What Happened to Shopify Transporter and What to Use Instead
Shopify Transporter was Shopify’s migration toolkit for Shopify Plus stores. It combined a command-line tool that converted data from another platform into Transporter’s CSV format with a Transporter app that imported products, customers and orders into Shopify.
Both parts are now effectively retired. The Transporter app is listed as unavailable on the Shopify App Store, and the command-line tool hasn’t had a release since 2018. If you’re planning a migration today, or you’ve found old Transporter files, it helps to know what Transporter did and which tools fill that role now.
What Is Shopify Transporter?
Transporter had two parts that worked together. One prepared your data, and the other loaded it into your store.
| Part | What it did | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Transporter command-line tool | Converted data exported from another platform into a format Shopify could import | A Ruby gem, shopify_transporter, requiring Ruby 2.4 or later |
| Transporter app | Imported products, customers and orders from Transporter CSV templates | Tied to Shopify Plus, with separate templates for each data type |
The app’s order import made Transporter useful for migrations. Shopify’s standard CSV import handles products and customers, but bringing over historical orders has always needed an app, a migration service or the API.
Transporter also had limits. Imports in its format created new records rather than updating existing ones, and order files had to stick to Transporter’s own columns, with anything extra ignored.
Is Shopify Transporter Still Available?
Not as a tool you can start using today. The Transporter app’s Shopify App Store listing says it’s currently unavailable, and the latest version of the command-line gem, 2.5.2, was released in December 2018.
Shopify’s current migration guidance doesn’t point to Transporter. It describes moving data with its Store Migration app, CSV imports, a Shopify Partner or a custom solution built on the API, and it directs Shopify Plus stores to the Plus launch checklist instead.
That matters if you’re following an older migration guide. Instructions that start with installing Transporter or the Ruby gem are out of date, so plan around the current tools instead.
What to Use Instead of Shopify Transporter
The right replacement depends on where your data comes from and which data types you need to move. The table compares the main options.
| Option | Data it moves | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify’s Store Migration app | Products and customers | Moving from supported platforms such as Square, WooCommerce, Etsy, Wix, Amazon, eBay, Clover and Lightspeed |
| Shopify CSV import | Products, customers and inventory | Data you can shape into Shopify’s own CSV templates |
| Bulk import and export apps | Varies by app, often including orders and other data types | Larger migrations, recurring updates and data Shopify’s importer doesn’t cover |
| Migration services and Shopify Partners | Usually the full store, including historical orders | Complex migrations or teams without time to run them |
| Custom API integration | Anything the Admin API supports | Developers moving data from systems no tool supports |
Shopify’s Store Migration app
Store Migration is Shopify’s own free app for bringing product and customer data from other platforms. You upload CSV exports or connect your source account where supported, then review and adjust the imported data before publishing it.
It doesn’t move everything. Some platforms don’t export all of their data, so expect to fill gaps by hand, and plan a separate route for historical orders.
CSV imports and bulk import tools
For products and customers, Shopify’s CSV import is free and works on every plan, as long as you reshape your data into Shopify’s templates. Product files must be UTF-8 CSVs of 15 MB or less, and larger catalogs may need to be split into several files.
Bulk import tools help when the native importer isn’t enough, for example when you need field mapping for files in another format or regular updates after the move. Bulkflow supports bulk import, export, field mapping and scheduled data updates for Shopify, WooCommerce and Wix, which suits moving product data and keeping it updated afterward.
Migration services and the API
Historical orders, gift cards and data from less common platforms are where self-service tools fall short. Migration services and Shopify Partners handle the full move, while a developer can use the Admin API for data no tool supports.
If You Already Have Transporter CSV Files
Old Transporter files are still usable, but not through the Transporter app. You have two main options.
- Use an app that reads the Transporter format. Matrixify, for example, can import Transporter product, customer and order files on any Shopify plan, as long as the file name includes “transporter” and the data type, such as
myshop-transporter-orders.csv. - Convert products and customers to Shopify’s CSV templates. Map the Transporter columns to Shopify’s product or customer template, then import them with Shopify’s standard importer.
Orders are the harder part. Shopify’s built-in importer doesn’t import orders, so Transporter order files need an app that supports order imports, a migration service or the API.
Tips for a Smooth Migration
The tool matters less than the process around it. Whichever option replaces Transporter, a few habits make the move more predictable:
- Import in order. Bring over products first, then customers, then historical orders, so orders link to the right products and customers.
- Turn off order notifications. Importing historical orders can send a new-order email to staff for every order, so disable those notifications during the import.
- Test with a small batch. Import a few records of each type and check them before running the full import.
- Plan redirects. URLs usually change when you switch platforms, so map old URLs to new ones and import redirects to keep links and search traffic working.
- Check hidden products. Imported products aren’t visible to shoppers until they’re available on your sales channels.
Conclusion
Shopify Transporter helped Plus stores move products, customers and orders into Shopify, but it has been replaced by newer options. Shopify’s Store Migration app, CSV imports, bulk import tools and migration services now cover the same ground, and the right mix depends on which data you’re moving and where it comes from. We hope this guide helps you plan your migration now that Shopify Transporter is no longer the go-to tool. If you’re moving and updating product data in bulk, you can explore Bulkflow.
