Magento 1 reached end of life in June 2020, meaning it no longer receives security patches or official support. If you are still running a Magento 1 store, migrating to Adobe Commerce (Magento 2) is not just recommended — it is essential for your business’s security and competitiveness. Here is a comprehensive guide to planning and executing a successful migration.
Understanding the Scope
A Magento 1 to Adobe Commerce migration is not a simple upgrade — it is a re-platforming project. The two platforms have fundamentally different architectures, database schemas, theming systems, and extension APIs. Treating migration as a straightforward upgrade is the single most common cause of failed migration projects.
The scope typically includes data migration (customers, orders, products, categories), theme rebuilding, extension replacement or custom development, integration updates, and thorough testing. Each of these areas requires careful planning and execution.
Phase 1: Audit and Planning
Start with a thorough audit of your current Magento 1 store. Document every customization, integration, and extension. For each item, determine whether an equivalent exists in Adobe Commerce, whether it needs to be rebuilt as a custom module, or whether the business process has changed and the functionality is no longer needed.
This audit phase typically reveals opportunities to simplify. Many Magento 1 stores accumulate customizations over years that are no longer relevant. Migration is an opportunity to clean house and build a leaner, more maintainable store.
Phase 2: Data Migration
Adobe provides an official Data Migration Tool that handles the transfer of products, categories, customers, orders, and other core data. However, the tool has limitations:
- Custom attributes and EAV data may require additional mapping configuration.
- URL rewrites often need manual review and cleanup.
- Customer passwords can be migrated, but the hashing algorithm difference means customers may need to reset passwords on first login.
- Order history transfers preserve data but may not include custom order statuses or workflows.
For stores with heavily customized data structures, a custom migration script may be more reliable than the official tool. We typically recommend a hybrid approach — using the official tool for standard data and custom scripts for anything non-standard.
Phase 3: Theme and Frontend
Magento 1 themes cannot be converted to Adobe Commerce. The new platform uses a completely different frontend architecture based on RequireJS, Knockout.js, and LESS/CSS preprocessing. This is actually an opportunity — modern Adobe Commerce themes are more responsive, faster, and better structured than their Magento 1 predecessors.
Consider whether to use a pre-built theme (like Hyvä for performance-focused stores) or invest in a custom theme that matches your brand exactly. Either way, plan for frontend development to be a significant portion of the migration timeline.
Phase 4: Extensions and Integrations
Most Magento 1 extensions do not have direct Magento 2 equivalents from the same developer. You will need to find replacement extensions, build custom modules, or use native Adobe Commerce features that did not exist in Magento 1. Many common Magento 1 extensions are now unnecessary because their functionality has been incorporated into Adobe Commerce’s core.
Phase 5: Testing and Launch
Plan for comprehensive testing that covers functional testing of all store features, performance testing under expected traffic loads, payment gateway testing with real transactions in sandbox mode, SEO validation to ensure URL redirects are properly configured, and user acceptance testing with actual store staff. Set up proper 301 redirects from all old URLs to their new equivalents to preserve your SEO rankings.
Migration is a significant undertaking, but it is also an opportunity to build a faster, more secure, and more capable store. With proper planning and experienced developers, the transition can be smooth and the results transformative for your business.
