OpenCart URL Redirects Migration to Shopify

Last updated August 2026

A technical guide to handling url redirects migration when migrating from OpenCart to Shopify. This covers what transfers, what does not, the specific risks for OpenCart stores, and the recommended approach.

OpenCart-specific considerations

When migrating url redirects migration from OpenCart, the following platform-specific aspects must be considered:

Data model implications

OpenCart's data model stores this information differently than Shopify. In OpenCart: oc_order with product, total, history, and shipment tables.

Can Shopify's Store Migration app handle url redirects migration?

What transfers

• 301 redirects from old URLs to new Shopify URLs
• URL pattern mappings for bulk redirects

What does NOT transfer

• Automatic redirect generation (must be created manually or via import)
• Platform-specific redirect rules (regex, conditions)
• Redirect chains (multiple hops should be collapsed)
• HTTPS enforcement rules (Shopify handles this automatically)

Specific risks for OpenCart stores

• Missing redirects for high-traffic landing pages
• Redirect loops caused by incorrect mappings
• Exceeding Shopify's 100,000 redirect limit
• Redirects to deleted/archived products
• Query parameter handling differences
• Case sensitivity differences between platforms

Recommended approach

Export all URLs from the source platform (products, categories, CMS pages, blog posts). Map each URL to its Shopify equivalent. Create a URL redirect CSV and import via Shopify admin or API. Prioritize high-traffic URLs first. Test a random sample before bulk import.

Exporting url redirects migration data from OpenCart

• OpenCart Admin CSV export (via extensions)
• OpenCart API
• MySQL database export
• Third-party migration tools

Technical notes

• Shopify URL Redirects: POST /admin/api/2026-07/graphql.json
• Format: { redirect: { path: '/old-url', target: '/new-url' } }
• Path must start with / and be relative
• Target can be relative (/products/new-slug) or absolute (https://)
• URL redirects only work on the primary domain
• Redirects are checked BEFORE Shopify's URL routing
• Regex-based bulk redirects are not natively supported in Shopify
• For complex redirect rules, use a proxy/CDN (Cloudflare Workers, Fastly)

Other OpenCart migration issues

References

• Shopify URL Redirects — Shopify