{
  "id": 1155591,
  "title": "Before you pay anyone to migrate your Shopify catalog, make them promise these 17 things — in writing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/before-you-pay-anyone-to-migrate-your-shopify-catalog-make-them",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-16T00:21:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/junlong_zhu_d300164b0535f/before-you-pay-anyone-to-migrate-your-shopify-catalog-make-them-promise-these-17-things-in-5amj"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Before entrusting anyone with migrating your Shopify catalog, ensure they sign a contract containing all 17 essential clauses. Document each promise clearly to avoid any confusion during the process.\n\nFirst and foremost, the team should assure you that every product will be transferred without any loss or duplication. Confirm this by comparing the row counts in both files. Additionally, ensure that unique handles are maintained, as any renaming to -1 or -2 suffixes should be searched and corrected immediately.\n\nSkus are crucial for product identification, so verify their consistency and uniqueness across both the old and new files. Check that prices, including any compare-at prices, remain intact and accurate. Inventory levels must also match precisely, with no discrepancies when you perform a spot-check.\n\nPay attention to the finer details such as titles, vendors, types, and prices. Sort each column in both files and look out for any blank spaces at the top, which could indicate data loss. Images attached to the right variant should remain linked to the product, not lumped together at the top level. Open products featuring multiple colors and ensure each color displays its specific image. Finally, double-check that every image link loads correctly.\n\nCollections should transfer intact, so pick a collection and compare its product count between the two files. If your products have custom fields, such as metafields, confirm that they are preserved without any loss of information. Open a product with custom fields to verify that everything is intact.\n\nURLs are vital for directing customers to the right pages. Ensure that every old URL redirects seamlessly to its new counterpart in the migrated catalog. Perform this check by trying at least five URLs from your old sitemap. Beware of garbled characters that could break the redirection process.\n\nDescriptions play a significant role in product storytelling. Verify that descriptions have survived the migration without being truncated or corrupted. Read at least five descriptions in both the old and new files to ensure consistency. Additionally, pay attention to the formatting of descriptions, including bullets and tables.\n\nLastly, be mindful of product options, which add complexity to the catalog. The option names should remain meaningful and understandable, such as \"Size\" rather than generic \"Option1\". Open any product with options and confirm that the value lists are consistent between the old and new files.\n\nTwo additional points to consider: clearly outline the consequences if any of these checks fail. Determine if the provider will address the issues at no charge or provide a partial refund. It's essential to agree on these terms upfront, rather than facing disputes later. If your provider hesitates to commit to this list, recognize that their reluctance may indicate potential issues with the migration process. Keep this one-page agreement handy to ensure all parties are on the same page before commencing the migration.",
  "summary": "I audit catalog migrations for a living. Every disaster I've seen was preventable — not by hiring better, but by agreeing in writing what \"done\" means before work starts. Copy this list. Send it to whoever is doing your migration. Ask them to commit to each line — and note the italics: every promise comes with a way you can check it yourself in about two minutes, no tools, no trust required.…",
  "key_points": [
    "Ensure contract includes all 17 essential clauses",
    "Verify product row counts match between files",
    "Confirm URLs redirect seamlessly to new catalog"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Insisting on a comprehensive contract with specific clauses protects merchants from potential losses and disputes during Shopify catalog migration, setting clear expectations for service providers upfront.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}