Custom / Headless build to Shopify migration
Custom-built and legacy in-house stores carry enormous maintenance risk and key-person dependency. We migrate bespoke platforms to Shopify — preserving your unique logic with apps, Functions, and headless where it counts.
Typical timeline
8–16 weeks
1
platform to maintain instead of a fragile in-house codebase
- 1
- platform to maintain, not a fragile codebase
- −70%
- reduction in maintenance risk
- 8–16wk
- phased migration window
Why brands leave Custom
These are the friction points we hear most often from Custom merchants — and exactly what moving to Shopify solves.
Key-person dependency
When the original developers leave, custom stores become risky and expensive to change.
Mounting technical debt
Years of patches make custom platforms brittle, slow, and hard to extend.
No ecosystem
Every new feature must be built from scratch instead of installed.
Custom-specific things we get right
Every platform has edge cases that trip up generalist agencies. Here's what we handle by default when migrating from Custom.
Database mapping
We analyze your custom schema and map data into Shopify's model with precision.
Custom logic preservation
Unique business rules are rebuilt with Shopify Functions, apps, or headless storefronts.
Phased cutover
For complex stores we migrate in phases to minimize risk and downtime.
Custom vs Shopify, side by side
The practical differences that matter day to day once you've made the switch.
| Feature | Custom | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Key-person risk | High dependency | Standard platform skills |
| Technical debt | Accumulating | Maintained by Shopify |
| New features | Built from scratch | Installed from ecosystem |
| Security & uptime | Your responsibility | Enterprise-grade, managed |
Want to see the difference for yourself? Start a free Shopify trial, then let us migrate your Custom store across.
What we migrate from Custom
Your full store comes across — verified record by record.
Products & variants
Catalog, SKUs, options, inventory, pricing, and bundles mapped cleanly into Shopify's product model.
Customers & accounts
Customer profiles, addresses, tags, and groups — with secure password and login handling.
Orders & history
Complete order history, fulfillment status, and refunds so support and reporting stay intact.
SEO & URLs
301 redirect maps, meta data, and canonical structure to protect your hard-won search rankings.
Content & blogs
CMS pages, blog posts, navigation, and media moved with formatting preserved.
Reviews & UGC
Product reviews, ratings, and user-generated content reconnected to the right products.
How your Custom migration runs
The same proven four-phase process, tuned to Custom's quirks.
- 01
Audit & data mapping
We inventory your store, map every data field, and surface risks before a single record moves.
- 02
Theme & design build
Your brand is rebuilt on a fast, conversion-focused Shopify theme — not a generic template.
- 03
Test migration
A full dry-run into a staging store lets you validate data integrity and catch edge cases early.
- 04
Go-live & redirects
We cut over with zero-downtime DNS, deploy SEO redirects, and monitor the store hour by hour.
Our in-house platform was one developer away from disaster. Shopify gave us a stable foundation without losing the custom logic our business depends on.
James Okonkwo
CTO, multi-brand commerce group
Custom migration FAQs
The questions Custom merchants ask us most. Your free audit covers anything specific to your store.
Migrating from a different platform?
Ready to move off Custom?
Send us your Custom store URL and we'll return a tailored migration plan, risk assessment, and timeline — completely free.