migration is a crucial step. This technical guide will walk you through the exact process using Matrixify, ensuring a smooth transition of your customer database.
Prerequisites.
Access to Magento 2 admin panel
Shopify store with Matrixify app installed
Basic understanding of CSV/Excel file handling
Critical pre-migration tasks.
1. Disable customer notification emails.
Before beginning any customer data migration, it's crucial to contact Shopify Support to disable automated customer account emails. This prevents your existing customers from receiving unexpected "account created" notifications during the migration process.
How to action:
Contact Shopify Support via your admin panel
Request temporary suspension of customer account notification emails
Confirm once disabled before proceeding with migration
Note: Keep a record of your request for future reference
2. Password reset strategy.
As customer passwords cannot be directly migrated from Magento to Shopify, you'll need a clear strategy for helping customers set up their new passwords post-launch.
Recommended approaches.
A. Email communication campaign.
Draft a welcome email explaining the platform change
Include clear instructions for password reset
Consider staggering emails to manage support volume
Provide customer service contact details for assistance
B. Website notifications.
Add a prominent banner on your new Shopify site
Create a dedicated landing page explaining the migration
Include FAQ section addressing common account queries
Consider a pop-up for returning customers
C. Password reset process.
Implement a user-friendly password reset flow
Consider automatic reset prompts at first login attempt
Ensure mobile-friendly reset process
Test the journey thoroughly before launch
Example customer communication.
Remember to re-enable customer notification emails through Shopify Support once the migration is complete and your password reset strategy is in place.
Step-by-step migration process.
1. Export customer data from Magento 2.
A. Export the customer's main file.
Navigate to System -> Export in Magento admin panel
Set Entity Type to "Customers Main File"
Select CSV as Export File Format
Enable Fields Enclosure checkbox
Click Continue to download the file
B. Export customer addresses.
Repeat the process but select "Customer Addresses" as Entity Type
Maintain the same settings (CSV format, Fields Enclosure checked)
Download the second file
2. Prepare files for Matrixify.
Key requirements:
Combine both CSV files into a single ZIP file
Naming convention: Include both "Magento" and "Customers" in the filename
Example filename: "Magento_Customers-2024-12-14.zip"
3. Initial Matrixify import setup.
Upload process:
Access Matrixify in your Shopify admin
Upload the prepared ZIP file
Verify that Matrixify recognises it as "Format: Magento CSV"
Confirm the customer count matches your expectations
4. Test import with dry run.
Before live import:
Expand the Options section
Enable "Dry run" checkbox
Click Import
This creates a test run without affecting your live store
5. Data validation and cleanup.
Review the import results:
Download the generated Excel file
Check the "Customers" sheet
Key areas to review:
Tags column (contains Magento-specific data like Gender, Customer Groups)
Metafield columns (dob, vat_id)
Address formatting
Phone number validity
Email address formatting
6. Execute live import.
Final import process:
Upload your verified and cleaned Excel file back to Matrixify
Ensure "Dry run" is unchecked
Click Import
Monitor the progress
Error Handling
If you encounter failures:
Download the Import Results file
Check the "Import Comment" column for specific error messages
Common issues include:
Invalid phone numbers
Malformed email addresses
Duplicate customer records
Fix identified issues in the Excel file
Re-import only the failed rows
7. Verification process.
Post-import checks:
Verify customer count in Shopify matches expected numbers
Test customer login functionality
Confirm customer groups and tags are correctly assigned
Validate address information
Check metafields data integrity
Technical considerations:
Customer passwords cannot be migrated directly
Consider implementing a password reset process
Maintain original Magento customer IDs in metafields if needed
Plan for handling customer reward points separately
Need expert migration support?
At blubolt, we specialise in complex eCommerce migrations to Shopify Plus. Our team has extensive experience handling customer data migrations while maintaining business continuity. Explore our expert services and browse our client work for eCommerce inspiration, or get in touch to discuss your migration requirements and ensure a smooth transition to Shopify. We would love to help!
[Note: This guide focuses specifically on Magento 2 migration. For Magento 1, different steps may be required.]
