How to Transfer Shopify Products to a Clone Website

If you’ve been managing a Shopify store for a while, you might find yourself wanting a complete copy of your website with the same products, same setup, but in a fresh new space. That’s what we refer to as a “clone website” in the Shopify community.

Essentially, it’s a replica of your current store that you can modify, test, or launch without interfering with your live, revenue-generating site. So, why would anyone want to do this? There are quite a few reasons:

You might clone a Shopify store to test new designs, create a staging site, rebrand or migrate, or launch region-specific stores with different currencies and shipping rules.

Whatever your motivation, the big question is: how do you transfer all your products into this new clone store without spending ages copying and pasting? The good news is, there are several ways to achieve this, from Shopify’s built-in export/import tools to third-party apps.

In this article, we’ll explore the two methods so you can pick the one that suits your store best and get your clone site up and running smoothly.

If you’re planning to move products from one Shopify store to another, you’ve got two primary choices: tackle it yourself using Shopify’s handy CSV tools, or let a specialized app take care of it.

The right one for you depends on how many products you have, how much time you want to dedicate, and how much you want to be involved in the process.

Method 1: Manual Transfer (Using Shopify’s Built-in Option)

The manual method is Shopify’s built-in way to transfer products using CSV files. It’s straightforward, free, and works entirely within the Shopify dashboard.

Step 1: Export Products from the Source Store

• Log in to your original store’s Shopify admin panel.
• Go to Products > All products.
• Click Export (top right).

• Choose All products (or select a subset if you only want certain items).
• Pick the CSV for Excel, Numbers, or other spreadsheet programs format.
• Click Export products. Shopify will email you a CSV file or let you download it directly.

Step 2: Prepare the CSV File for Import

Once you’ve exported your products from your original Shopify store, you’ll have a CSV file containing all your product data. Before importing it into your clone store, it’s important to open it up, review the contents, and make any necessary edits. This step helps prevent errors during import and ensures your product data is clean and ready.

You can open the CSV file in any spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or Apple Numbers.

Critical Fields to Check and Edit

Handle

This is the unique identifier Shopify uses for each product.

• If two products share the same handle, one will overwrite the other during import.
• Keep handles short, clean (letters, numbers, hyphens), and consistent.

Example: blue-cotton-t-shirt instead of Blue Cotton T-Shirt.

Image URLs

Shopify exports product images as URLs that point to where they’re hosted.

• If your original store stays active, these URLs will still work in the clone store.
• If the original store is closed, you’ll need to download and re-upload images to your new store to prevent loss.
• Check that each product’s image URLs are complete and correct.

Inventory and Pricing

This section is where you confirm the quantities and financial details of your products.

• Double-check quantities, especially if you’re cloning a live store where stock changes frequently.
• Make sure prices, compare-at prices, and currency formats are accurate.
• Watch for extra decimals or misplaced commas if you edited the CSV in specific spreadsheet programs.

SEO Information

• Review the meta title and meta description fields.
• Update these if you’re rebranding or targeting a different audience with the clone store.
• Keep titles around 50–60 characters and descriptions under 160 characters for best SEO results.

Why this step matters: Taking 10-15 minutes to clean your CSV can save you hours of fixing broken product pages later. A clean file means fewer import errors, more consistent data, and a smoother transfer overall.

Step 3: Import Products into the Clone Shopify Store

Once your CSV file is meticulously prepared and saved, you’re ready to bring your products to life on your new Shopify store. The import process is straightforward, but it’s essential to pay close attention to the options presented.

• From your Shopify admin, go to Products > All.
• In the upper-right corner of the products page, click the Import button.

A pop-up window will appear. Click the Add file button and select the product CSV file you’ve prepared. Shopify will begin to process the file to prepare for the import.

Review Import Options: This is a critical step. Before you finalize the import, Shopify will present two options.

1. Overwrite any current products that have the same handle

Leave this unchecked to add new products without overwriting existing ones. Check it when updating existing products so Shopify matches them by handle and replaces their details with the new data.

2. Publish new products to all sales channels

Check this box to publish new products immediately across your store and connected sales channels. Uncheck it to import them as drafts, giving you time to review, fix, and finalize details before they go live.

After carefully reviewing the options, click the Upload and preview button.

Next, review the column headings and make any changes needed by using the dropdown for each column heading.

Once done, click Save column headings.

A preview window will appear, showing the products to be imported. If everything looks correct, click Import products to proceed.

When you upload your file, Shopify will take care of it in the background. You’ll see a progress bar or get a notification to let you know that the import is in progress. After the import, Shopify emails a summary showing how many products were imported successfully and listing any failures with their reasons.

Right after the import is done, go back to your Products page. Look for the new products that have just been added. It’s a good idea to check a handful of them to confirm that the titles, descriptions, prices, variants, and images were imported correctly.

While this manual method works fine for small stores, it comes with a few downsides:

• Time-consuming for large catalogs: Exporting, reviewing, and importing hundreds or thousands of products can take hours.
  
• Prone to formatting errors: A single missing header, extra comma, or misplaced value in the CSV can cause the import to fail.
  
• Limited data transfer: Metafields, advanced SEO settings, custom app data, and some product configurations may not be carried over.
  
• Image link dependency: Images are linked via URLs; if the original store is closed, you’ll need to manually re-upload them.
  
• No automation: You’ll need to repeat the entire process manually for future updates or syncs.

Why the Automated Method is Preferred

With import/export apps like StoreRobo, you can simplify the whole process and get rid of many of those frustrating hurdles. These tools are capable of:

• Transferring products, images, variants, collections, and metafields in one fell swoop.
• Managing bulk data without any lag.
• Minimizing errors by automating the mapping and formatting tasks.
• Saving you precious time with quick re-imports or scheduled syncs.

Now, let’s explore how to transfer your Shopify products to a clone website quickly and efficiently with the StoreRobo Import Export App, making the process faster, easier, and less error-prone than manual methods.

Method 2: The Automated Method (Using StoreRobo Import Export App)

If you’re opting for the automated route, the StoreRobo Import Export App is an excellent pick. This app is designed to make data management and migration effortless and straightforward.

Here’s how it works:

• Installation: You’ll need to install the StoreRobo app on both your source and destination Shopify stores.
• Connection: You can then use the app to sync products between the two stores.
• Data Selection: You can migrate not just products, but also collections, customers, and more. With advanced filters, you can narrow down exactly which products to transfer, like only those from a specific collection or tagged in a certain way.

Step 1: Install StoreRobo on Both Stores

The first and most important step is to set up the connection between your two stores.

• For this, log in to your Shopify source store admin account.
• Go to Apps and search for StoreRobo Product Import Export App.
• Locate the app by WebToffee, then click Install.
• Activate the app on your store.

Repeat the process. Install the same StoreRobo app on your clone or destination Shopify store.

For detailed instructions, check Shopify’s app installation guide.

Step 2: Export Data from Your Source Store

With both stores now connected to the app, you can go ahead and export the data from your source store. StoreRobo plays the role of the go-between, helping you gather and sort the data before you import it.

• Open the StoreRobo app and go to the Home page.
• Under Export, select Shopify CSV as the export template.
• Click Proceed to move to the next step.

• In the Select data dropdown, choose Products from the list of available data types. While the focus is on products, you can also choose to export collections, customers, or even discounts.
• Under the Columns section, select the specific product details you want to include in your export.

• If you want to export only certain products, click Add new filter under the Filters section.
• Next, choose a separator for the export file, such as comma, semicolon, tab, etc.
• If you expect to run the same export again in the future, save your current setup as a preset. Click Save in the Save preset section, give your preset a clear name, and store it.
• Once done, click Export to start the export immediately.
• Or, click Schedule to set the export to run at a specific date/time, useful for recurring tasks or regular backups.

Keep an eye on the status column. While the export is running, it will show In progress.

Once the export finishes, the status will change to Completed.

StoreRobo will send you an email once the export is done, confirming the completion. You can then download the CSV file directly from within the app and use it to bulk import products into your clone store.

Step 3: Import Data into Your Clone Store

After you have successfully exported your product data from your source store using StoreRobo, you are ready to import that data into your new, cloned website. The app’s import settings give you precise control over how the data is added to your new store.

• For this, log in to your new Shopify store and open the StoreRobo app.
• Find the Import section within the app.
• Use the upload feature to select the CSV file you just downloaded from your source store.

​​Once you’ve chosen the import path, navigate to Choose Separator and select the delimiter or separator corresponding to the one used in your CSV file.

• Under Select data type, select Products.
• Click on Upload.

Select Your Import Template

Upon uploading your exported CSV file, StoreRobo will automatically analyze the file and detect its format.

• Automatic Detection: The app will try to recognize if the file follows the Shopify CSV or WooCommerce CSV format.

• Manual Override: If the app’s selection is incorrect or you are using a non-standard file, you can manually select the correct template from a dropdown menu. For a Shopify-to-Shopify transfer, the template will almost always be Shopify CSV.

Filter Products by Status

Next, you can filter which products from your CSV file are imported, based on their status in the source store. This is particularly useful for controlling what goes live. There are three available options to filter:

• Active: Choose this option to import only the products that were live and visible on your original store. This is the most common choice for a standard product transfer.
• Draft: Select this to import only products that were saved as drafts. This is ideal if you’re importing new products that you want to review on the new site before publishing them.
• Archived: Use this option to import products that were previously archived in your original store.

Select Advanced Import Options

These settings are crucial for defining how StoreRobo handles your data and interacts with any existing products in your new store.

• Ignore ID: Leave this box checked for a first-time import to a new store. This tells the app to ignore any existing product IDs from the source store and create a new, unique ID for each product in your destination store.

• Update If Products Exist in the Store: This is a powerful feature for updating existing products rather than creating new ones. For a first-time transfer, leave the box unchecked so all products are added as new. If re-importing to update existing items, check it to match products by handle and update their details without creating duplicates.

• Skip Import of New Products: This is the opposite of the “Update” option. When checked, the app will only update products that already exist in the new store and will ignore any new products found in the CSV. This is useful for running a quick update on a small number of products without accidentally importing a large number of new items.

• Publish New Product: This setting determines the initial status of the new products being imported. Check this box to publish imported products immediately, or leave it unchecked to import them as drafts so you can review and finalize details before they go live.

If you plan to perform multiple transfers or data updates in the future, you can save your current import selections as a preset. Simply check the box next to Save preset, provide a clear name, and click Save.

After you’ve configured these settings, click Import to begin the automated transfer. The app will process your data and notify you once the job is complete, providing a detailed log of the transfer.

With your product data successfully imported, you’ve completed the most crucial part of cloning your Shopify store. Now you can focus on the exciting final steps, like customizing your new store’s design, configuring essential apps, and preparing for your grand launch.

Migrating your products from one Shopify store to another can be a smart move that opens up exciting new possibilities for your business. You have two main options: the hands-on manual method using CSV files or the more efficient automated approach with a robust app like StoreRobo.

While the manual method doesn’t cost anything, it can be quite time-consuming and prone to errors, making it only suitable for very small stores. For most serious merchants, opting for the automated route is a wiser investment. An app like StoreRobo simplifies the whole process, reducing the chances of human error and saving you time. Its capability to manage complex data, apply advanced filters, and handle bulk transfers makes it the obvious choice for a smooth and accurate transition.

Once your new store is filled with your complete product catalog, the heavy lifting is done. You’re not just shifting products; you’re laying the groundwork for future growth. Whether you’re aiming for a new audience, diving into a niche market, or simply expanding your brand, your cloned website is all set to kick off the next chapter of your eCommerce journey.