Issue 01
Product IDs baked into URLs
SFCC URLs often end in a product ID, like /oak-table/25604524.html. Mapping by name alone fails when names changed but IDs did not.
Salesforce Commerce Cloud to Shopify
Salesforce Commerce Cloud to Shopify, without losing enterprise rankings
Brands leave Salesforce Commerce Cloud for lower running costs and faster releases. The risk is the search equity built up on a platform with its own URL rules, locale paths and years of static mappings. We move that equity to Shopify Plus URL by URL.
What breaks
SFCC details that catch migration teams out
Issue 02
Locale paths and site IDs
One realm can run several sites and locales, each with its own path prefix. Every combination needs a matching Shopify market URL.
Issue 03
Variation parameters
Color and size variations can be served as ?color= and ?size= URLs. Some get indexed. Shopify redirects handle query strings poorly.
Issue 04
Static mappings and redirect rules
Business Manager holds years of redirects from earlier relaunches. If they are not flattened, old backlinks break on day one.
Issue 05
Page Designer and content slots
Category landing content built in Page Designer does not export as product data. Collection pages arrive thinner than the pages they replace.
Issue 06
Pipeline URLs in the index
Some /on/demandware.store/ and /demandware.static/ URLs still sit in Google and in backlink profiles. They need mapping too.
URL structure
Common SFCC URL patterns and their Shopify targets
SFCC URL rules are configurable, so every store is a little different. These are patterns we commonly see on storefronts built on the reference architecture.
| Compare | Salesforce Commerce Cloud | Shopify Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Product | /en-us/oak-dining-table/25604524.html | /products/oak-dining-table |
| Variation | /en-us/oak-dining-table/25604524.html?color=natural | /products/oak-dining-table?variant=[ID] |
| Category | /en-us/furniture/dining/tables/ | /collections/dining-tables |
| Content page | /en-us/about-us.html | /pages/about-us |
| Pipeline URL | /on/demandware.store/Sites-Brand-Site/en_US/Product-Show?pid=25604524 | /products/oak-dining-table |
| Locale | /de-de/esstische/ | /de/collections/esstische (Markets subfolder) |
| Image | /on/demandware.static/-/Sites-catalog/.../table.jpg | Shopify CDN file URL |
How we do it
Our SFCC to Shopify process
- Weeks 1 to 2
Export URL rules and mappings
We collect URL rule settings, static mappings and redirect rules from Business Manager, plus catalog exports with product IDs.
- Weeks 2 to 3
Build a product ID bridge
Every SFCC product ID is matched to a Shopify handle and SKU, so URLs map correctly even where names changed over the years.
- Weeks 2 to 3
Plan markets and locales
Each site and locale gets a Shopify Markets destination: subfolder, domain or separate store, with hreflang planned alongside.
- Weeks 3 to 6
Rebuild landing content
Page Designer content on category pages is rebuilt as collection copy, sections or metaobjects, so collections keep their depth.
- Weeks 5 to 8
Redirect map and staging QA
Flattened redirects for every locale, plus canonical and schema checks on the unpublished Plus store.
- Day 0 to 90
Launch and monitor
Per-locale Search Console monitoring for 90 days, with day 7, 30, 60 and 90 reports against the baseline.
The details
Data that does not move by itself
SFCC is flexible, which means every build is a little custom. Here is what we check that a catalog export will not show you.
Custom attributes and price books#
Product specs often live in custom attributes, and some of them feed product detail tabs and structured data. On Shopify they become metafields. Price books for different countries or customer groups map to Markets pricing or B2B catalogs on Plus. Getting these right keeps the product page content and the Offer data in your schema consistent.
Reviews#
SFCC stores usually run reviews through a third-party platform. If that platform also supports Shopify, reviews can often stay where they are and reconnect by SKU. If not, we export and import them with ratings and dates intact.
Customer accounts#
Customer profiles and order history can be imported into Shopify, but passwords cannot. Plan a clear launch message, or use Shopify customer accounts that sign in with a one-time code.
Search and merchandising#
Einstein recommendations and search rules do not transfer. That matters for SEO in one way: internal links. If recommendation widgets were carrying internal links to deep products, we replace them with collection structure and related-product links that Google can crawl.
Timing#
SFCC exits are often tied to a contract renewal date. Work back from it: SEO planning should start at least two to three months before launch for a multi-locale store.
Related: the migration SEO hub, Shopify Plus migration for market structure, and Magento to Shopify. After launch, Shopify Plus SEO and large catalog SEO keep the new store growing.
Deliverables
What you get for an SFCC move
URL rule and mapping audit
Every pattern your storefront has served, with traffic and backlinks.
Product ID bridge
SFCC IDs matched to Shopify handles and SKUs.
Per-locale redirect maps
Flattened, one hop, checked against Shopify reserved paths.
Markets plan
Sites and locales mapped to Shopify markets with hreflang.
Content rebuild list
Page Designer content to recreate on each collection.
90-day monitoring
Per-market reports against your pre-launch baseline.
Questions
SFCC to Shopify questions
Is Shopify Plus a real option for brands on Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
For many brands, yes. Shopify Plus handles large catalogs, many markets, B2B and high order volumes, with lower running costs and fewer custom builds to maintain. It is less flexible in URL structure, which is why the SEO side needs planning. Brands with highly custom checkout or pricing logic should confirm those needs early.
How do you map SFCC product URLs to Shopify?
By product ID first, then by name. Many SFCC URLs include the product ID, and names often changed while IDs stayed the same. We build a bridge table from each SFCC ID to its Shopify handle and SKU, then generate redirects for every locale, variation and legacy pattern that has traffic or backlinks.
What happens to our SFCC locale sites on Shopify?
Each site and locale gets a destination on Shopify: usually a Markets subfolder such as /de/ or a country domain, sometimes a separate expansion store. Shopify then generates hreflang within the store. We map each locale separately, because locale-specific redirects in Shopify need their own rules per market subfolder.
How long before launch should SEO planning start for an SFCC migration?
At least two to three months for a multi-locale store. That covers the URL rule audit, the product ID bridge, market structure, content rebuild and staging QA. Single-locale stores with smaller catalogs can be faster. Starting late usually means the redirect map gets built in the final week, which is where most ranking losses start.
Planning an SFCC exit around a renewal date?
Tell us your launch window and how many sites and locales you run. We will scope the SEO side so it fits the timeline.