CSV Files to BigCommerce Migration

Step-by-Step Guide to Importing CSV Files into BigCommerce

Step 1. Add Your Source Files and Connect BigCommerce

Sign in to the LitExtension app and create a migration. In Setup Source Store, set Source Cart Type to Files (CSV, Excel, Google Sheets). Choose the method that matches where your data is stored.

• File Upload: click the upload area or drag files into it. The supplied interface accepts CSV, TSV, XLSX, and XLSM, with up to 50 MB per file and up to 50 files. Use the limits displayed in your current session when preparing the upload.
• Google Sheets: provide the shared spreadsheet link. Make sure the migration tool can access the linked data.
• Link: provide a file link from Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive. Check that it points to the intended data and is accessible through the selected method.

Use one file per data type when possible, such as one products file and one customers file. A large export split into parts is also supported. Keep the parts organized and retain the original exports so you can trace any unexpected result back to its source row.

Review the uploaded-file list, including File, Data Type, and Rows. Confirm that you added the expected files. If the same item appears in two files, the file higher in the list is used. Check that ordering before proceeding, particularly when one export is newer than another.

Enter Old Store URL when relative image links or 301 redirects need the original store address. The field is optional; it is not a source-store connection. Supplying an address does not replace missing image paths, old URLs, or record identifiers in your data.

If your files come from Shopify, the supplied interface notes that its admin exports products, customers, and orders. Collections, pages, and blog posts need suitable exports, such as files from Matrixify or BulkFlow. For Matrixify collections, follow the interface instruction to use Custom Collections.csv; Collections.csv does not include product links.

Set BigCommerce as Target Cart, enter the required target details, and complete the connection instructions displayed for your setup. Keep the required BigCommerce access available throughout the Demo, Full Migration, and validation. Save a target backup and identify existing records that must remain.

Step 2. Prepare Your Data and Configure Migration

Continue to Prepare Data. Check each file’s data type, match its columns to the available destination fields, and review the resulting data before moving to Configuration. Use the fields actually available in the current workflow rather than assuming every column in an arbitrary export has a BigCommerce destination.

Compare representative source rows with the prepared values. Check names, SKUs, prices, quantities, dates, status values, addresses, image links, and any fields used to relate records. Preserve identifiers consistently across split files so the intended products, customers, orders, and other records can be associated correctly.

Review product types and variation relationships carefully. A field containing a variation name alone does not establish all of the structure required for a product with variants. Inspect the available mappings and correct incomplete source information before running the Demo.

Keep image references reachable. A CSV or spreadsheet cell containing an image path does not contain the image file itself. Check the link or path format, use Old Store URL where relative references need it, and retain access to the original assets through transfer and verification.

Select the supported records you want to migrate. Reviews cannot currently be migrated from files, even though BigCommerce can receive reviews through other migration routes. Customer passwords are not included in this target scope. Other fields need usable source values and an available mapping; a column label alone does not establish working target behavior.

Configure the five Additional Options according to your needs. Original order references are retained as External IDs; BigCommerce generates its own internal order IDs. Check the configuration before continuing. Confirm file ordering, selected entities, field mappings, record relationships, and cleanup choices. If source data or mapping is incomplete, correct it before the transfer instead of proceeding with results you cannot verify.

Step 3. Review the Demo and Run Full Migration

Run a Free Demo and open the sample BigCommerce records. Compare them against the source files and prepared data. Check more than counts: review text, numeric values, dates, status values, images, addresses, product selections, and relationships between records.

Test the options you selected. Open important old URLs and confirm their destinations, inspect original order references in the External ID field, check cleaned names, and review embedded description images separately from product gallery images. Verify the target cleanup result against the scope you approved.

Record the source file, identifier, and target example for each discrepancy. Review the affected column mapping and source values, then resolve the issue before Full Migration. Keep an unchanged copy of the source exports while preparing corrected versions so you can identify which data produced each result.

Once the Demo results are satisfactory, continue to Full Migration. The transfer runs on LitExtension’s servers, so you can close your browser and return to check progress. Keep BigCommerce access and required image/file links available until the transfer and validation are complete.

After completion, compare record counts and representative values with the files used for that run. Check products, customers, historical orders, content, and other selected records, then test the BigCommerce customer journeys relevant to your store.

A file-based run processes the data supplied for that migration; it does not continuously read changes from the original storefront. If your business continues operating, retain updated exports and coordinate the appropriate Recent Migration, Smart Update, or Re-migration workflow. Check the revised files and identifiers before applying subsequent data.