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Commerce migration

Squarespace → Shopify

Move Squarespace products, customers, and fulfilled orders into Shopify with remapped CSVs, without treating the product export as a complete store, theme, review, or blog cutover.

Typical timeline15–35 business days55–130 hours active work
Statusneeds review
Source profileSquarespace documentation reviewed 2026-10-26
Destination profileShopify documentation reviewed 2026-10-26
Documentation date
Review window
Evidence3 sources
This route needs review.Use it as a planning baseline, then verify the dated sources and test with representative data before production.
Before you migrate

Should you make this move?

Both platforms have a case. Compare what you gain with what you give up before scheduling the cutover.

Current platform

Squarespace

Reasons to stay
  • Beautiful templates and integrated hosting let small teams publish without technical operations
  • Editors get a purpose-built publishing workflow instead of raw files
Reasons to leave
  • Structured content, code control, and complex integrations are restricted
  • Themes, extensions, and content models add maintenance and portability constraints
New platform

Shopify

What gets better
  • A polished hosted commerce platform has an unmatched app and partner ecosystem
  • Core catalog, order, customer, and promotion workflows are integrated
What gets worse
  • Transaction economics, app dependency, and checkout constraints reduce control
  • Deep customization usually increases extension, agency, or engineering costs
Best of the move

Shopify: A polished hosted commerce platform has an unmatched app and partner ecosystem. This removes a major source-side concern: Structured content, code control, and complex integrations are restricted.

Worst of the move

What you lose: Beautiful templates and integrated hosting let small teams publish without technical operations. What you inherit: Transaction economics, app dependency, and checkout constraints reduce control.

Connected catalog

3 destinations are documented from Squarespace. Compare nearby routes before committing.

Also from Squarespace
Also moving to Shopify
Jump to a section
01At a glance

Know the shape of the move.

Transfer outcome11 features audited
Transfer outcome distributionClean transfer: 0, Partial transfer: 4, Manual rebuild: 2, Not transferred: 5.
Clean0
Partial4
Manual2
Lost5
Mapping route8 of 9 fields have a destination path

This timeline assumes

  • Up to 10,000 products, 50,000 customers, and 100,000 fulfilled orders
  • The team remaps Squarespace CSVs to Shopify templates before any catalog or customer import.
  • Squarespace stays live through at least one refund, fulfillment, and payout cycle on Shopify.
  • A private Shopify store runs test orders before DNS changes.
  • The migration team records evidence for every blocking verification check.
02What transfers

What survives the move.

“Partial” and “manual” are not footnotes. They are work that must be scheduled and verified.

ItemOutcomeImpactWhat happensMitigation
Product CSV and column namespartialcriticalSquarespace exports products as a CSV, up to 10,000 physical and service products. Shopify will not accept that file until you rename columns to its product template. Product URL becomes Handle. Default Vendor Name becomes Vendor. Categories becomes Type. SKU, Weight, Price, and Stock become variant columns. Weight is in pounds and must be multiplied by 453.6 to become grams.Copy Squarespace rows into a Shopify product template. Convert weight. Preview the import and keep products unpublished until you check price and stock.
Product images, alt text, and extra copylostcriticalSquarespace says the product CSV does not include featured images, variant images, image alt text, additional product information, or customer reviews.Download original images from the live site. Reload them on each product. Recreate alt text from a content inventory.
Variants and unpublished productspartialcriticalShopify drops a product when a variant option is missing. Products imported as hidden stay unpublished until you make them available to sales channels.Fill every Option Name and Option Value pair. Deselect publish-to-all-channels on import. Open each failed row from the confirmation email.
Customers and marketing consentpartialcriticalSquarespace can export contacts to CSV. Shopify has no column mapping on customer import, so headings must already match its template. Accepts Marketing becomes yes or no on Accepts Email Marketing. Shipping Country is not in the Squarespace download and must be added as an ISO country code. Customer notes do not export.Rebuild the file on the Shopify customer template. Add country codes. Archive notes from the Squarespace admin.
Customer passwords and accountslostcriticalNeither vendor documents a password transfer. Buyers need a fresh Shopify account activation.Send activation after catalog and order history are trusted. Never promise the old password will work.
ReviewslosthighShopify says you cannot export or migrate reviews from Squarespace. It points to apps such as Judge.me, Loox, and Yotpo for a manual import.Export review text from the live product pages if you still have it. Load a sample through the chosen app before cutover.
Order historypartialcriticalSquarespace can download an order CSV with financial status, totals, discounts, and line items. Shopify's own guide tells you to export fulfilled orders, then use a third-party app such as EZ Importer or Migration Pro. Those imported orders are history, not live payment records you can edit like native Shopify checkout.Reconcile order id, gross, tax, discount, refund, and net totals. Keep Squarespace for refunds that still sit on the old merchant account.
Theme, checkout, and page builderlostcriticalSquarespace layouts and checkout do not become a Shopify theme. Shopify starts you on a default theme and asks you to customize or buy another.Rebuild approved templates. Compare desktop and mobile screenshots before you move the domain.
Blog posts and editorial URLslosthighShopify's Squarespace guide covers products, customers, orders, and reviews. It does not import Squarespace blog posts. Store owners who moved report copying posts and images by hand.Export or copy posts you still want. Reload images. Add redirects for every indexed article URL.
Shipping, taxes, and paymentsmanualcriticalShopify asks you to rebuild shipping zones, rates, tax rules, and a payment provider, then place test orders. Digital products need shipping turned off.Configure zones and Shopify Payments or a supported third party. Run a successful charge, a failed charge, a refund, and a fulfillment on the preview store.
Domains, SSL, and URL structuremanualcriticalShopify warns that page paths change, so old shipping-policy style URLs 404 unless you add redirects first. Disconnect the domain from Squarespace before you point DNS, or SSL can fail.Inventory every indexed URL. Create redirects on Shopify. Lower TTL, then switch DNS only after test orders pass.
03Field and feature mapping

Where each thing goes.

SourceDestinationMethodNotes
Product URLHandletransformLetters, numbers, and dashes only.
Title, tags, option names, and option valuesMatching Shopify product columnstransformRename columns to the Shopify template.
Weight in poundsVariant GramstransformMultiply by 453.6.
SKU, price, and stockVariant SKU, Variant Price, and Variant Inventory QtytransformStrip non-numeric stock characters.
Featured or variant imageShopify product or variant mediamanualThe CSV does not carry these files.
First name, last name, email, and shipping addressShopify customer and default address fieldstransformAdd the country ISO code yourself.
Accepts MarketingAccepts Email MarketingtransformUse yes or no.
Fulfilled order rowHistorical Shopify order through a migration apptransformKeep the Squarespace order id.
Review, blog post, or theme blockNo destinationunsupportedRebuild or archive. Do not expect the CSV path to create these.
04Before you begin

Make the move recoverable.

Backup procedure

Create the source-of-truth backup

Preserve Squarespace catalog, customers, orders, media, and routes before any Shopify write.

  1. Export SquarespaceProductDownload.csv, a customer CSV, and a fulfilled-order CSV.
  2. Download original product and blog images from the live site. Capture featured image URLs.
  3. Crawl public URLs, meta titles, and collection paths.
  4. Record shipping, tax, payment, and domain settings. Hash every export.

Proof to capture: A signed manifest reconciles every scoped product, customer, order class, image set, and hash.

Transformation · Google Sheets or another spreadsheet on the Shopify sample files

Shopify CSV reshape

Make Squarespace exports match Shopify's product and customer templates.

  1. Rename product columns and convert pounds to grams.
  2. Rebuild the customer file with Shopify headings, yes/no marketing, and country codes.
  3. Reject rows that lack a handle, price, or variant option.

Proof to capture: Save the input, output, command or tool settings, warnings, and final item counts.

Transformation · Shopify product and customer importers, plus an order migration app

Catalog, history, and storefront rebuild

Load products first, then customers and orders, then theme and redirects.

  1. Import products unpublished and fix missing images.
  2. Load a customer sample, then fulfilled orders through the chosen app.
  3. Rebuild checkout, shipping, and one-hop redirects before DNS.

Proof to capture: Save the input, output, command or tool settings, warnings, and final item counts.

05Handle with care

The things most likely to hurt.

These are operating limits. Treat every “Stop if” condition as a blocked migration, not a suggestion.

Import

Price or weight lands in the wrong unit

criticalpossible likelihood

A pounds value imported as grams, or a hidden product that never went live, looks fine in the admin until a buyer pays.

Consequence
You undercharge shipping or sell at the wrong price.
Mitigation
Preview the product import. Check weight, price, and stock on a stratified sample before publish.

Stop if: Any in-scope SKU has an unexplained price, gram weight, or inventory gap.

Domain

Old URLs 404 after the domain move

criticallikely likelihood

Shopify paths differ from Squarespace. Shopify also warns that leaving the domain attached to the old host can break SSL.

Consequence
Paid ads and bookmarks die, and checkout can show a certificate error.
Mitigation
Create redirects first. Disconnect the domain on Squarespace, then point DNS.

Stop if: An indexed URL 404s or TLS fails after the switch.

Cutover

Both stores keep taking payment

criticalpossible likelihood

Squarespace checkout stays live after Shopify starts charging cards.

Consequence
Orders and stock split across two merchants.
Mitigation
Freeze Squarespace checkout, then switch DNS. Keep Squarespace readable for refunds.

Stop if: A new paid order appears on Squarespace after freeze.

06Precise timeline

Do the work in this order.

Estimate forUp to 10,000 products, 50,000 customers, and 100,000 fulfilled orders
Total elapsed15–35 business days
Active work55–130 hours
BufferAdd time for more than 10,000 products, a large blog, review apps, or a custom theme.
01
Days 1–4Inventory and decisions3–4 days
02
Days 4–8Backup and reconcile2–4 days
03
Days 8–20Map and pilot6–12 days
04
Days 18–32Final delta and switch2–6 days
05
Days 22–45Observe and close5–12 days
  1. Days 1–4 · inventory

    Inventory and decisions

    8–16 hours active3–4 days elapsedOwner, finance, and SEO review waiting
    • Inventory products, images, customers, orders, reviews, posts, and URLs.
    • Approve CSV versus app paths and what stays on Squarespace.

    Depends on: Squarespace and Shopify administrator access

    Stop / go checkpoint

    Export?

    Go when: Every critical item has an owner and disposition.

    Stop when: Payments, taxes, or domain ownership is unclear.

  2. Days 4–8 · backup

    Backup and reconcile

    6–14 hours active2–4 days elapsedExport processing waiting
    • Create product, customer, order, and image exports.
    • Reconcile counts, totals, and hashes.

    Depends on: Approved inventory

    Stop / go checkpoint

    Transform?

    Go when: Source totals and export manifests agree.

    Stop when: Any critical catalog, customer, or order class is absent.

  3. Days 8–20 · pilot

    Map and pilot

    16–50 hours active6–12 days elapsedTheme and payment setup waiting
    • Import a product sample with variants, then customers, then a handful of fulfilled orders.
    • Rebuild shipping, taxes, and checkout. Place test orders.

    Depends on: Verified backup

    Stop / go checkpoint

    Scale?

    Go when: Pilot mappings, payments, and evidence pass.

    Stop when: Any critical check fails or a total is unexplained.

  4. Days 18–32 · cutover

    Final delta and switch

    6–26 hours active2–6 days elapsedDNS and SSL waiting
    • Freeze Squarespace checkout. Load the final catalog and customer delta.
    • Switch the domain, run blocking checks, and keep Squarespace readable.

    Depends on: Passed pilot and approved rollback

    Stop / go checkpoint

    Open production?

    Go when: Shopify alone takes payment and every critical SKU is accounted for.

    Stop when: A Squarespace checkout remains live or a blocking check fails.

  5. Days 22–45 · observe

    Observe and close

    4–18 hours active5–12 days elapsedOne refund, fulfillment, and payout cycle waiting
    • Watch live orders, shipping, and refunds.
    • Sign the verification report before you close rollback.

    Depends on: Verified cutover

    Stop / go checkpoint

    Close rollback?

    Go when: No trigger occurs during the agreed observation period.

    Stop when: Sales, access, routing, or fulfillment regresses.

07The point of change

Cut over with a way back.

Go live

Cutover

Make Shopify the only checkout without losing the final Squarespace delta.

Recommended window: A low-volume weekday morning with store, finance, DNS, and support owners available.

  1. Freeze Squarespace checkout and new product edits.
  2. Export and import the final product, customer, and order delta.
  3. Disconnect the domain on Squarespace, then point DNS to Shopify.
  4. Run every blocking check and keep Squarespace readable.
  5. Keep the source intact through the rollback window.

Proof to capture: Shopify owns checkout, totals reconcile, and every blocking check has evidence.

Return to safety

Rollback

Return checkout to Squarespace without losing Shopify-era orders.

Deadline: Within seven days and before Squarespace plans, credentials, domains, or payout settings are changed.

  1. Stop new Shopify checkout and paid ads that hit the new store.
  2. Restore the prior Squarespace DNS records and storefront.
  3. Export Shopify orders placed after cutover.
  4. Fulfill or refund those orders on the restored merchant account as finance directs.
  5. Run the same blocking checks against Squarespace.

Proof to capture: Squarespace again owns checkout with current stock and no duplicate Shopify charge.

Rollback immediately when
  • Unexplained SKU, price, or inventory variance
  • Missing or exposed customer data
  • Duplicate charge or split-brain checkout
  • Failed DNS, TLS, or payment check
  • A critical selling path has no safe Shopify replacement
08Verification report

Prove the migration worked.

Every blocking check must pass. Capture the evidence before cleanup begins.

0%
Interactive report preview0 / 8 checks passed
PassIDCheckMethodExpected resultEvidence
V-01BlockingProduct reconciliationCompare every in-scope SKU to a Shopify product, archive, or exclusion.100% of scoped SKUs are accounted for with correct price and grams.Catalog ledger.
V-02BlockingImages and alt textOpen a sample of products and variants as a buyer.Required images load. Missing CSV images were added by hand.Media log.
V-03BlockingCustomer import and consentCompare email counts, addresses, and marketing yes/no values.Every in-scope email is present or excluded. Country codes exist.Customer report.
V-04BlockingHistorical order totalsReconcile fulfilled-order gross, tax, discount, refund, and net.Totals match the Squarespace CSV or a signed exception.Order ledger.
V-05BlockingTest ordersPlace a successful order, a failed charge, a refund, and a fulfillment.Each path completes on Shopify only.Test-order log.
V-06BlockingRate and tax calculationQuote domestic and international carts, including digital items.Rates and tax match the signed rules.Quote screenshots.
V-07BlockingRedirects and TLSHit every indexed Squarespace URL and resolve DNS from two networks.One-hop redirects and valid TLS on the primary host.Redirect and certificate report.
V-08BlockingSingle checkoutAttempt a purchase on the old host after freeze.Squarespace does not accept a new paid order.Ownership checklist.
09Post-migration cleanup

Remove the scaffolding safely.

Safe after: One complete refund, fulfillment, and payout cycle, at least seven stable days, and owner sign-off on every blocking check.

  1. Archive Squarespace exports, maps, and verification evidence.
  2. Revoke migration app tokens and unused staff accounts.
  3. Remove obsolete Squarespace checkout, domains, and payment methods.
  4. Keep Squarespace read-only through the approved retention window.
  5. Cancel paid Squarespace plans only after billing, legal, and recovery review.
  6. Schedule the next Shopify backup, access, and playbook review.
10Experiences from the field

When the plan met reality.

First-hand accounts are preferred. Vendor case studies are labeled, and every note below is an editorial paraphrase—follow the link for the full context.

First-person accountCorkie Bolton · Metalsmith Society

Why I Use Shopify For My Online Jewelry Store2019

Corkie Bolton moved Corkie Bolton Jewelry off Squarespace so Instagram product tags were a checkbox instead of a manual Facebook upload. She used Shopify's offer to migrate through Cart2Cart, needed a phone call with Shopify support, then adjusted the Minimal theme. She kept the old blog content from corkieboltonjewelry.com but did not bring the blog across. Later notes say some prices in the 13 January 2019 post may be stale, and that Squarespace later published Instagram tagging help she still found manual. She was on Shopify Basic for abandoned-cart email through Mailchimp and carrier-calculated shipping, including international rates by weight.

What they recommend
  • If social selling is the reason for the move, test Instagram and Facebook product availability on a draft Shopify product before you pay for a migration app.
  • Decide whether the Squarespace blog is in scope. Bolton kept the old posts as files and did not treat Cart2Cart as a blog importer.
Worth noticing
  • The migration app moved products. Theme work and a lost blog were separate jobs.
  • Calculated shipping, not the importer, was the store-operations win she described after cutover.
First-person accountHELLOhappy

Why I switched from Squarespace to Shopify2020

The HELLOhappy shop owner wrote on 11 August 2020, a few weeks after moving from Squarespace to Shopify. Squarespace themes were easy, but the store could not mix calculated, free, and flat shipping, and products had to be marked unavailable one at a time. Shopify inventory and analytics were the reason to stay. The author says Squarespace blog posts do not transfer. You copy text and upload images again. They customized the free Supply theme and connected Mailchimp, Facebook, and Instagram. The post is a first-person store diary. It does not describe CSV column mapping or order-history apps.

What they recommend
  • Rebuild shipping profiles on Shopify before you move the domain, especially if Squarespace forced one rule for the whole store.
  • Budget a manual blog copy with new image uploads. This author says Squarespace posts do not come across.
Worth noticing
  • Bulk product edits and mixed shipping were the operational reasons given, not a documented data-loss event.
  • Shopify's blog was accepted as weaker, so a content-first site should treat posts as a separate migration.
Sources and evidence

Verify against the primary material.

Platform behavior changes. Check these sources and the review dates above before executing a production migration.

  1. Shopify: migrate from SquarespaceAccessed 2026-10-26
  2. Squarespace: export products to a CSVAccessed 2026-10-26
  3. Squarespace: export Commerce ordersAccessed 2026-10-26