Import Process
Step-by-step guide to importing your Shopify data into LaunchStore via the Admin API.
Overview
LaunchStore connects directly to your Shopify store using the Admin API — no CSV exports, no file uploads. Once you connect your Dev Dashboard app credentials, the platform automatically discovers, validates, and pulls all your data.
Step 1 — Connect Your Shopify Store
Before running an import, you need to connect your store credentials. If you haven't done this yet:
- Go to Dashboard → Your Store → Shopify Import
- Follow the Dev Dashboard app setup guide to create a read-only Shopify app
- Enter your store domain, Client ID, and Client secret from the Dev Dashboard
- Click Connect Shopify Store — the platform requests a token and validates your scopes instantly
Step 2 — Discover Your Data
Once connected, click Discover Data. The platform queries the Shopify API and returns a count of everything available to migrate:
| Entity | What's counted |
|---|---|
| Products | All active and draft products with variants |
| Customers | All customers (name, email, address, order count) |
| Orders | All orders with line items, shipping, and fulfillment status |
| Collections | Custom and smart collections |
This step is read-only and takes just a few seconds.
Step 3 — Pre-Flight Validation
Before migrating, the platform runs 6 automated checks:
| Check | What it verifies |
|---|---|
| Shopify Connection | Token is valid, API is reachable |
| Admin Panel Connection | Your LaunchStore store is configured |
| Permissions | All 6 required API scopes are granted |
| Data Integrity | No malformed products, duplicate SKUs, or corrupt variants |
| API Rate Limits | Shopify's rate limit headroom for your account tier |
| Compatibility | Field mappings are valid for your store configuration |
Fix any errors shown before proceeding. Warnings are informational — you can continue with warnings.
Step 4 — Dry Run Preview
Click Generate Dry Run. The platform fetches a sample of your data and shows exactly how it will be transformed:
| Shopify Field | LaunchStore Field | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Product Name | Copied as-is |
| Body HTML | Description | HTML preserved |
| Vendor | Brand | Copied as-is |
| Product Type | Category | Mapped to LaunchStore categories |
| Tags | Tags | Comma-separated → tag array |
| Variant Price | Price | Currency converted if needed |
| Variant Compare At Price | Compare at Price | Copied as-is |
| Variant SKU | SKU | Deduplicated |
| Variant Inventory Qty | Stock Quantity | Per-location inventory summed |
| Images | Images | Downloaded from Shopify CDN → re-uploaded to LaunchStore CDN |
Review the preview carefully. If mappings look wrong, contact support before running the full migration.
The dry run does not write any data to your store. It's a safe preview of the migration outcome.
Step 5 — Configure Conflict Resolution
If you're re-running a migration or your store already has some products, choose how to handle conflicts:
- Skip — Leave existing records untouched, only import new ones
- Overwrite — Replace existing records with Shopify data
- Merge — Update changed fields, keep manually edited ones
- Create New — Always create a new record (may cause duplicates)
Step 6 — Select Entities & Start Migration
Choose which data types to import:
- Products — Includes variants, images, SEO metadata, tags
- Collections — Custom and smart collections
- Customers — Name, email, addresses, tags
- Orders — Full order history with line items and status
Click Start Migration. The platform processes everything in the background using a job queue. You can close the tab and return — progress is saved.
Step 7 — Monitor Progress
The progress page shows real-time updates via WebSocket:
- Current item being processed
- Completion percentage per entity type
- Success / failure counts
- Estimated time remaining
Step 8 — Review Migration Report
After completion, open the Migration Report to see:
- Total records imported vs. failed
- Per-entity breakdown (products, customers, orders, collections)
- Full error log grouped by type (Duplicate, Not Found, Validation, API error)
- Download options: CSV report, JSON report, error log
Large stores (5,000+ products) can take 15–45 minutes. The migration respects Shopify's rate limits (2 req/s REST) automatically — no throttling errors.
Common Issues
| Issue | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Invalid access token" | Wrong token or token revoked | Re-generate token in Shopify Admin → Custom App → Uninstall → Reinstall |
| "Missing required scopes" | Some scopes not enabled | Edit app scopes → Save → Reinstall app |
| "Product image failed" | Shopify CDN URL expired | Re-run migration or manually upload images |
| "Duplicate SKU" | SKU already exists in LaunchStore | Use "Skip" or "Overwrite" conflict resolution |
| Migration paused after errors | Too many failures | Check error log, fix root cause, re-run for failed items only |
Next Steps
- Post-migration — verify and launch
- Product management — edit imported products