Magento Migration and Upgrade Services 

Magento migration services help businesses move ageing, unsupported or restrictive ecommerce stores to a more secure and scalable Magento environment. A controlled migration protects more than product and customer records. It must also preserve order history, URLs, metadata, integrations, extensions, payment workflows and the customer experience.

AFA Technologies provides Magento 2 migration, Magento upgrade services and Adobe Commerce upgrade support for retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers, B2B companies and D2C brands. Our process combines migration assessment, technical auditing, version planning, data mapping, extension review, theme compatibility testing and technical SEO preservation.

As a Magento Development Company Dubai, we help businesses reduce the risks associated with data loss, downtime, broken URLs, incompatible extensions and performance regressions. Each project is structured around business continuity, rollback readiness and post-launch monitoring.

This page explains the difference between migration and upgrading, the platforms we can migrate from, the data and functionality that must be preserved, and the steps required for a controlled Magento launch.

 

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What Are Magento Migration and Upgrade Services?

Magento migration and Magento upgrading are related processes, but they solve different technical problems.

A Magento migration normally involves moving ecommerce data, functionality and operational workflows from one platform or architecture to another.

Examples include:

• Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration

• WooCommerce to Magento migration

• Shopify to Magento migration

• OpenCart to Magento migration

• Custom PHP platform to Magento migration

• Magento Open Source to Adobe Commerce migration

• On-premises Adobe Commerce to a cloud environment

A Magento version upgrade keeps the store within the same core platform while moving it to a newer supported release.

Examples include:

• Upgrading an older Magento 2 release

• Applying a supported security patch

• Moving to a newer Adobe Commerce release line

• Updating PHP, OpenSearch, Redis or RabbitMQ dependencies

• Replacing unsupported themes or extensions

• Updating a cloud environment for platform compatibility

Adobe recommends planning upgrades around its published software lifecycle and release schedule. Its current guidance states that supported versions, security patches, PHP compatibility and related infrastructure must be reviewed before an upgrade begins. Adobe also recommends preparing upgrades early rather than waiting until a release reaches the end of support.

Difference Between Migration and Upgrade

An upgrade changes the software version while attempting to retain the existing architecture, database and customizations.

A migration usually requires broader transformation. The new platform may use a different:

• Database structure

• Theme architecture

• Extension model

• Checkout flow

• URL structure

• API format

• Hosting environment

• Product configuration

• Administrative workflow

A migration is therefore not simply a database copy. Data, functionality, SEO signals and operational processes must be assessed separately.

When Should a Business Migrate?

A migration may be appropriate when:

• The current platform is unsupported

• Security updates are no longer available

• The store cannot support business growth

• Extensions regularly conflict

• Performance remains poor after optimization

• The checkout cannot support required workflows

• Integrations are unreliable

• The current platform restricts B2B functionality

• The administrative experience creates excessive manual work

• The cost of maintaining the current architecture is increasing

Businesses considering a migration can review AFA Technologies’ wider Magento development services for catalogue architecture, storefront development, integrations, custom modules and ongoing platform support.

Common Magento Upgrade Scenarios

A Magento upgrade may be required because:

• The installed release is reaching the end of support

• The PHP version is no longer supported

• Security patches require a newer release

• Existing extensions need newer Magento APIs

• Infrastructure services require an update

• Adobe Commerce B2B modules need compatibility updates

• The business wants access to newer platform capabilities

• Technical debt makes routine maintenance difficult

Adobe’s current upgrade guidance requires teams to review system requirements, extension versions and supporting services such as databases, search, queues and caching technologies. Cloud projects may also require environment-specific service updates before the Commerce codebase is upgraded.

 

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Why Businesses Upgrade or Migrate Magento

A migration or upgrade is usually driven by a combination of technical risk and commercial opportunity.

End-of-Life Magento Versions

Magento 1 support ended in June 2020. Businesses still operating Magento 1 must depend on unsupported software, third-party security arrangements or heavily customized legacy infrastructure.

Older Magento 2 and Adobe Commerce releases also have defined support periods. Once a release reaches the end of support, security fixes and official assistance may become limited or unavailable.

A migration assessment helps determine whether the current store can be upgraded directly or requires a staged migration.

Security Vulnerabilities

Unsupported software creates increasing security and compliance risk.

A supported Magento or Adobe Commerce release benefits from current security patches, updated dependencies and maintained platform components.

Adobe states that keeping Commerce on supported patches is important for security, platform efficiency and PCI-related requirements.

The upgrade process should also review:

• Custom modules

• Marketplace extensions

• PHP dependencies

• Administrative permissions

• Payment integrations

• Server configuration

• Third-party APIs

• Cron jobs

• File permissions

Upgrading the core platform without reviewing custom code may leave significant risks unresolved.

Performance Issues

Older Magento stores may accumulate:

• Unused extensions

• Theme overrides

• Duplicate scripts

• Inefficient database queries

• Large media files

• Slow integrations

• Outdated caching strategies

• Excessive frontend dependencies

An upgrade creates an opportunity to audit the complete architecture instead of moving every existing problem into the new environment.

For example, a retailer may discover that most performance issues come from outdated search extensions and synchronous ERP calls rather than the Magento core itself.

Outdated Extensions

Extensions may not support newer Magento releases.

Before migration, each module should be classified as:

• Required and compatible

• Required but needing replacement

• Required but needing custom redevelopment

• No longer required

• Duplicated by native Magento functionality

• High risk because it is unsupported

Installing every old extension on the new store can recreate the same technical debt.

Theme Compatibility

Magento themes often contain custom templates, JavaScript, layout files and extension overrides.

A major version upgrade may expose:

• Deprecated code

• Broken templates

• Checkout conflicts

• JavaScript errors

• Responsive issues

• Accessibility problems

• Performance regressions

The theme should be reviewed separately from the database and backend modules.

In some projects, retaining the existing design is practical. In others, rebuilding the theme provides better performance and long-term maintainability.

Better Customer Experience

A migration can improve:

• Mobile navigation

• Product discovery

• Search and filtering

• Product configuration

• Account management

• Checkout usability

• Payment selection

• Delivery communication

• Page speed

• Accessibility

The new store should preserve familiar customer journeys where they work while correcting friction that limits conversion.

Adobe Commerce Improvements

An Adobe Commerce upgrade may support newer platform capabilities, integration approaches and infrastructure requirements.

Adobe publishes recommended upgrade paths for older release lines and advises merchants to review version-specific prerequisites before implementation.

Scalability and Business Growth

A growing business may need:

• More store views

• Additional currencies

• Regional catalogues

• Multiple warehouses

• B2B customer accounts

• Customer-specific pricing

• Marketplace integration

• Larger product volumes

• Higher order throughput

• New ERP or CRM systems

The migration architecture should reflect the business expected in the coming years, not only the current store.

 

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Platforms We Migrate From

Magento 1 to Magento 2

Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration requires data mapping, extension redevelopment, theme rebuilding and integration review.

Magento 1 themes and extensions cannot simply be transferred into Magento 2 because the platforms use different technical architectures.

Adobe provides a Data Migration Tool for supported Magento 1 to Magento 2 data migration scenarios. The tool version must match the target Magento application version exactly.

The migration should account for:

• Products and categories

• Customer accounts

• Order history

• Configuration

• Store views

• Custom attributes

• URL rewrites

• Incremental data changes

• Password compatibility

• Custom database tables

Older Magento 2 Versions

Magento 2 upgrades may require staged version transitions rather than a direct jump.

The assessment reviews:

• Current Magento release

• PHP version

• Composer packages

• Search engine version

• Database version

• Redis and queue services

• Installed extensions

• Theme compatibility

• Custom modules

• Deployment process

Adobe Commerce Versions

Adobe Commerce upgrades may involve additional cloud, B2B, SaaS or infrastructure dependencies.

For cloud projects, service versions and environment configuration must be reviewed alongside the Commerce codebase.

WooCommerce

A WooCommerce to Magento migration may include products, variations, categories, customers, orders, content and SEO data.

WordPress plugins and WooCommerce customizations must be mapped to native Magento capabilities, marketplace extensions or custom Magento modules.

Businesses comparing platform options can review AFA Technologies’ WooCommerce development services before deciding whether migration or continued WooCommerce optimization offers better value.

Shopify

Shopify migrations require careful treatment of products, collections, customers, orders, redirects and application-based functionality.

Shopify apps do not transfer to Magento. Their business purpose must be recreated through Magento extensions, integrations or native features.

AFA Technologies’ Shopify development services also support Shopify migration and optimization when a managed platform remains the better commercial fit.

OpenCart

OpenCart migrations typically require mapping products, categories, options, customers, orders, content and extension-driven functionality into Magento structures.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce migrations may involve API-based data extraction, product-option mapping, customer transfer, order-history assessment and redirect planning.

Custom PHP Ecommerce Platforms

Custom PHP stores often contain undocumented business logic and database structures.

The migration process must identify:

• Data ownership

• Product relationships

• Pricing logic

• Customer authentication

• Order workflows

• Administrative functions

• Payment behaviour

• Integrations

• Reports

Business logic should be documented before the legacy platform is retired.

 

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Our Magento Migration and Upgrade Process

1. Migration Discovery

We begin with a business consultation covering the current platform, commercial priorities, integrations, risks and launch constraints.

2. Technical Audit

The technical audit reviews:

• Magento version

• Hosting

• Database

• PHP

• Search

• Cache

• Queues

• Extensions

• Theme

• Custom modules

• Integrations

• Deployment workflow

3. Version Assessment

We determine the target Magento or Adobe Commerce release and identify whether staged upgrades are necessary.

4. SEO Audit

The SEO audit records:

• Indexed URLs

• Metadata

• Canonical tags

• Structured data

• internal links

• XML sitemaps

• Robots directives

• Organic landing pages

• Existing redirects

5. Extension Audit

Every extension is reviewed for necessity, vendor support, compatibility, security and replacement options.

6. Theme Compatibility Review

The theme is assessed for deprecated code, Magento overrides, checkout dependencies, responsiveness and performance.

7. Data Mapping

Source data is mapped to the target Magento structure.

The mapping document defines:

• Source field

• Target field

• Transformation rule

• Validation rule

• Ownership

• Migration method

8. Database Migration

Database migration is performed in a controlled environment with backups and validation.

9. Product Migration

Products, variants, attributes, options, pricing, categories and inventory relationships are migrated and tested.

10. Customer Migration

Customer profiles, addresses, groups and account relationships are transferred according to privacy and authentication requirements.

11. Order Migration

Historical order data may be migrated for customer service, reporting and account continuity.

12. CMS Migration

CMS pages, blocks, banners and reusable content are transferred or rebuilt for the new theme.

13. Media Migration

Images, videos and downloadable files are transferred, optimized and checked for broken references.

14. Redirect Planning

Old URLs are mapped to the closest relevant new URLs using permanent 301 redirects.

15. Technical SEO Preservation

Metadata, canonicals, structured data, headings, internal links and indexation settings are validated.

16. Extension Compatibility

Extensions and custom modules are installed, updated, replaced or redeveloped based on the audit.

17. Performance Optimization

The new environment is reviewed for caching, indexing, database efficiency, media delivery, frontend weight and third-party scripts.

18. Testing and Quality Assurance

Testing covers:

• Products

• Customers

• Orders

• Search

• Filters

• Checkout

• Payments

• Shipping

• Taxes

• Emails

• Integrations

• Admin workflows

• Redirects

• Analytics

• Mobile devices

19. Launch

The launch process includes a content freeze, final data synchronization, backups, deployment, cache preparation and validation.

20. Post-Launch Monitoring

We monitor:

• Checkout

• Orders

• Integrations

• Server errors

• Redirects

• Search Console

• Analytics

• Page speed

• Customer issues

21. Support

Long-term support may include upgrades, security patches, extension maintenance, performance work and roadmap development.

 

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What We Migrate

Products

Product names, descriptions, SKUs, prices, options, attributes and product relationships.

Categories

Category hierarchy, descriptions, merchandising content and product assignments.

Customers

Customer profiles, addresses, groups and approved account information.

Orders

Historical orders, statuses, totals, items, invoices, shipments and refunds where technically appropriate.

Reviews

Product reviews, ratings and related customer references.

CMS Pages

About pages, policy pages, landing pages and reusable content blocks.

Blog Content

Articles, categories, authors, metadata and media where the target architecture supports them.

Images

Product, category, CMS and promotional imagery.

Videos

Hosted video references, embeds or platform-managed media.

Metadata

SEO titles, meta descriptions, headings and image attributes.

URL Structure

Existing URL patterns are preserved where practical or mapped to improved structures.

Redirects

Legacy URLs are redirected to the most relevant active destination.

Extensions

Compatible extensions are reinstalled or upgraded. Unsupported functionality is replaced or rebuilt.

Themes

Themes are upgraded, adapted or rebuilt based on compatibility and performance requirements.

User Roles

Administrative accounts, permissions and responsibilities are reviewed and recreated securely.

Integrations

ERP, CRM, PIM, WMS, marketplace, payment, shipping and marketing integrations are reconnected and tested.

Payment Gateways

Payment methods, callbacks, refunds, captures and transaction-status handling are validated.

Shipping Methods

Rates, serviceability, labels, tracking and fulfilment workflows are reconfigured.

Inventory

Stock quantities, sources, reservations, warehouse mappings and availability rules are reviewed.

 

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SEO During Magento Migration

301 Redirects

Every valuable legacy URL should have a defined destination.

Redirect chains, loops and broad homepage redirects should be avoided.

Canonical Tags

Canonical tags must reflect the new URL structure and should not reference staging domains or retired pages.

Metadata Migration

SEO titles and meta descriptions are preserved or improved based on the new page structure.

Structured Data

Product, breadcrumb, organization and other relevant schema should be validated after launch.

Internal Linking

Navigation, category links, content links and cross-selling relationships must point to final URLs.

Image SEO

Image filenames, alternative text and delivery methods are reviewed.

XML Sitemap

The XML sitemap should contain only canonical, indexable URLs from the new store.

Robots.txt

Robots directives must allow search engines to access the production store while excluding sensitive or duplicate areas.

Google Search Console

The new sitemap, crawl errors, indexing patterns and ranking changes should be monitored after launch.

Core Web Vitals

The migration should review loading performance, interaction responsiveness and layout stability across important page templates.

Ranking Preservation

No migration can guarantee unchanged rankings. Risk is reduced through URL mapping, content preservation, technical validation and controlled monitoring.

Traffic Recovery

Organic traffic should be compared against pre-launch benchmarks by page type, query group and revenue contribution.

 

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Benefits of Magento Migration and Upgrades

Improved Security

Supported software provides access to current patches and maintained dependencies.

Better Performance

A migration can remove obsolete code, inefficient extensions and outdated frontend components.

Latest Features

The business gains access to capabilities supported by the target release and compatible extensions.

Improved Customer Experience

Better product discovery, mobile usability and checkout performance can improve customer confidence.

Higher Conversion Rates

A faster and clearer shopping journey can reduce friction across product selection and checkout.

Improved SEO

Technical cleanup, stronger Core Web Vitals and better content architecture can support organic performance.

Extension Compatibility

The new environment can use actively maintained modules and integration methods.

Scalable Architecture

The store can support future products, regions, customers and integrations.

Business Continuity

A controlled launch plan reduces the risk of data loss and operational interruption.

Lower Maintenance Costs

Removing unsupported extensions and undocumented customizations can reduce recurring support effort.

 

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Why Choose AFA Technologies?

Magento Specialists

Our team works across Magento storefronts, modules, integrations, migrations and ongoing platform support.

Adobe Commerce Expertise

We understand the additional planning required for enterprise architecture, B2B capabilities, cloud infrastructure and connected systems.

Migration Experience

We approach migration as a coordinated data, functionality, SEO and operations project.

Performance-First Approach

The migration is used to improve architecture rather than copy every legacy performance issue.

Technical SEO Knowledge

URLs, redirects, metadata, internal links, structured data and indexation are reviewed throughout the project.

Transparent Communication

Our transparent migration process documents assumptions, dependencies, risks, decisions and validation results.

Risk Mitigation

We use staging environments, backups, repeatable migration steps, testing and rollback planning.

Long-Term Support

Support can continue through patches, upgrades, performance improvement and new functionality.

AFA Technologies also provides broader ecommerce development services covering platform planning, UX, integrations, migration and continuous optimization.

 

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Industries We Serve

Retail

Large catalogues, promotions, omnichannel operations and high transaction volumes.

Fashion

Variants, size and colour attributes, returns and visual merchandising.

Luxury

Premium storefront experiences, controlled content and customer-service workflows.

Electronics

Technical specifications, comparison tools and product compatibility.

Healthcare

Structured data, permissions and carefully managed customer workflows.

Furniture

Configurable products, materials, dimensions and complex delivery rules.

Wholesale

Account pricing, bulk ordering, credit terms and purchase approvals.

Industrial

Technical catalogues, part-number search, quotations and ERP integration.

Manufacturing

Dealer portals, configurable products and production-aligned ordering.

Automotive

Fitment data, compatibility logic and large attribute sets.

B2B

Company accounts, approval chains, RFQs and negotiated pricing.

D2C

Brand-led storefronts, subscriptions, loyalty and direct fulfilment.

 

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Common Migration Challenges We Solve

Extension Compatibility

Unsupported extensions are replaced, updated or redeveloped.

Theme Compatibility

Legacy templates and overrides are reviewed against the target Magento version.

Data Loss

Migration reconciliation compares source and target record counts and critical values.

Broken URLs

Redirect mapping and crawl validation identify missing or incorrect destinations.

SEO Ranking Drops

SEO risk is reduced through benchmarking, redirect planning and post-launch monitoring.

Downtime

Launch steps are rehearsed to reduce production interruption.

Database Issues

Custom tables, malformed data and duplicate records are identified before final migration.

Slow Performance

The target environment is optimized rather than treated as a direct copy.

Checkout Issues

Payment, shipping, tax and validation workflows are tested across real scenarios.

API Compatibility

Integrations are reviewed for changed endpoints, authentication, payloads and dependencies.

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FAQS

How much do Magento migration services cost?

The cost depends on the source platform, catalogue size, data quality, extensions, theme, integrations, SEO requirements and target architecture.

A straightforward version upgrade will usually require less effort than a complete Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration or replatforming project.

AFA Technologies provides an estimate after completing migration discovery and a technical audit.

How long does a Magento migration take?

A focused Magento upgrade may take several weeks.

A large migration involving extensive data, custom modules, a new theme, ERP integration and SEO preservation may require several months.

The final timeline depends on technical complexity, stakeholder reviews, data quality and testing requirements.

Can you migrate Magento 1 directly to Magento 2?

Magento 1 data can be migrated to Magento 2 using suitable tools and mapping, but the theme and extensions generally require replacement or redevelopment.

The project should also review custom database tables, third-party integrations, URLs and operational workflows.

Will we lose customer passwords during migration?

Password compatibility depends on the source platform, encryption approach and target Magento version.

Some Magento migrations can preserve supported password hashes, while other platforms may require customers to reset their passwords.

This should be assessed before launch and communicated clearly to customers.

Can a Magento migration preserve SEO rankings?

A migration cannot guarantee that rankings will remain unchanged.

Risk can be reduced by preserving valuable content, mapping URLs, implementing 301 redirects, validating metadata and monitoring Search Console after launch.

How do you minimize downtime?

We prepare and test the migration in staging, rehearse the launch sequence and use a controlled content or order freeze where necessary.

The final data synchronization, deployment and validation steps are planned before production launch.

Do all extensions need to be migrated?

No.

Each extension should be reviewed for business value, compatibility, security and vendor support.

Some extensions can be upgraded, while others should be replaced with native Magento functionality or custom modules.

Do you provide support after the migration?

Yes.

Post-launch support can include monitoring, issue resolution, security patches, extension updates, performance optimization and future Magento upgrades.

 

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Final Call to Action

Your Magento migration should protect the information, workflows and organic visibility that already create business value while improving security, performance and scalability.

AFA Technologies can assess your current Magento store, identify upgrade risks, review extension and theme compatibility, map your data and plan a controlled production launch.

Our process begins with a migration assessment, technical audit and version-planning session. We review the current platform, infrastructure, catalogue, integrations, SEO position and business constraints before recommending an upgrade or replatforming path.

Work with a Magento Development Company Dubai that combines Magento migration services, technical SEO, compatibility testing, risk analysis and long-term support.

Contact AFA Technologies to discuss your store and plan a controlled Magento migration or Adobe Commerce upgrade.