While the step-by-step instructions below will help you in migrating your ShipperHQ account between platforms, we encourage you to contact a member of our Customer Success team prior to getting started as we have the ability to expedite your migration and we can provide a quote to take this on for you.
Please click here to fill out a brief contact form and a member of our team will contact you with more details.
Getting Started
Set up
The first step for migrating account settings from Shopify or BigCommerce will be to set up your new BigCommerce store and install the ShipperHQ application for BigCommerce.
Due to the caching of account data based on each login, it is a best practice to use two different web browsers for migrating accounts, where the seldom-used browser is open for the original account (or the account where the settings are being migrated from.)
For example, if you’re accustomed to using Chrome as your primary browser, then opening the original account in Safari will help to keep track of which account the settings are being pulled from.
Meanwhile, the new account can be opened in Chrome where the settings are being applied.
While the specific browsers in use can vary, the important thing to remember is that each account should be logged in under a different browser so settings are not overwritten on the original account. Using the same browser can lead to confusion or disruption to an existing configuration.
Review and enable all Advanced Features
Within the new ShipperHQ account, confirm which Advanced Features will be used. It is recommended that these features be enabled in the new account prior to starting the migration process—this will help to ensure a smooth data transfer without disruption.
Advanced features to review and enable include
- Multi-origin: If more than one origin is present, then enabling this feature is required for the CSV to upload.
- LTL: If there are any LTL/Freight carriers to be moved to the new account, then this feature will need to be enabled first.
- Dimensional Packing: Enabling Dimensional Packing prior to importing boxes will save time by allowing you to move into the boxes section where the box list(s) can be uploaded.
- Delivery Date and Time
- Rate Shopping and Custom Method Names
Locate all exportable data
Exporting as much as possible from the original account to the new one will be a process that can save considerable time and ensures accuracy in migrated data.
- Origins
- Table Rate Carriers: It is recommended that table rate carriers are imported last as they are often tied to shipping groups, filters, zones, and, occasionally, boxes. Having these other items imported first will help reduce errors when uploading TR carriers as the data needed will be present prior to uploading.
- Filters
- Shipping Groups
- Zones
- Boxes
For each set of data that are exported, be sure to create an internal project folder to save these data in. An explicit name for the .CSV along with the date in the title will help to quickly identify the item to be imported for the new account.
Regardless of the volume or size of each .CSV, uploading to the new account will take very little time, however, it is important to know the maximum file size each SHQ section will allow.
Maximum file size for .CSVs
- Origins: A maximum of 450 origins can be imported in a single batch.
- Table Rate Carriers: A maximum of 3000 table rates can be imported in a single batch.
- Filters: A maximum of 100 filters can be imported in a single batch.
- Shipping Groups: A maximum of 100 shipping groups can be imported in a single batch.
- Zones: A maximum of 100 zones can be imported in a single batch.
- Boxes: A maximum of 500 boxes can be imported in a single batch.
It is recommended that prior to attempting an import of .CSV data, open and review the exported details to ensure that the maximum thresholds are not exceeded.
If you find that a .CSV does exceed these thresholds then the .CSV should be separated into files by batch that will import within the specific thresholds.
It is a good practice to evaluate the sizes of these two specific CSVs prior to importing as errors encountered here can easily be avoided and uploading files can be prompt and accurate.
Once all possible data that can be uploaded are in place, there will be several areas where manual configuration is required.
Manual configuration
Manual configuration is required in the following areas:
- Origins: Review all origins in the legacy account to determine which carriers are in use. Carriers will not be assigned during the import process for origins. Each origin’s carriers will need to be manually added.
- It is also important to note that each origin will need to have the website assigned to it.
- Shipping Rules: Each shipping rule in the legacy account will need to be recreated in the new one.
- Shipping Groups & Carrier Restrictions: It’s important to review each shipping group in the legacy account to determine if any are restricted to specific carrier methods.
- For example, if a group is listed as Freight Only or LTL, check to ensure that any assigned LTL carriers are migrated to the new account.
- Packing Rules: Packing rules will be migrated manually. It’s important to make sure that all boxes have been imported to the new account in order to assign them to packing rules quickly and accurately.
Final Steps
Test with ShipperHQ Test Your Rates Calculator
Testing your configuration within the ShipperHQ test calculator will be the first place to test settings and ensure accuracy.
Testing with BigCommerce Checkout
Once these settings have been confirmed accurate within ShipperHQ, then testing on the website can begin. It is recommended that all testing for BigCommerce while in preview mode prior to deploying the BC site to production.
- Please note that this method of testing is very helpful in determining where potential issues may reside. For example, when rates appear too high or too low, testing inside of ShipperHQ will help determine if rules, fees, or other settings are contributing to the rates shown.
- If testing is being done on the website and the results are not matching ShipperHQ, this helps to pinpoint where settings, such as attributes, need to be adjusted.
Once testing is complete and rates are accurate, the migration is complete.