Shopware 5 to 6 migration: a complete 5-step guide

Step 1: Audit Your Shopware 5 Store

Before touching any code, document everything in your current Shopware 5 installation. This audit determines your migration complexity and timeline.

What needs auditing?

• Custom Plugins: List all installed plugins. Check each plugin's Shopware 6 compatibility on the Shopware Store or vendor website. Flag critical plugins that need rebuilding.
• Theme Customizations: Document all template overrides, custom CSS, and JavaScript modifications. These will need manual recreation in Shopware 6.
• Third-Party Integrations: Inventory ERP, PIM, payment gateways, shipping providers, and analytics integrations. Check if integration partners support Shopware 6.
• Data Volumes: Count products, categories, customers, orders, and media files. Large catalogs (50,000+ products) require special migration strategies.

Step 2: Migrate Your Data Using Migration Assistant

Shopware provides an official Migration Assistant plugin for Shopware 6 that connects to your Shopware 5 API and transfers data automatically.

How does the Migration Assistant work?

The plugin runs in Shopware 6 and pulls data from your Shopware 5 store via API. It migrates products, categories, customers, orders, and media in configurable batches.

Migration sequence

1. Install Migration Assistant in your Shopware 6 instance from the Shopware Store (free).
2. Configure connection to Shopware 5 by providing the shop URL and API credentials.
3. Fetch data profile to see what entities will be migrated and estimated counts.
4. Run migration in stages: start with products and categories, then customers, then historical orders.
5. Validate data after each stage by spot-checking products, customer accounts, and order history.

Step 3: Rebuild Your Theme and Port Plugins

Shopware 6 uses a completely different frontend technology stack (Twig templates, Symfony framework, Vue.js storefront). Direct theme migration is not possible.

Theme migration strategy

• Start with Shopware 6 Storefront: Use the default Shopware 6 Storefront theme as your base.
• Rebuild custom styling: Port your brand colors, fonts, and layout using Shopware 6's SCSS structure.
• Recreate template overrides: Convert Smarty templates (Shopware 5) to Twig (Shopware 6).

What about plugins?

Shopware 5 plugins are not compatible with Shopware 6. For each plugin, you have three options:

• 1. Replace with Shopware 6 equivalent: Check if the original vendor has a Shopware 6 version or find an alternative in the Shopware Store.
• 2. Rebuild from scratch: Port the functionality to Shopware 6's plugin system (required for custom/proprietary plugins).
• 3. Eliminate: Assess if the functionality is still needed in your Shopware 6 store.

Step 4: Test Everything Thoroughly

Before go-live, test every critical business function end-to-end. Skipping this step causes revenue loss and customer frustration.

What to test before launch?

Step 5: Plan and Execute Go-Live

A well-planned go-live minimizes downtime and reduces risk. Never launch during peak traffic periods (weekends, holidays, campaign launches).

Pre-launch checklist

• Final data sync: Run a final migration of recent orders and customer updates before switching DNS.
• DNS cutover: Update your domain's DNS records to point to the Shopware 6 server. TTL reduction helps with quick rollback.
• Production mode: Enable Shopware 6 production mode, disable debug logs, enable caching.
• Monitoring: Set up error logging, performance monitoring (New Relic, Datadog), and uptime alerts.
• Rollback plan: Keep Shopware 5 running for 30 days as a backup. Document exact steps to revert DNS if needed.

Technical go-live steps

1. Transfer Shopware license: In Shopware 6, go to Settings > Shopware Account and update your licensing host to your production domain.
2. Update sales channel domains: Configure the domain URL for each sales channel individually in the administration panel.
3. Configure web server: Point your VirtualHost DocumentRoot to the /public/ subdirectory in your Shopware 6 installation. This is critical for both frontend and admin access.
4. Move Shopware 5 installation: Relocate your Shopware 5 store to a subdirectory (e.g., /shop5/) or alternative domain so it no longer uses the primary domain.
5. Complete the migration: After verifying all data is current, finalize the migration via Settings > Extensions > Migration Assistant > Complete Migration. This removes migration-specific database records.