How to Migrate from Magento 1 to Magento 2 Without Losing Data

Why Migrate from Magento 1 to Magento 2?

If you're still running Magento 1, you're playing with fire. Official support ended in June 2020, which means no more security patches or updates. Hackers love outdated systems, and you don't want to wake up to a compromised store. Magento 2 isn't just safer—it's faster, more scalable, and packed with modern features like improved checkout and mobile responsiveness.

The migration might seem daunting, but with the right approach, you can move your store without losing a single customer record or product SKU. Let's break it down step by step.

Pre-Migration Checklist

Before touching any code, prepare your battlefield:

1. Backup everything - Database, files, custom code, the works.
2. Inventory your extensions - Many M1 extensions won't work on M2.
3. Clean house - Remove unused products, categories, and test orders.
4. Check server requirements - M2 needs PHP 7.4+, MySQL 8.0+, and more resources.

Step 1: Set Up Your Magento 2 Environment

Install a fresh Magento 2 instance on a staging server (never migrate directly on production). Here's a quick Composer command to get started:

composer create-project --repository-url=https://repo.magento.com/ magento/project-community-edition=2.4.6-p1 /var/www/magento2

Configure your env.php with the correct database connection details. Pro tip: Use the same database credentials as your M1 store during migration to avoid connection issues.

Step 2: Install the Data Migration Tool

Magento provides an official tool that handles most of the heavy lifting:

composer config repositories.magento composer https://repo.magento.com
composer require magento/data-migration-tool:2.4.6

Copy the config files from the migration tool to your Magento 2 root:

cp -r vendor/magento/data-migration-tool/etc/* app/code/Magento/DataMigrationTool/etc/

Step 3: Configure the Migration Settings

Edit config.xml in the migration tool's etc/ce-to-ce folder (use ce-to-ee if moving to Enterprise Edition). Here's a sample configuration:

<source>
  <database host="localhost" name="magento1_db" user="magento_user" password="securepassword"/>
</source>
<destination>
  <database host="localhost" name="magento2_db" user="magento_user" password="securepassword"/>
</destination>
<options>
  <crypt_key>your_magento1_encryption_key</crypt_key>
  <map_file>etc/ce-to-ce/1.9.3.2/map.xml</map_file>
</options>

Step 4: Run the Migration in Stages

The migration happens in three phases:

1. Settings - Migrates system configuration and websites/stores

php bin/magento migrate:settings --reset vendor/magento/data-migration-tool/etc/ce-to-ce/config.xml

2. Data - Moves products, categories, customers, orders, etc.

php bin/magento migrate:data --reset vendor/magento/data-migration-tool/etc/ce-to-ce/config.xml

3. Delta - Captures changes made during migration

php bin/magento migrate:delta vendor/magento/data-migration-tool/etc/ce-to-ce/config.xml

Each step can take hours for large stores. Use --reset only on the first run.

Handling Custom Code and Extensions

This is where most migrations stumble. Your custom modules and themes need to be:

1. Rewritten for Magento 2's architecture
2. Tested thoroughly before going live
3. Replaced with M2 equivalents where possible

For example, a simple M1 module's config.xml:

<config>
  <modules>
    <Magefine_Example>
      <version>1.0.0</version>
    </Magefine_Example>
  </modules>
</config>

Becomes in M2:

<config xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="urn:magento:framework:Module/etc/module.xsd">
  <module name="Magefine_Example" setup_version="1.0.0">
    <sequence>
      <module name="Magento_Catalog"/>
    </sequence>
  </module>
</config>

Post-Migration Tasks

After successful migration:

1. Reindex everything: php bin/magento indexer:reindex
2. Flush cache: php bin/magento cache:flush
3. Test checkout process with real orders
4. Set up 301 redirects for old URLs
5. Configure cron jobs for M2

Common Pitfalls and Solutions

When to Consider Professional Help

While the migration process is documented, complex stores often hit unexpected issues. Consider our Magento Migration Service if:

• You have over 10,000 products
• Custom workflows or ERP integrations
• Multiple international stores
• Limited technical resources

Migrating to Magento 2 is like moving to a bigger, better house—it's disruptive but worth it. Take it step by step, test thoroughly, and soon you'll enjoy all the benefits of a modern eCommerce platform.

Got stuck? Our Magento experts have migrated hundreds of stores successfully. Drop us a line!