How To Migrate Magento 1.x To Magento 2.x

In the article "Reasons for Migrating from Magento 1.x to Magento 2.x" we have already discussed in detail the key reasons why switching to Magento 2.x is a necessary step for business development. Now, let's look at the migration process itself: what stages it involves, what challenges may arise, and how to overcome them.

Stage 1: Planning and Analyze Magento 1.x Store

At this stage, it is crucial to assess the current state of the project and the scope of the migration. The quality of planning directly impacts the timeline and success of the migration. For an objective assessment, the following factors should be considered:

• The current technical functionality of the website (third-party extensions, integrations with various ERP and CRM systems, custom themes, Magento core customizations, etc.);
• The size of the store, including the number of storefronts and domains in use;

The functional changes that need to be implemented during the migration to Magento 2.x.  Let’s take a closer look at the factors influencing the scope of the migration.

1. Audit Third-Party Extensions:

Most Magento 1 stores rely on various third-party extensions — from service integrations to additional customer features. During the migration phase, a thorough audit of all extensions is conducted. The goal is to determine which ones are still critical for business operations and must be carried over to Magento 2.x, and which ones can be retired.

Next, it's checked whether the required extensions are available for Magento 2.x. If no ready-made solutions exist, suitable alternatives are found on the Magento Marketplace, or custom functionality is developed for the new platform. Furthermore, an assessment is made to decide which data from these extensions needs to be preserved to ensure the business does not lose any valuable information.

2. Choosing Themes:

Magento 1 themes are incompatible with Magento 2.x due to its fundamentally new architecture and frontend approach. Therefore, migrating requires a new theme. While Magento 2.x offers basic default themes (Luma, Blank), they are rarely used in practice; typically, a theme is fully developed and customized to match the specific design and requirements of the store.

Among ready-made solutions, we recommend paying attention to Hyvä — a modern, lightweight theme known for its high loading speed, mobile optimization, and ease of customization. It helps improve user experience and reduce long-term maintenance costs.

3. Migration of Custom Logic to Magento 2.x

Many businesses rely on custom logic—modifications or new features built for Magento 1 when out-of-the-box functionality or existing extensions were insufficient. If this custom code is fundamental to operations, an equivalent functionality must be redeveloped for Magento 2.x, following its modern architecture and standards.

Migrating custom logic from Magento 1.x to Magento 2.x is not as simple as it may seem, since the architecture of these versions differs significantly. Magento 2.x uses new technologies, and the structure of modules and data handling has changed. The old code from Magento 1.x is incompatible with these new standards. Therefore, old extensions and integrations will not work in Magento 2.x and will need to be adapted.

This undertaking requires a thorough analysis of existing functions, rewriting code according to the new architecture, updating third-party integrations if necessary, and rigorous testing to ensure proper operation. This process can be quite difficult and time-consuming, which is important to take into account during planning.

4. Remove Outdated Data

Before migration begins, it is important to identify which data does not need to be migrated to Magento 2.x. Cleaning up unnecessary information simplifies the migration process, reduces transfer time, and minimizes the volume of data that requires verification.  What to consider for deletion:

• Outdated or duplicate products
• Empty or unused categories
• Old orders not needed for reporting
• Inactive or duplicate customer accounts
• Old reviews and comments
• Unused CMS pages
• Outdated media files (images, videos)
• Unused modules and extensions
• Old logs and reports
• Test data and duplicates

5. Determining migrated data

During the planning stage, it is crucial to determine which data needs to be migrated to Magento 2.x. This simplifies the migration process, reduces the risk of errors, optimizes the new store’s performance, and saves time and resources.

Here is a list of the basic data that needs to be migrated:

• Products: Active products, their descriptions, prices, images, and attributes. 
• Categories: Category hierarchy and settings.
• Customers: Active customers and their data (order history, addresses, etc.).
• Orders: Important orders needed for reporting or analysis.
• CMS Pages: Relevant pages (e.g., "About Us," "Shipping and Payment").
• Store Settings: Important configurations such as currencies, languages, and tax rules.
• SEO Data: Meta tags, URLs, and redirects.
• Rates and Tax Information: Tax rates, rules, and configurations to ensure accurate pricing and compliance.

Stage 2: Build and Prepare Store for Migration

Step 1: Creating a Testing Environment

At this step, hosting is selected and configured according to Magento 2.x system requirements, and the necessary software is installed. The result should be a staging environment for Magento 2.x created on an isolated server (or in a dedicated environment) with a unique domain. This replica of the future live server is used to test the migration, all functionalities, and third-party extensions before going live, thereby reducing the risks of downtime and data loss.

Step 2: Set up Magento 2.x

A clean installation of Magento 2.x is created — the foundation of the future store, complete with a repository for development and configuration. The new store is deployed on the prepared testing server using Deployer.

Step 3: Magento 2 Theme Development

At this step, a new store theme is implemented for Magento 2 based on the provided designs. The timeframe for this work depends on the scope of modifications required to the base theme (Luma or Blank) or to the Hyva theme, based on the option selected during the planning stage. However, it is crucial to test the theme's functionality after the data migration from Magento 1 is complete to ensure it works correctly with real data.

Step 4: Extension Migration

During this phase, the extensions selected during the planning stage as necessary for the operation of the store are installed and configured. After data migration, it is important to conduct final testing to make sure that all modules work correctly with real data.

Step 5: Migration of Custom Logic

The custom logic identified during the planning stage is implemented either from scratch or by adapting third-party extensions with similar functionality to meet business requirements. In most cases, this involves developing a unique, tailor-made solution.  This process typically includes selecting the optimal implementation approach, creating a detailed plan for the required work, and the step-by-step development itself, with rigorous testing at each stage.

Step 6: Data Preparation and Backup

Prior to migration, the Magento 1.x store should be audited to remove any outdated or unnecessary data. A complete backup is also essential to minimize potential risks.

Stage 3: Test Migration on Staging

Step 1: Magento 1.x to Magento 2.x Test Migration and Data Verification

For data migration, the official Magento Data Migration Tool is used. It ensures the correct and secure transfer of key data (products, customers, orders, categories, etc.) between versions. However, given that every store has its own specifics and a unique structure, the tool almost always requires adaptation: configuring XML files, mapping additional attributes, and customizing it to fit specific business processes.

This is a rather meticulous stage that requires close attention and repeated verification. However, once configured, the process is launched with a single command, and all data is migrated automatically. Typically, the configuration and testing require 3-4 business days of developer work.

One of the key aspects of the migration is preserving customers' access to their accounts. Using the Data Migration Tool (DMT), customer passwords are automatically transferred and converted from the old format (MD5) to the modern and more secure bcrypt algorithm. This allows users to seamlessly log into their accounts on the new site using the same login credentials they used on the old version. As a result, the migration does not disrupt the familiar customer experience and fully preserves their order history and account data.

A trial data transfer from Magento 1 to Magento 2.x is performed on a prepared staging server. At this stage, it is crucial to ensure that all data (products, customers, orders, categories, etc.) has been migrated correctly and is accessible in the new store. This also allows for testing the theme, extensions, and custom logic with real data.

Step 2: Testing and Refinement

Following the trial migration, our team conducts comprehensive testing of the website: functionality, data display, order processing, and integration performance (payment systems, shipping methods, etc.). If required, adjustments are made and the Data Migration Tool configuration is fine-tuned. The goal of this stage is to ensure the store is fully operational and ready for launch.

Stage 4: Production Deployment and Go-Live

Step 1: Production Environment Preparation

In parallel, the production server is prepared to host the new Magento 2.x store post-migration.  This step includes:

• Setting up the environment
• Configuring the deployment system
• Deploying a fully functional Magento 2.x store with all features and settings on the future production server

Typically, the store is temporarily launched on a technical domain first to test its performance under real-world conditions without risking any impact on the live site.

Step 2: Final Data Migration and Go-Live

At the agreed-upon time, the final data migration from Magento 1.x to Magento 2.x is performed, transferring all new orders, customer profile updates, and catalog changes. After verifying the correct functionality of all systems, the old store is placed into maintenance mode, and the new store becomes available on the primary domain for customers.

Step 3: Final Stage

Following the launch, final testing and monitoring are conducted to ensure the stable operation of the store. The development team remains on standby to promptly address any minor issues that may arise.

For any business aiming to stay competitive and meet contemporary e-commerce demands, upgrading from Magento 1.x to Magento 2.x is essential. While the migration requires considerable effort, the long-term benefits are substantial — delivering greater performance, stronger security, and a wider range of functionality.