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Moving a store from OpenCart to Horoshop

Moving a store from OpenCart to Horoshop keeps the catalog, page URLs and SEO data and moves the store to a cloud platform where hosting, SSL and updates are included in the plan. The old store keeps working while the new one is built in parallel.

  • products with prices and stock, manufacturers, attributes and photos from the OpenCart database;
  • product options (size, color) become product variants;
  • the category structure is recreated by hand in the Horoshop admin panel, because the import does not create sections;
  • a map of old and new URLs and 301 redirects for changed URLs;
  • title, description and H1 from the OpenCart SEO fields;
  • payment, delivery, feeds and analytics on the new store with a test order before the launch.

How the move from OpenCart to Horoshop works

Owners search for moving a store from OpenCart to Horoshop when they are tired of handling hosting, engine updates and modules that break after a new version on their own. OpenCart keeps the data in a database, so the catalog can be exported in full. The standard build has no product export – a module adds it, and during the audit we check exactly what your store outputs.

OpenCart URLs come in two kinds: with words in the link, if SEO URLs are enabled, and technical ones such as index.php?route=product/product. Both kinds go into the URL map, and every indexed URL gets a match.

What we move from OpenCart and what we rebuild

  • products with SKUs, prices, stock and descriptions – via import from an Excel file;
  • we create the category tree by hand in the Horoshop admin panel, because the import does not create sections;
  • manufacturers become brands, attributes become specifications, options become product variants;
  • SEO fields of products and categories, and SEO templates for the remaining pages;
  • information pages and articles that bring traffic;
  • we build the design in the Horoshop editor and replace module functions with the platform's built-in features.

We export the order history and customer base as a spreadsheet and hand it over to you as an archive. Passwords are stored in the database as hashes, so customers set them again.

How we work and what we need from you

  1. audit: we review the products, the URLs with traffic and what has to be rebuilt from scratch;
  2. a mapping of old and new URLs;
  3. creating sections and importing products with a check of photos and specifications;
  4. setting up design, payment, delivery, feeds and analytics;
  5. a test order, domain switch and indexing monitoring.

From you, we need access to the OpenCart admin panel or a database dump, access to Search Console and Analytics, and a list of payment and delivery services. The timeline depends on the number of products and the complexity of the design, and we name it after the audit.

Cost of migration from OpenCart and terms

We estimate the cost after a free consultation and an audit of the store and fix it in the contract. The Horoshop plan and the domain are paid separately, and the domain and admin panel belong to you. The general scope of work is described on the "Moving a store to the Horoshop platform" and "Migration from other platforms to Horoshop" pages. If you wish, we continue with SEO promotion of online stores, and reports go to a shared chat.

Questions and answers

Will the store lose its Google rankings after moving from OpenCart?

Search results may fluctuate during the first weeks. To smooth this out, we keep the URLs where the platform allows it and set up 301 redirects for the rest. Nobody can guarantee rankings.

Will sales stop during the migration?

No. The new store is built in parallel, and the old one accepts orders until the domain is switched.

What happens to the OpenCart modules?

Horoshop is a closed platform without access to the theme code. We replace the module logic with filters, coupons, feeds and SEO templates, external services or JS snippets.

Can only the catalog be moved?

Yes, you can move only the catalog, the category structure or individual pages. We fix the scope during the audit.