How to Migrate Your Online Store from Shopify to Builtrly (Step by Step)

If you are paying Shopify's fees and realizing there is a better option, you are not alone. Nigerian merchants switch from Shopify to Builtrly regularly. The process is straightforward, and this guide will walk you through every step so you can complete your migration without losing a sale or a customer.

Before You Start: What You Are Moving

Migrating an online store involves moving several things:

• Your product catalog (titles, descriptions, prices, images, variants)
• Your customer data (if you want to maintain the relationship)
• Your order history (for your records)
• Your domain name
• Your brand assets (logo, colors, fonts)

Let's go through each.

Step 1: Export Your Shopify Product Catalog

Log into your Shopify Admin panel. Go to Products, then select All Products. Click the Export button at the top right of the page. Select "All products" and choose "CSV for Excel, Numbers, or other spreadsheet programs." Click Export Products. Shopify will email you a CSV file with your complete catalog.

This file contains your product titles, descriptions, prices, variants, inventory levels, and image URLs. Save it somewhere accessible because you will use it in the next step.

Step 2: Create Your Builtrly Account

Go to builtrly.com and create your merchant account. Use the same email address you want associated with your business. The sign-up takes about two minutes.

Step 3: Import Your Product Catalog to Builtrly

In the Builtrly dashboard, go to Products and select the Import option. Upload the CSV file you exported from Shopify. Builtrly will map your product fields automatically. Review the mapping to confirm everything looks correct: product title, description, price, inventory levels, and variants.

Once you confirm, click Import. Your entire catalog will populate in Builtrly. For large catalogs, this may take a few minutes.

Step 4: Add Your Product Images

Product images are referenced by URL in the Shopify export, but those URLs point to Shopify's servers. Once you close your Shopify store, those URLs stop working. To avoid this, download your product images from Shopify and re-upload them to each product in Builtrly.

For a large catalog, prioritize your best-selling products first. You can add remaining images over the following days while both stores are running in parallel.

Step 5: Choose and Customize Your Builtrly Theme

This is the exciting part. Browse the Builtrly theme library and select the theme that best represents your brand. Apply it and customize your brand colors, logo, and font preferences.

Take time with this step. Your Builtrly store should look better than your Shopify store. This is a real upgrade, not just a platform switch.

Step 6: Configure Your Payment Gateway

In Settings then Payments, connect your Paystack account. If you were processing payments through these gateways on Shopify, your account details are the same. You just connect them to Builtrly instead.

The key difference: Builtrly does not charge a transaction fee on top of your gateway fees. Every naira you were previously paying to Shopify per sale stays in your pocket.

Step 7: Configure Shipping

Recreate your shipping zones in Builtrly's shipping settings. If you had specific rates for Lagos, other states, or different delivery speed options, set those up in Builtrly. The shipping calculator in Builtrly allows more granular zone configuration than Shopify's basic settings.

Step 8: Run Both Stores in Parallel

Before switching your domain, run both stores simultaneously for a few days. Keep your Shopify store on its subdomain (yourstore.myshopify.com) and test your Builtrly store on its provided URL. Process a test order. Test different payment methods. Check the mobile experience thoroughly.

This parallel running period catches any issues before they affect real customers.

Step 9: Transfer Your Domain

When you are satisfied that Builtrly is ready, transfer your custom domain.

In Builtrly Settings then Domains, add your domain name and follow the DNS configuration instructions. Builtrly will provide specific DNS records to enter into your domain registrar (Namecheap, GoDaddy, or wherever you purchased your domain).

DNS changes propagate within 1 to 48 hours depending on your registrar. During this window, some visitors will see your old Shopify store and others will see your new Builtrly store. This is normal.

Step 10: Cancel Your Shopify Subscription

Once your domain is fully pointing to Builtrly and you have confirmed everything is working, cancel your Shopify subscription. Do this at the end of your current billing cycle to avoid paying for unused time.

After Migration

The first week after migration, monitor your order flow closely. Check that payment confirmations are working, that order notification emails are sending correctly, and that your customers are finding the checkout smooth.

Your existing Shopify customers do not need to do anything. They will simply find your domain pointing to a better-looking store than before.

Start your Builtrly account today and begin your migration this week.

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