How to migrate Magento 1.9 to 2.3?14 min read

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With an increasing number of merchants on Magento 1 asking for advice on how to migrate from Magento 1.9 to 2.3 easily, we are providing insight on how to convert Magento 1.9 to the Magento 2 platform, which is part of the Adobe Commerce Cloud.

Also Read: How to Migrate from WordPress to Shopify

What is Magento 1.9?

Magento 1.9 is an open-source e-commerce platform released in 2011 by Varien Inc. Although it is now considered legacy software and no longer receives maintenance or upgrades, Magento 1 is still used by almost 65,000 active websites worldwide.

Also Read: How to choose Best Migration Services in USA?

Benefits of Magento 1.9

• Shopping functionalities have been improved to allow for the modification of product combinations.
• Import/export capabilities and functions for items and consumers have been improved.
• Magento CE 1.9 includes a fully responsive web design that makes the website ideal for mobile devices.
• Improved e-store performance, as well as a secure checkout procedure
• Excellent performance and optimization

Drawbacks of Magento 1.9

• Until recently, one of the primary issues for Magento 1.9 merchants was the absence of support for PHP versions other than 5.6.
• Conflicts between plugins are a common concern for Magento 1.9 users. Several extensions seek to override the same feature.
• Installing Magento 1.9 extensions is challenging since it might take a long time, even for experienced developers.
• Magento 1.9 is not ideal for SEO. This version does not support schema.org or rich snippets on your website.

What is Magento 2.3?

Magento 2.3 is a version of the Magento platform published on November 28, 2018, as a replacement for the previous version released in 2008. It solves several critical flaws of Magento 1.9 by providing support for new technologies and fixing pain points for stores still using the previous version.

Magento 2.3 is unrivaled in every aspect. Compared to its predecessor, it features superior architecture, faster speed and performance, improved SEO, enhanced security, and a more user-friendly admin interface. Adobe has planned to terminate support for Magento 1 stores in 2018. However, they postponed this by over two years, with support officially ending on June 30, 2020, and Magento 2 becoming the only actively maintained version accessible.

Benefits of Magento 2.3

• Magento 2.3 was released in 2018, and it included several enhancements to address the shortcomings of the previous version.
• Magento 2.3 appears to have evolved more in step with current market trends. More precisely, it provides a simple and easy-to-use admin panel, a new page builder with a fantastic drag-and-drop feature, and a unique data structure that enhances your SEO and website performance.
• One of the most notable improvements in Magento 2.3 is that it now supports the new technology stack. It supports PHP 7x, PHP 8x, and MySQL 8x. As a result, you may significantly boost the pace of your website.

Drawbacks of Magento 2.3

• Magento 2.3 has only been out for a month, and it does not appear that many Magento extension suppliers have adapted to this change. So, if you have a lot of Magento plugins and want to upgrade to Magento 2.3, ensure you get help first.
• For newcomers, upgrading to Magento 2.3 might be scary. Because Magento 2.3 contains so many new features, there will be the start of many more composer packages.

What is the need to migrate Magento 1.9 to Magento 2.3?

Magento 2.3, an immensely enhanced version of Magento 1.9, has several new features and completely new architecture, database design, and code structure.

If you’re still using Magento 1.9, you should consider upgrading to Magento 2.3 to optimize your website and keep up with evolving market expectations.

Magento announced in April 2017 that it would discontinue support for Magento 1, which would take effect in July 2020. Magento 1 is exposed to unprecedented dangers since no new security fixes will be released. It becomes an appealing offer for hackers, putting the customer’s data and the entire website in danger. Switching to Magento 2.3 will provide improved security and the adoption of all new features.

Differences between Magento 1.9 and 2.3

(1) Speed

Magento 2.3 is considerably faster than Magento 1.9, with low load times and more interoperability. It improves the customer experience, increases conversion rates, and improves speed by processing orders 39% faster than Magento 1.9.

The Magento 2.3 version employs the most recent technology stack and database, allowing the website to handle more queries per second. Because of its built-in Varnish caching, the 2.3 version can swiftly store and deliver cached material to the consumer.

(2) Security updates and module support

Because Magento 1.9 is no longer maintained by Adobe, no more security patches will be included. The vendors will have to spend significant money and effort developing their own security fixes.

Magento 2.3, on the other hand, offers a strong and dependable security system, including two-factor authentication, which was lacking in the previous version. The incorporation of extensions in the 2.3 version expands the opportunity for customized security features.

(3) PCI compliance

It will have to be controlled by the seller in the case of Magento 1.9. Magento 2.3 meets the customer’s data protection requirements by defaulting to PCI compliance. You should use Magento 2.3 to ensure corporate support and security for your website.

(4) PWA (Progressive Web App)

Magento 2.3 has a decoupling system instead of a monolithic system like Magento 1.9. This permits the potential of PWA, which boosts Google’s search engine rank and provides the experience of a native application without the need for separate development. This is especially valuable for businesses with a high number of repeat customers.

(5) Streamlined checkout process

As per Harris Interactive, a long checkout procedure causes 47% of purchasers to abandon their purchase. Magento 2.3’s end-to-end checkout time is 55% faster than Magento 1.9’s.

Magento 2.3 includes a simplified one-page checkout procedure that is more convenient for customers than Magento 1.9’s multi-page checkout method. The one-page checkout method has streamlined the process and enhanced conversion rates.

(6) Payment Gateway

Magento accepts common payment gateways by default and does not require extra integration, increasing consumer confidence and conversion.

(7) Integrating extensions

Extensions are an essential component of every e-commerce platform, including Magento. Because the functionality supplied by the basic e-commerce site cannot meet all of your product’s requirements, incorporating extensions is critical.

Magento 2.3 supports several third-party extensions by default, including payment methods like PayPal and others like HTML5, CSS3, etc. Magento 2.3 makes integrating extensions easier, does not conflict with other extensions, and allows for endless changes.

(8) Elasticsearch

This is one of the most powerful search engines, is included in Magento 2.3. It facilitates simple navigation and rapid product searches in the product catalog and supports many languages. Because of this, a fuzzy search may be adjusted, making the client experience easier. It favors Magento 2.3 over Magento 1.9.

(9) Mobile-Friendly

Most people use mobile devices to access websites and apps. In such cases, having a mobile-friendly website is essential. Because of the problematic browsing and time-taking payment procedure, Magento 1.9 is not ideal for mobile devices.

Magento 2.3, on the other hand, features responsive mobile-optimized themes and mobile-friendly payment mechanisms. It also employs Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMPs) to improve accessibility. These are quick, safe, and easy to distribute. It guarantees greater conversion rates. It enables AMPs to function similarly to programs downloaded from the app store.

(10) Simple admin panel

Magento 2.3 offers a straightforward dashboard that is simple to use. The admin panel is mobile-friendly and has a simple, straightforward design. It makes working on Magento 2.3 a lot easier for the seller team, who can handle all of the procedures effortlessly. Thus, 2.3 produces superior outcomes, and any company trying to expand should strongly consider switching to it.

(11) SEO

Magento 2.3’s enhanced SEO capabilities include meta tags, meta descriptions, canon URLs, and so on. It improves product SEO results by increasing speed and decreasing load time. Although it requires some work, it may be utilized to increase sales.

What are the things you should take care of before migrating from Magento 1.9 to Magento 2.3?

Before you move from Magento 1. x to Magento 2. x, keep the following points in mind:

• Back up all Magento 1. x store’s files, databases, and directories.
• Begin the data conversion process by creating a clone of your Magento 1. x store database.
• Determine what you need to keep or eliminate when migrating to your new Magento 2. x shop.
• Examine your existing custom code, extensions, and themes to confirm they are compatible with Magento 2. x and make any necessary changes.

Magento 2. x has the following main features:

• enhanced checkout
• enhanced search and SEO capabilities
• The product section has been improved.
• A user-friendly approach
• Mobile-friendly experiences

Magento 2.3.x includes several improvements, optimizations, and back-end upgrades, including:

• Progressive Web App (PWA)
• ProvidingGraphQL support – Front-end development alternative for REST and SOAP web APIs.
• Multi-Source Inventory (MSI) – Allows for simple administration of physical inventory across Magento locations.
• Declarative DB Schema – Makes installation and upgrading easier.
• Elasticsearch – Performs quick and sophisticated searches on catalog goods. (Find out more about the benefits of utilizing Elasticsearch with Magento 2.)
• Support for PHP 7.2.x – Improves speed and security.
• Page Builder – A visual content editing tool that lets you customize the look of your shop without writing any code.
• Better security upgrades are provided.
• Import and export enhancements in the admin backend.

Still not sure why you should upgrade from Magento 1. x to Magento 2. x? The solution is simple: “You want to be current, not out of date.”

How do I Migrate Magento 1.9 to 2.3 without any issues?

4 Easy Steps to Migrate from Magento 1.9 to 2.3 

• Theme Migration
• Migration of Extensions
• Customization Migration Using a Code Migration Tool
• Using a Data Migration Tool to Migrate Data

(1) Theme Migration

To upgrade from the Magento 1.9.x theme to the Magento 2.3.x theme, you must first determine whether the same Magento 1.9.x theme is accessible in the Magento 2. x version. If so, you can use the same theme with Magento 2. x. It will simplify the transfer procedure and save you time. If not, you may purchase the theme from the Magento Marketplace or develop your own.

(2) Migration of Extensions

To upgrade from Magento 1.9.x to Magento 2.3.x, you must determine whether the same Magento 1.9.x extension is accessible in the Magento 2.3.x version. If so, you may use the same extension on Magento 2.3.x. If not, you must upgrade the Magento 1.9.x code to Magento 2.3.x or obtain the necessary extensions from your preferred Magento Store or Marketplace.

(3) Customizations/Code Migration

Using Magento’s Code Migration Tool, you may move your customizations. It will save you time and effort during the transfer process. However, after completing the conversion operation, you will need to change some of the created files manually.

(4) Data Migration

Before beginning the data migration, you must first download the Data Migration Tool from repo.magento.com and configure it for the migration. The Magento 2. x version should match the version of the Data Migration Tool.

Use the following command to determine your Magento 2 version.

php bin/magento –version

Data Migration Tool Installation

composer config repositories.magento composer https://repo.magento.com

composer require magento/data-migration-tool:

The above command will add the repository https:/repo.magento.com to the Magento 2. x root composer.json file. Instead, you can replace it with the needed Magento 2. x version. Consider the following: the needed Magento version is 2.3.2. As a result, the real command would be:

composer require Magento/data-migration-tool:2.3.2

Setting Up the Magento 2 Data Migration Tool

You must configure data migration after installing the data migration program. There are three directories named ce-to-ce, ce-to-ee, and ee-to-ee inside the data-migration tool/etc. folder.

The ce-to-ce folder stores configuration files and scripts for migrating data from Magento 1. x CE to Magento 2. x CE, while the ee-to-ee folder contains configuration files and programs for transferring data from Magento 1. x EE to Magento 2. x EE. Similarly, under the ce-to-ee folder, there are configuration files and scripts for migrating information from Magento 1. x CE to Magento 2. x EE.

Now, navigate to the folder where you intend to execute the migration. For example, when migrating data from the community edition to the enterprise edition, you must use ce-to-ee. Navigate to the directory containing the Magento 1. x version name. For example, if you are migrating to Magento 1.9.0, you should go to the 1.9.0 folder.

Make a config.xml file in the appropriate location before transferring the settings and data. Assume you are migrating from the Magento 1. x Open Source platform to the Magento 2. x Enterprise version, then go to-

/vendor/magento/data-migration-tool/etc/opensource-to-enterprise/ directory and rename config.xml.dist to config.xml.

Next, open the config.xml file and add the following:

Magento1-Encrypted-Key

The database information for Magento 1. x and the corresponding database information for Magento 2. x is required in the above code and should be filled in before executing it. The Magento 1. x store’s encryption key can be found within the tag in the /app/etc/local.xml file. When you’re finished, save the config.xml file, and you’re done.

Migrate settings

To transfer settings from Magento 1. x to Magento 2. x, use the Data Migration Tool. This phase is connected to resetting your Magento 2 website’s language, currency, shipping, email templates, taxes, and CMS pages. To begin, use an SSH terminal to browse to the Magento 2 root directory and enter the following command:

php bin/magentomigrate:settings –reset

As an example:

php bin/magentomigrate:settings –reset

vendor/magento/data-migration-tool/etc/ce-to-ee/1.9.0/config.xml

A notice will be displayed if the migration is successful.

Migrating Data

The database assets (e.g., goods, categories, customer information, orders, settings, and so on) must be migrated from the previous Magento 1.9.x shop to the new store. Take the following action:

php bin/magentomigration:data –reset

As an example:

php bin/magentomigrate:data –reset

vendor/magento/data-migration-tool/etc/ce-to-ee/1.9.0/config.xml

Most prevalent problems encountered

The source documents and fields are not mapped

This error occurs when some Magento 1 entities do not exist in the Magento 2 database. Install the necessary Magento 2 extensions from the Magento Marketplace, or set the tool to disregard incorrect data.

Although the class does not exist, it is reported as an error.

During the EAV migration stage, a class from the Magento 1 codebase could not be located in the Magento 2 codebase. In most cases, the missing class will be an extension. Install the necessary Magento 2 extension or ignore the problematic property.

The foreign key restriction is broken

There are missing database records in the parent_table, which the field_idof the child_table points to. Delete the records from the child_table that are creating the problem, or disable the Data Integrity step by editing the config.xml file in the Data Migration Tool.

URL rewrite duplicates

In a URL rewrite, the Target path must be supplied by a unique pair of Request path + Store ID. In the config.xml file, enable the auto_resolve_urlrewrite_duplicates option.

Issues with Homepage Display

If the home page does not appear correctly, this might be because the Magento 1.9.x version has a custom layout for the home page. At this step, you must design a custom layout in Magento 2.3.x.

Products that do not appear in the category

It would be best if you reindexed all indexers using the bin/magentoindexer:reindex command.

CSS JS file loading issues

You will need to flush your cache before deploying the static content. In the event of an issue, go to Magento’s Troubleshooting page. After completing the migration, perform a test to confirm that Magento 2. x is working properly.

Finally,

Magento migration from 1. x to 2. x is required for your eCommerce business. Equip your eCommerce website with a wide range of functions and a faster response time with flawless platform transfer. We offer end-to-end services to ensure flawless Magento transfer, providing limitless modifications and flexibility. We assist you in upgrading your online store to the most recent version and optimizing your website for income generation. Our certified Magento specialists have the resources to provide you with smooth development and migration services and all of the necessary eCommerce services and solutions.

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