BigCommerce to Shopify Migration – Free Tool

Published On -

FirstWire BigCommerce, E-Commerce, Migration, Shopify

We have created a free tool to convert BigCommerce data into Shopify-compatible format.

You can use this tool to convert your product, customer, and order data into files that are ready to import into Shopify.

Once converted, you can simply upload the new data files to Shopify.

Please see the code and complete guide below.

Product, Customer & Order Converter

A Simple Guide for Anyone to Use This Script

What You Need Before Starting
Requirement Details
A computer Windows, Mac, or Linux
Python installed Free – see Step 1 below
The script file bc_to_shopify_converter.py (provided to you)
Your BigCommerce export(s) Products CSV, Customers CSV, and/or Orders CSV

Step 1 — Install Python (one-time setup)

Python is the free program that runs the script. If you already have Python installed, skip to Step 2.

    1. 1. Go to python.org/downloads in your web browser.
    2. 2. Click the yellow “Download Python” button.
    3. 3. Open the downloaded file and run the installer.

Important
On the first install screen, tick the box that says
“Add Python to PATH” before clicking Install.

  1. 4. Click Install Now and wait for it to finish.

To check it worked, open your terminal (Command Prompt on Windows, Terminal on Mac) and type:

python --version

If you see a version number like “Python 3.12.0”, you are ready for Step 2.

Step 2 — Install the Required Add-ons

The script needs two free add-on packages to read Excel/CSV files. Open your terminal and type this single line:

pip install pandas openpyxl

Press Enter and wait a few seconds for it to finish. You only need to do this once.

Step 3 — Save Your Files in One Folder

Download the python script bc_to_shopify_converter.py from GitHub using this link : Download Python Script

Create a new folder on your Desktop (for example, “BC-to-Shopify”). Inside it, create another folder called “input” – this is where all your BigCommerce export files will go.

Your folder structure should look like this:

BC-to-Shopify/
  bc_to_shopify_converter.py
  input/
    bc_products.csv
    bc_customers.csv
    bc_orders.csv

Place the script file directly inside “BC-to-Shopify”, and place your BigCommerce CSV exports inside the “input” folder:

  • • input/bc_products.csv (your BigCommerce product export – if migrating products)
  • • input/bc_customers.csv (your BigCommerce customer export – if migrating customers)
  • • input/bc_orders.csv (your BigCommerce order export – if migrating orders)

You do not need all three files. Only include the ones you want to convert.

Step 4 — Run the Script

    1. 5. Open your terminal.
    2. 6. Navigate to the folder you created. For example:
cd Desktop/BC-to-Shopify
    1. 7. Run the script by typing:
python bc_to_shopify_converter.py
  1. 8. The script will ask you three questions, one at a time:
The Script Asks What You Type
BC products CSV path (Enter to skip): input/bc_products.csv — or press Enter to skip
BC customers CSV path (Enter to skip): input/bc_customers.csv — or press Enter to skip
BC orders CSV path (Enter to skip): input/bc_orders.csv — or press Enter to skip

Just type the file name and press Enter for each one. If you don’t have that file, press Enter to skip it.

Step 5 — Find Your Converted Files

Once the script finishes, it creates a new folder called “shopify_output” inside your project folder. Open it to find:

File Name What It Contains
shopify_products.csv Your products, ready for Shopify
shopify_customers.csv Your customers, ready for Shopify
shopify_orders.csv Your orders, ready for the Matrixify app

Step 6 — Import Into Shopify

Products
  1. 9. In Shopify Admin, go to Products.
  2. 10. Click the Import button (top right).
  3. 11. Choose the file shopify_products.csv and click Upload.
  4. 12. Review the preview, then click Import products.
Customers
  1. 13. In Shopify Admin, go to Customers.
  2. 14. Click Import customers.
  3. 15. Choose the file shopify_customers.csv and click Upload.
  4. 16. Review the preview, then click Import customers.
Orders (needs one extra free app)

Shopify does not allow orders to be imported directly. You need the free Matrixify app first:

  1. 17. In Shopify Admin, go to Apps → Shopify App Store.
  2. 18. Search for “Matrixify” and install it (free plan available).
  3. 19. Open Matrixify → click Import → Add file → choose shopify_orders.csv.
  4. 20. Review and click Import.

Troubleshooting — Common Questions

Problem Solution
“python is not recognized” Reinstall Python and make sure to tick “Add Python to PATH”
“No module named pandas” Run: pip install pandas openpyxl
File not found Make sure the CSV file is in the same folder as the script, and you typed the exact file name
Some images are missing in Shopify This happens when BigCommerce image links are private/demo links — upload those images manually after import
Order import fails Make sure you are using the Matrixify app, not Shopify’s built-in import — Shopify cannot import orders directly
Quick Reference — Every Time You Run It
  1. 1. Open terminal in your project folder
  2. 2. Type: python bc_to_shopify_converter.py
  3. 3. Enter the file name(s) when asked, or press Enter to skip
  4. 4. Find your results in the shopify_output folder

That’s it; no coding required. If you run into any issue not listed above, check that your CSV files were exported correctly from BigCommerce and try again.

At FirstWire, we can do the complete migration and make sure that your new Shopify store is setup properly and optimized for Design, User Experience, Performance, SEO and CRO.

Please Contact Us for a custom proposal.

You can also check our other Shopify Services.