Square Online has its strengths — particularly for restaurants and retailers using Square's POS hardware. For pure online sellers though, Shopify's depth in apps, themes, and marketing integrations usually wins. The migration itself is straightforward but requires careful attention to a few details that, if missed, cost you SEO equity, order history, and customer trust.
This is the migration walkthrough we've used for clients moving from Square Online.
Pre-migration audit
Before starting, document:
- Total products and variants
- Active customers and their account states
- Order history volume
- Current URL structure
- Active discount codes
- Email integration (Mailchimp, Klaviyo, etc.)
- Custom domain setup
- Connected payment processors
This list shapes the migration plan. A 50-product store is a one-week project. A 2,000-product store is a multi-week effort.
Step 1: Set up your Shopify store
While Square Online stays live:
- Sign up for Shopify trial
- Pick your plan (Basic, Shopify, Advanced based on volume)
- Choose theme (Dawn is fine to start)
- Configure basic settings (taxes, shipping, payment methods)
Don't connect your custom domain yet. The Square Online store needs to stay live until cutover.
Step 2: Export from Square Online
In Square Dashboard:
- Items → All Items → Export. CSV download.
- Orders → Export. CSV download.
- Customer Directory → Export. CSV download.
These three CSVs are your raw data.
Step 3: Import products to Shopify
Shopify's product import accepts CSV. The format is different from Square's — you'll need to remap columns.
Required Shopify fields:
- Handle (URL slug)
- Title
- Body (description)
- Vendor (brand)
- Product Type
- Tags
- Variant SKU
- Variant Price
- Variant Inventory Quantity
- Image Src
Optional but recommended:
- Variant Compare At Price
- Variant Weight
- SEO Title
- SEO Description
- Custom labels (for marketing automation)
Tools that help: Matrixify (formerly Excelify) handles complex imports including variants. For simple catalogs, Shopify's native CSV import is enough.
Step 4: Import customers
Shopify's Customers → Import. Use a CSV with columns:
- First Name, Last Name
- Phone
- Default Address fields (street, city, province, zip, country)
- Tags (for segmentation)
- Note
Customers won't get login access by default — they'll need to reset passwords or sign up fresh. Send them an email about the migration with clear instructions.
Step 5: Import order history (optional)
Shopify doesn't natively import historical orders, but apps like Matrixify do. Decide if it's worth the work:
- Yes, import: if order history matters for customer service references and legal compliance
- No, leave in Square: if Square will remain accessible for record-keeping
Most stores compromise: keep Square subscription for 90 days post-migration for order reference, then either close or migrate orders.
Step 6: Set up redirects
Critical step that most operators rush.
Shopify URLs differ from Square's. Without redirects, every product page change breaks SEO and any external links.
In Shopify:
- Online Store → Navigation → URL Redirects
- Add manual redirects for:
- Old product URLs → new product URLs
- Old category URLs → new collection URLs
- Homepage if URL structure changed
For large catalogs, use a redirect import via Matrixify or a CSV-based method.
Test 50+ redirects manually before launch. Verify they work with 301 status (permanent), not 302 (temporary).
Step 7: Email integration
If you were using Square's built-in email (Square Marketing), you're starting fresh with email lists or migrating to Klaviyo / Mailchimp.
- Export email subscribers from Square
- Import to your new email tool (Klaviyo recommended)
- Set up flows: welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase
- Sync customer data between Shopify and email tool
Allow 1-2 weeks for email setup and warm-up of new IP if you're starting fresh.
Step 8: Domain transfer
This is the cutover step. Time it carefully.
Prep (a week before cutover):
- Verify Shopify store is fully ready
- All products imported
- Redirects in place
- Email tool ready
- Payment processor connected and tested
Cutover day:
- Update DNS to point custom domain to Shopify
- Disable Square Online checkout (so customers can't accidentally order on the old store)
- Send customer announcement email
- Monitor for issues
DNS propagation takes 2-24 hours. Plan cutover for a low-traffic window (Tuesday morning works for most stores).
Step 9: Post-migration validation
In the first 7 days post-cutover:
- Check Google Search Console for crawl errors
- Verify all top-traffic pages load correctly
- Test the full purchase flow (cart, checkout, payment, confirmation)
- Monitor for customer service inquiries about issues
- Check email flows are sending
Most issues surface in the first 72 hours. Be available to fix them quickly.
SEO impact
Done correctly, migration causes a 1-3 week dip in search rankings, then recovery to baseline within 4-8 weeks. Done incorrectly (no redirects, broken links), the SEO loss can be permanent — months of recovery, sometimes never fully restored.
The redirect setup is the single biggest determinant of SEO outcome. Don't shortcut it.
What to do post-migration
Week 1: Stabilize. Fix issues as they surface.
Week 2-4: Optimize. Use Shopify capabilities Square didn't offer — better email automation, app integrations, theme customization.
Month 2+: Scale. Now that you're on Shopify, the broader DTC ecosystem is available — paid ads with proper tracking, advanced analytics, etc.
Common migration mistakes
Cutting over without redirects. Loses SEO equity permanently for some pages.
Migrating during high traffic. Don't migrate during BFCM or product launches.
Not testing the new store thoroughly pre-cutover. Issues post-cutover are much more expensive than pre-cutover ones.
Underestimating customer notification. Tell customers what's changing. Confused customers create support volume.
Forgetting payment processor reconnection. Test live payments before announcing cutover.
Migration cost estimate
DIY migration: $0 in service costs, 20-40 hours of your time.
Agency-led migration: $1,500-5,000 for typical 100-500 product migrations.
Apps and tools: $50-200 in one-time costs (Matrixify, Stock Sync setup).
For most small-to-mid stores, DIY works. For larger or more complex catalogs, paying an agency $2-3K saves significant time and risk.
What to do this week
If you're considering migration, pull your Square data export this week. Count products, orders, customers. This shapes whether DIY or agency-assisted makes sense.
For more, see our migrate from Wix to Shopify guide, migrate from GoDaddy to Shopify, and Shopify vs Wix comparison.