In short
- List every existing address, and which ones bring visitors, before you touch anything.
- Build a 301 redirect map: every old URL to its matching new page, not to the home page.
- Move the SEO content too — titles, descriptions, copy, image alt text — not just the data.
- After the switch, test the redirects, update Search Console and watch for 404 errors.
Before the migration.
1. Which addresses does the store have today?
Make a complete list of all URLs: products, categories, manufacturers, information pages and articles. You will find them in the store’s sitemap.xml, in Google Search Console (the “Pages” and “Performance” reports) and with a crawling tool such as Screaming Frog. This list is the basis for every step that follows.
2. Which pages bring visitors and sales?
In Search Console and Google Analytics, see which pages had the most clicks, impressions and sales over the last 12 months. These are the pages that must not break — check them first after the switch.
3. Will the addresses change?
If the new platform lets you keep the same URLs, keep them: it is the safest route. If not — which is common, since every platform has its own structure — plan the new structure now, with clean, descriptive addresses.
4. How do you build the redirect map?
In a spreadsheet, write the new URL next to each old one, one by one. Every old product must lead to the same product in the new store, and every category to the same category. For discontinued products, choose the most relevant category or a similar product — not the home page.
During the migration.
5. What needs to move besides the data?
Products, customers and orders are only half of it. So that the SEO work already done is not lost, also move:
- page titles and meta descriptions
- product and category descriptions, without truncating them or losing their formatting
- image alt text
- structured data (Product, BreadcrumbList etc.), so prices and availability do not disappear from search results
6. How do you test the new store?
Set up the new store in a staging environment that is not indexed: password-protected or with noindex. There, check that the data matches the old store, that checkout and payments work, and test a sample of the redirect map.
After the switch.
7. Do the redirects work?
Turn on the 301 redirects at the moment of the switch and immediately test the list of old URLs: each must answer with a 301 and land, in a single step, on a page that answers with a 200. Start with the pages from step 2.
8. What changes in Google Search Console?
Submit the new sitemap.xml and make sure robots.txt and the new store’s pages have not kept the staging noindex — one of the most common and costly mistakes. If the domain changes too, also use Search Console’s “Change of address” tool.
9. What do you monitor in the first weeks?
Check the “Pages” report in Search Console for 404 errors and pages that are not indexed, and fix them with new redirects. Small ranking fluctuations in the first weeks are normal; what matters is that they recover.
10. Which links need updating?
The store’s internal links should point straight to the new URLs, not through redirects. Also update the XML feeds for Skroutz and other marketplaces, your Google Business Profile, social media and, where possible, links from partners.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them.
| Mistake | What it causes | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| All old URLs redirect to the home page | Google treats them as pages that no longer exist; product and category rankings are lost | Redirect each URL to its matching new page |
| Temporary redirects (302) instead of permanent ones (301) | The change is not declared permanent and the transition can take longer | Permanent 301 redirects |
| Redirect chains (A → B → C) | Slower loading and slower re-indexing | Every old URL straight to the final page |
| The staging noindex stays on the new store | The store gradually disappears from Google | Check meta robots and robots.txt on launch day |
| Forgotten XML feeds and external links | Marketplaces show broken product links | Update feeds and links with the new URLs |
Would you like us to handle it?
MonoWare Web handles e-shop migration from WooCommerce, PrestaShop or another platform to OpenCart, with a URL inventory, a 301 redirect map and a trial migration on staging before the switch. We can also connect the new store to your ERP from day one.
Sources: Google Search Central — Site moves and migrations · Google Search Central — Redirects and Google Search.
Sources: HTTP 301 (Wikipedia), URL redirection (Wikipedia), Search engine optimization (Wikipedia).