Shopify Glossary Terms

Re-platforming is the umbrella term for moving an ecommerce store from one platform to another. Magento to Shopify Plus, BigCommerce to Shopify Plus, custom-build to Shopify Plus. The destination is what defines the project, not the source.

A re-platform usually involves five workstreams: catalogue and customer data migration, SEO preservation through redirects, integration re-architecture (ERP, 3PL, email, reviews), design rebuild, and a cutover plan. Each one is its own project. Most timelines run 10 to 20 weeks depending on complexity.

Brands re-platform for three reasons. Cost (renewal quotes, dev rates, hosting). Velocity (releases that take weeks instead of days). Capability (the new platform unlocks something the old one couldn't). The reasons usually compound. Nobody re-platforms for one issue.

What re-platforming is not: a redesign on the same platform, a theme refresh, or an app swap. If you're staying on the same platform, you're not re-platforming.