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Moving a store from Joomla (VirtueMart) to Horoshop

Store migration from Joomla (VirtueMart) to Horoshop moves the catalog from a self-maintained CMS to a cloud SaaS platform where the store needs no separate server. We take the data from the website's database and files, match the page addresses with the new ones and set up redirects.

  • VirtueMart products with categories, manufacturers, photos and prices;
  • we turn custom fields into Horoshop attributes and product variants;
  • we create catalog sections in the Horoshop admin panel following the store's structure;
  • an address matching map and 301 redirects for pages that get search traffic;
  • titles, descriptions and category texts on the new pages;
  • replacing Joomla extensions with built-in Horoshop features or an external service when custom logic is needed.

Why stores leave Joomla and VirtueMart

An owner searching for migration from Joomla to Horoshop usually already has a working VirtueMart, along with a set of extensions, a template and customizations from different years. The store depends on component versions, hosting and the person who maintains it. Horoshop works as a SaaS platform: the platform takes care of engine updates and the server, and you manage the catalog and orders.

The migration gets complicated where a product sits in several categories and has several addresses. We check this during the audit as the first step.

VirtueMart stores products, categories, manufacturers and custom fields in the website database, so for the export we need a database dump and the images folder. We separate the service addresses of filters and sorting from the pages worth keeping, so that the redirect map stays clean.

What migration from Joomla (VirtueMart) includes

  • products, categories, manufacturers, photos, prices and stock from the database and the images folder;
  • VirtueMart custom fields as attributes, filters and product variants;
  • an address map from the sitemap, Search Console and the website itself, plus 301 redirects;
  • meta tags, H1 and category texts;
  • indexable filters with presets for search queries;
  • payment, delivery, feeds for Rozetka and Google Shopping;
  • replacing extension features with built-in Horoshop tools or an external service.

Horoshop does not give access to the theme code, so we replace custom Joomla modules with JS snippets or a service. We create catalog sections manually in the admin panel.

How migration from Joomla works

  1. audit of the website, extensions and addresses, free consultation;
  2. database dump and image files or access to the admin panel;
  3. section structure and filling Horoshop with content;
  4. test orders, checking forms and payments;
  5. domain switch, redirects, sitemap in Search Console.

Timelines depend on the number of products and the number of extensions to replace, so we name them in the contract after the audit.

Cost and terms of the move

An online store on Horoshop starts from $500, and we calculate the data migration from Joomla after a free consultation and an SEO audit: the price depends on the complexity of the database and the number of extensions. We fix the price in the contract, and the domain and admin panel belong to you. Read more about migration on the page "Migration from other platforms", and about launching a store from scratch in the section "Online store development".

Questions and answers

Can products be moved from VirtueMart without manual entry?

Yes, we take the data from the database or an export, clean it and upload it by file. We create catalog sections manually in the admin panel.

What about the SEO settings I had in Joomla?

We move the title, description, H1 and category texts. We match the addresses with the new ones and cover the differences with 301 redirects.

Will my Joomla template work?

The Joomla template does not move to Horoshop. We build the design in the Horoshop editor, keeping the page logic of your store.

What about customers and orders?

We move them to the extent allowed by the VirtueMart tables and the rules for processing personal data. We agree on the scope before the start.