Addressing Product Variants and Bundles: Adapting Complex Product Configurations from WooCommerce to Shopify

Migrating from WooCommerce to Shopify is more than just transferring product data; it requires careful planning to ensure product configurations remain intact and function correctly on the new platform. Businesses need to address key challenges such as variant limits, bundling options, pricing structures, and SEO to maintain a seamless shopping experience. Below are the best practices to follow for a smooth migration.

1. Pre-Migration Audit – Identify All Complex Product Structures

Before initiating the migration, conduct a thorough audit of your WooCommerce store to assess how your products are structured and identify potential challenges. This step ensures that all product configurations, including variants, bundles, SKUs, and pricing models, are properly mapped for Shopify.

Key Areas to Assess:

• The number of products and variants. Shopify limits each product to 100 variants with a maximum of three options. If any product exceeds this limit in WooCommerce, adjustments will be necessary.
• Complex product structures, including grouped, composite, and bundled products that will need to be restructured for Shopify.
• SKU consistency and inventory tracking methods to ensure SKU formats are consistent and match Shopify’s inventory system.
• Existing pricing and discount structures, such as dynamic pricing rules, bulk discounts, and promotions, that may need to be reconfigured in Shopify using apps or Shopify Scripts.

A pre-migration audit helps minimize errors and data loss, allowing businesses to proactively adjust their product configurations before transferring them to Shopify.

2. Data Mapping Strategy – Plan How Variants and Bundles Will Transfer

Since Shopify has a 100-variant limit per product and does not support native bundling, businesses must develop a data mapping strategy to restructure products accordingly.

Key Considerations:

1. Variant Management:
   • If a product exceeds Shopify’s 100-variant limit, break it into multiple products based on key attributes, such as one product for different colors and another for different sizes.
   • Use apps like Infinite Options to extend variant limits beyond Shopify’s restrictions.
   • Consider using Shopify metafields to store additional product attributes without affecting variant structures.
2. Handling Product Bundles:
   • Since Shopify does not natively support grouped products, use bundling apps like Bundler, Revy Bundles, or Bold Bundles to recreate WooCommerce’s bundle functionality.
   • For Shopify Plus users, Shopify Scripts can be used to create custom bundle pricing and discounts.
   • If your business requires unique bundling logic, custom Shopify app development may be necessary.
3. SKU and Inventory Mapping:
   • Ensure product SKUs are correctly mapped between WooCommerce and Shopify to maintain inventory tracking accuracy.
   • If using multiple warehouses or fulfillment centers, map inventory locations correctly in Shopify’s inventory system.
4. Using Migration Tools:
   • Migration tools like Matrixify (formerly Excelify) can help streamline bulk product transfers while preserving relationships between variants and SKUs.
   • If migrating a large catalog, consider hiring a Shopify expert to assist with data mapping and configuration.

A clear data mapping strategy helps prevent product discrepancies, ensuring all products, variants, and bundles are accurately replicated in Shopify.

3. Testing on Shopify Staging Store – Validate Product Configurations Before Going Live

Before making the Shopify store live, businesses should set up a staging environment to test product configurations. This step ensures that all migrated data is functional and aligns with the expected storefront experience.

Testing Checklist:

• Ensure all variants and options display correctly, including variant-dependent pricing and inventory levels.
• Verify bundle setups and discount rules to confirm that bundle discounts apply correctly when customers add grouped products to their cart.
• Test inventory tracking and SKU mapping by making test purchases to ensure stock updates correctly.
• Check pricing accuracy, including dynamic pricing and promotions, to validate that discount structures such as bulk pricing and membership discounts function as expected in Shopify.

Testing in a staging environment helps catch errors before the Shopify store goes live, ensuring a smooth shopping experience for customers.

4. SEO & Redirect Setup – Ensure SEO-Friendly URLs and 301 Redirects

SEO is a critical part of the migration process, as losing search rankings due to URL changes can impact organic traffic and sales. Shopify’s URL structure differs from WooCommerce, making 301 redirects essential for maintaining SEO equity.

SEO Best Practices:

1. Map Old WooCommerce URLs to New Shopify URLs
   • WooCommerce product URLs often follow this structure:
     example.com/product/product-name/
   • Shopify’s default structure is different:
     example.com/products/product-name/
   • Create a URL mapping sheet to track these changes before setting up redirects.
2. Implement 301 Redirects for All Migrated Pages
   • Shopify’s built-in URL redirect tool can be used to redirect old WooCommerce URLs to new Shopify URLs.
   • This helps prevent broken links and 404 errors, improving user experience and SEO rankings.
3. Optimize Product Descriptions and Metadata
   • Ensure product titles, descriptions, and meta tags are properly formatted in Shopify.
   • Update image alt texts and structured data to match WooCommerce’s previous SEO settings.
4. Update Internal Links and Sitemap
   • After migration, update internal links in blog posts, navigation menus, and category pages to point to the correct Shopify URLs.
   • Submit an updated sitemap to Google Search Console to help search engines index the new Shopify pages quickly.

Proper SEO and redirect management help preserve search engine rankings and prevent traffic loss post-migration.