How to successfully migrate your PrestaShop site without losing your data?

Your PrestaShop store is slowing down, your modules are outdated, and your customer-specific pricing is managed in Excel files. Versions 1.6 and 1.7 are aging, and complex B2B commerce is hitting its limits in a solution originally designed for the mass market. A PrestaShop migration is an opportunity to streamline your operations. This article covers the technical steps and helps you evaluate if your target for B2B e-commerce replatforming handles business complexity without friction.

What is a PrestaShop migration and why should you prepare for it?

A PrestaShop migration covers three distinct realities. Changing hosting moves the store to a new server without modifying the code. Upgrading the version moves the store from 1.6 or 1.7 to 8, involving a break in architecture, module compatibility, and themes. Replatforming changes the solution: you leave PrestaShop for a dedicated B2B platform like DJUST.

The motivations are concrete: end of support for older versions, slowness with large catalogs, limitations on B2B pricing rules, and rising hosting costs. PrestaShop 8, released in 2022, requires PHP 8.1+ and modifies the architecture, module compatibility, and the default theme. Updating from 1.7 to 8 is a major upgrade, not a simple update.

Preparation determines the outcome. Start with a full backup, a catalog audit, and an inventory of modules and customizations. Without this step, migration becomes a gamble.

What precautions should you take before migrating PrestaShop?

Before touching a single file, protect what you already have. A full backup should cover your FTP files, a database export via phpMyAdmin, your theme folder, and all installed modules. Without a complete copy, any error during migration leaves you with no recovery plan.

Follow these technical precautions:

• Enable maintenance mode to block orders during the process
• Check PHP/MySQL compatibility on the target server (PrestaShop 8 requires PHP 8.1+)
• Audit third-party modules: some are not compatible with PrestaShop 8/9 and will require alternatives
• Test on a staging environment before going live
• Define a rollback plan: a documented procedure to revert changes in case of failure

Expert tip: Auditing modules is the most underestimated step. An incompatible payment or shipping module can break your store after the switch. Identify every incompatible module and find an alternative before starting the migration.

How do you migrate PrestaShop to a new host?

Changing hosts for a PrestaShop alternative follows a precise order, with no optional steps. Export your files via FTP (FileZilla) from the source server, then export the database via phpMyAdmin (.sql file). Create the database on the new server and import the file. Transfer the files to the new hosting environment.

Next, update the configuration files: settings.inc.php with the new database credentials, and .htaccess for the URLs. Clear the cache and disable maintenance mode.

Post-migration checks:

• Front-office: display, navigation, product pages
• Back-office: login, order management
• Payments: transactional testing and transactional emails (SMTP configuration)

A single forgotten step is enough to stall your relaunch: a domain name not redirected, a payment flow not tested, or emails that stop arriving. Test every point before reopening.

How do I upgrade PrestaShop from 1.6 or 1.7 to version 8?

The migration from PrestaShop 1.7 to 8 follows a mandatory path. A direct upgrade from PrestaShop 1.6 to 8 is not supported: you must first go through 1.7 (PrestaShop 1.6 to 1.7 migration), then from 1.7 to 8. Each step requires its own backup and compatibility audit.

For the PrestaShop 1.7 to 8 update, the official "1-Click Upgrade" module remains the gold standard. Third-party modules like MigrationPro Ultimate can automate part of the process.

Key points to watch:

• The default theme changes between versions: a custom theme must be adapted
• Overrides can break: double-check every customization
• Incompatible modules must be replaced before the switch
• Verify the compatibility of payment and shipping modules
• Test SEO: URL structure, metadata, and redirects if the URL format changes

The actual duration varies based on complexity. For a simple store with a small catalog, the update takes one day. A large catalog with custom modules and complex pricing rules may require several weeks of testing and adaptation.

How can you preserve your SEO during a PrestaShop migration?

SEO is the first casualty of a poorly prepared migration. Inventory your indexed URLs before the migration using Google Search Console and a crawl with Screaming Frog. If the URL structure changes, set up 301 redirects for every modified page.

Keep your meta tags (title, description) and structured data (schema.org Product). Check the robots.txt file and the XML sitemap in the new environment.

Post-migration monitoring: indexing, 404 errors, and traffic drops in the two weeks following the switchover. Replatforming to DJUST changes the URL structure: a complete mapping from old to new URLs is mandatory.

How can you migrate your B2B business data without manual re-entry?

The data import order follows a precise dependency logic:

• Categories → products → customers → orders → CMS pages → shipping and payment rules

The real B2B challenge lies in non-standard data. The pricing rules per customer, negotiated price lists, linked accounts (subsidiary/parent company), and quote history: this information is not standard in PrestaShop. It requires specific mapping or manual recreation.

The hidden cost of migration is measured in re-entry time. For a catalog of 5,000 SKUs with 200 price lists per customer, sales teams can spend several weeks reconciling prices after the switchover. This time does not appear in any technical quote.

Automating order management changes the equation: instead of re-entering data, you connect theERP integration and synchronize prices in real time. Integrating AI into the supply chain goes further: it detects price anomalies, anticipates restocking needs, and frees teams from manual reconciliation.

When migration reveals the B2B limitations of PrestaShop

Certain signals indicate that migration is driven by B2B limitations, not just a simple technical need. The catalog is exploding, customer-specific pricing rules are becoming unmanageable, orders are arriving via email or Excel files, and ERP synchronization is being done manually.

PrestaShop handles B2B through extensions or modules, not natively. Migration is the opportunity to connect ERP, CRM, and OMS in real time rather than replicating the same model on a new version. The AI agents for automating B2B commerce open up perspectives on multi-channel evolution, and the autonomous B2B marketplaces show the direction in which organizations handling high volumes are heading.

Evaluate whether a native B2B platform better meets your needs than staying on an updated version of PrestaShop.

DJUST: the native B2B platform for migrating without replicating complexity

We handle B2B complexity natively: customer-specific pricing rules, large catalogs, real-time ERP/OMS integration, and order automation without manual re-entry. Migrating to DJUST is not just about moving data; it is an opportunity to connect your existing tools and free your sales teams from repetitive tasks.

DJUST Sales manages quotes, negotiated rates, and order flows in an environment designed for B2B. Our Order Management solution synchronizes your prices, inventory, and orders with your ERP in real time, with no manual re-entry. Talk to our team to evaluate your B2B migration project.