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Migrate Magento 1 to Magento 2: migration guide

Key takeaways

Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration is a rebuild, not a direct update.
Themes, extensions, and custom code usually need to be rebuilt or replaced.
Adobe’s Data Migration Tool can move key data, but not everything.
A safer plan includes staging, backups, redirects, testing, launch planning, and post-launch checks.

Since Magento 1 reached its end of life in June 2020, it’s no longer supported. Unfortunately, this means no more updates, security patches, or new extensions. That’s why even its most loyal users are undergoing a Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration.

We realize how scary upgrading Magento 1 to 2 can seem, so we decided to make it easy. Just follow our guide for a clear and smooth migration experience.

Keep reading to learn how to migrate Magento 1 to Magento 2.

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Why migrate Magento 1 to Magento 2?

Magento 1 is no longer officially supported, so the biggest risk is not just missing new features. Unsupported software can create security, compliance, extension, and maintenance issues over time.

Migrating to Magento 2 gives your store a stronger foundation for performance, security, checkout, admin workflows, and future development. It also gives your team a better path for modern extensions, supported PHP versions, responsive design, and ecommerce growth.

Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration is not a simple upgrade

Migrating Magento 1 to Magento 2 is closer to a rebuild than a standard software update. The two platforms use different architectures, so you cannot simply click a button and move the entire store over.

Data can be migrated with the right tools, but themes, extensions, and custom code usually need separate work. Magento 1 themes don’t transfer directly to Magento 2. Magento 1 extensions need Magento 2-compatible replacements. Custom code should be reviewed and updated for Magento 2 standards.

A successful migration plan should account for data, design, functionality, SEO, hosting, integrations, testing, and launch timing.

What can and cannot be migrated automatically?

Adobe’s Data Migration Tool can help move many important pieces of store data from Magento 1 to Magento 2. That may include settings, products, categories, customers, orders, store configurations, and related database records.

The tool doesn’t migrate everything. Themes, extensions, custom code, and media files usually need separate review, replacement, or manual migration.

Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration phases

A Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration usually works best in phases. Start with planning and auditing. Then set up staging, install Magento 2, migrate data, rebuild the theme and extensions, test everything, run delta migration, launch, and monitor the new store after go-live.

A simple migration flow looks like this:

Planning and audit → Staging setup → Magento 2 installation → Data migration → Theme and extension rebuild → Testing → Delta migration and launch → Post-launch monitoring

This structure helps reduce risk because each phase has its own purpose. It also helps your team see which work can be handled by migration tools and which work needs developer review.

Step 1: Audit and clean up your Magento 1 store

Start by reviewing your current Magento 1 store. Look at products, categories, customer data, order history, CMS pages, themes, extensions, custom code, payment methods, shipping methods, third-party integrations, and SEO-sensitive URLs.

Remove anything your new store doesn’t need. That may include unused extensions, outdated products, old CMS pages, duplicate data, broken links, inactive store views, or custom features that no longer support the business.

Cleanup makes the migration easier. It can also reduce the amount of data, code, and functionality your team needs to move, rebuild, or test.

Step 2: Choose hosting and set up staging

Magento 2 has different software and hosting requirements than Magento 1. Before migration work begins, confirm the target environment can support the Magento 2 version you plan to use, along with the required PHP version, database setup, memory, caching, cron, SSL/TLS, search, and performance needs.

Migration should happen in staging, not directly on the live store. A staging environment gives your team a safe place to install Magento 2, test data migration, rebuild functionality, and fix issues before launch.

Moving a Magento site to another server is different from migrating Magento 1 to Magento 2. A server move transfers the same application to new hosting. A Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration rebuilds the store on a newer platform.

If you need to migrate to a better hosting environment, Liquid Web can help. Our expert migration services make moving more organized and less stressful.

Step 3: Back up your Magento 1 store

Before changing anything, create a complete backup of the Magento 1 store. That includes the database, media files, codebase, configuration files, custom files, and any assets tied to integrations or themes.

A backup protects the project if data maps incorrectly, an import fails, or the team needs to restart part of the process. It also gives you a safer fallback while testing the migration in staging.

Step 4: Install Magento 2

Start with a fresh Magento 2 installation in your staging environment.

Use a current, supported Magento 2 version that works with your hosting environment, required PHP version, database setup, theme, extensions, and integrations. Installing Magento 2 in staging first gives your team a clean destination before running migration tools or rebuilding the storefront.

Step 5: Use Adobe’s Data Migration Tool

Adobe’s Data Migration Tool helps move Magento 1 settings and data into Magento 2 through CLI workflows. The tool runs in three main modes.

Settings mode migrates websites, stores, and system configuration. Data mode transfers the main database entities, such as products, categories, customers, orders, and related records. Delta mode captures new activity that happens on the Magento 1 store while the migration project is underway.

The tool needs to match your Magento 2 version. You also need to configure the migration files carefully, including the Magento 1 and Magento 2 database information and the Magento 1 crypt key.

A simplified command flow may include installing the tool, running setup, migrating settings, migrating data, reindexing, and flushing cache. For example:

composer require magento/data-migration-tool:<magento-version>

php bin/magento setup:upgrade

php bin/magento migrate:settings –reset <path-to-config.xml>

php bin/magento migrate:data –reset –auto <path-to-config.xml>

php bin/magento indexer:reindex

php bin/magento cache:flush

If errors appear during the process, review the Data Migration Tool configuration, logs, map files, and Adobe’s official troubleshooting guidance before rerunning migration commands.

Step 6: Migrate media files

Media files usually need to be copied separately from the database migration.

Move the media files from Magento 1 to Magento 2:

rsync -avh /path/to/magento1/pub/media /path/to/magento2/pub/media

Magento 1 media files often come from the /media directory and need to be placed correctly in the Magento 2 /pub/media structure. After the move, check product images, CMS images, downloadable files, and category images to make sure they display correctly.

Step 7: Rebuild themes, extensions, and custom code

Magento 1 themes cannot be moved directly to Magento 2. Your team will need a Magento 2-compatible theme, a custom redesign, or a rebuilt frontend.

Magento 1 extensions also need review. Some vendors offer Magento 2 versions, while others may no longer support the same functionality. In those cases, you may need an alternative extension or custom development.

The Code Migration Toolkit can help review some Magento 1 custom code for Magento 2 compatibility, but custom functionality still needs testing and developer oversight. Code that worked in Magento 1 may need refactoring before it works safely in Magento 2.

Step 8: Preserve SEO during migration

Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration can affect search visibility if URLs, redirects, metadata, and tracking aren’t handled carefully.

Plan 301 redirects from Magento 1 URLs to the matching Magento 2 URLs. Check important product pages, category pages, CMS pages, landing pages, canonical tags, metadata, internal links, robots.txt, XML sitemaps, analytics, and Search Console settings.

SEO work should start before launch. Waiting until after traffic drops can make migration issues harder to diagnose.

Step 9: Test the Magento 2 store before launch

Testing should cover the storefront, admin, checkout, and integrations before the Magento 2 store goes live. Review products, categories, search, layered navigation, customer accounts, order history, checkout, payment methods, shipping methods, taxes, order emails, admin workflows, extensions, mobile usability, and performance.

Testing should also include edge cases. Try guest checkout, customer login, coupon codes, refunds, invoices, shipping calculations, product options, configurable products, and any custom workflows your store depends on.

Step 10: Run delta migration and launch

Delta migration helps capture new activity from the live Magento 1 store after the main data migration. That may include new orders, customers, product reviews, or other recent database changes.

Run delta migration close to launch so the Magento 2 store has the latest data. The final cutover may also include placing the Magento 1 store in maintenance mode, syncing final data, updating DNS, flushing cache, reindexing, testing payments, and placing test orders.

A launch plan helps reduce downtime and avoids last-minute confusion.

Step 11: Monitor after launch

Post-launch checks should include checkout, order emails, customer accounts, inventory, search, redirects, analytics, performance, logs, cron jobs, payment methods, shipping rules, and third-party integrations.

Also compare analytics and SEO rankings before and after launch. Sudden traffic drops, broken pages, indexing issues, or lower sales may point to a migration issue that needs immediate review.

Note: If you’d like a more theoretical overview of this process, you can read our The Ultimate Magento 1 to Magento 2 Migration Guide article.

How long does Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration take?

The timeline depends on store size, catalog complexity, extension count, custom code, theme work, integrations, data volume, and testing needs.

A simple store may take a few weeks. A complex store with large catalogs, many integrations, custom checkout, or heavy theme work can take several months. The best timeline is one that gives your team enough room for planning, testing, launch, and post-launch validation.

How much does Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration cost?

Migration cost depends on data volume, theme rebuild, extension replacements, custom development, hosting, testing, SEO work, and launch support.

Magento Open Source avoids licensing costs, but businesses still need to budget for hosting, development, migration work, extensions, maintenance, and performance optimization. Adobe Commerce adds enterprise licensing and support costs.

Compare total project cost, not just software cost.

Safe Harbor for Magento 1 stores not ready to migrate

Some stores may not be ready to migrate right away. That doesn’t remove the security risk of staying on Magento 1. Liquid Web Safe Harbor allows you to keep your store on Magento 1. It does this with daily malware scans, patches against emerging vulnerabilities, and more.

Safe Harbor can help reduce risk while you plan the move, but it should not replace a long-term migration strategy. Magento 2 remains the more sustainable path for supported ecommerce operations.

Magento 1 to Magento 2 FAQs

Yes. Magento 1 stores can be migrated to Magento 2, but the process is a rebuild and migration project, not a direct upgrade.

No. Magento 1 is no longer officially supported by Adobe, which can create security, maintenance, extension, and compliance risks.

No. Adobe’s Data Migration Tool helps migrate settings and data, but Magento 1 themes need to be rebuilt or replaced with Magento 2-compatible themes.

Customer data can be migrated, but password handling depends on hashing, configuration, and the migration setup. Some stores may still require customers to reset passwords after migration.

Simple stores may take a few weeks. Complex stores with custom code, many extensions, or large catalogs can take several months.

Test checkout, payments, shipping, taxes, products, categories, customer accounts, order emails, search, redirects, analytics, performance, and integrations.

Getting started as you migrate Magento 1 to Magento 2

Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration requires planning, staging, backups, data migration, media migration, theme and extension rebuilds, SEO preservation, testing, launch planning, and post-launch monitoring.

Start by auditing your Magento 1 store. Identify what needs to migrate, what needs to be rebuilt, and what can be removed before the project starts.

Magento 2 works best on hosting built to support its performance, security, caching, indexing, and checkout requirements. Liquid Web Magento hosting gives ecommerce teams the support and reliability they need before, during, and after migration. Explore Liquid Web Magento hosting to find the right fit.