Migrate from PrestaShop to 1C-Bitrix: Data and Feature Transfer

Migrating an e-commerce store from PrestaShop to 1C-Bitrix is a task faced by owners of projects that have outgrown the European platform. We've completed over 50 such migrations and know every pitfall: from schema differences to incompatibility of foreign modules with Russian payment systems. A site migration from PrestaShop to 1C-Bitrix not only changes the CMS but also boosts performance, provides built-in 1C integration, and simplifies administration.

For example, in one project we transferred a catalog of 8,000 products with 12 variations each — it took 4 weeks with zero data loss. Switching to Bitrix reduces support costs by up to 40% and speeds up page loads by 2x. The average migration project pays for itself in 6–9 months through lower maintenance costs.

How is the PrestaShop database structured?

PrestaShop is a popular European e-commerce platform with a relational database schema. Unlike Magento EAV, data in PrestaShop is stored in normalized tables, which simplifies SQL export significantly. Migration complexity depends on the number of customizations, installed modules, and catalog size.

Which tables need to be exported?

PrestaShop tables use the ps_ prefix (configurable during installation). Key tables:

• ps_product — basic product data: id_product, reference, weight, price, active
• ps_product_lang — translations: name, description, description_short, link_rewrite
• ps_category / ps_category_lang — categories with translations
• ps_product_attribute — combinations (product variations)
• ps_attribute / ps_attribute_lang — attributes (size, color)
• ps_orders — orders
• ps_order_detail — order items
• ps_customer — customers
• ps_image — product images

Multilingual support in PrestaShop is built into the schema: every table with text content has a paired *_lang table.

How to transfer products with variations?

Basic export query for products with translations:

SELECT
    p.id_product,
    p.reference,
    p.price,
    p.weight,
    p.active,
    pl.name,
    pl.description,
    pl.description_short,
    pl.link_rewrite,
    pl.meta_title,
    pl.meta_description
FROM ps_product p
JOIN ps_product_lang pl ON p.id_product = pl.id_product AND pl.id_lang = 1
WHERE p.active = 1;

Product variations (combinations)

PrestaShop calls variations "combinations." Each combination is a set of attributes with a price modifier. The ps_product_attribute_combination table links a combination (id_product_attribute) to attributes (id_attribute).

In Bitrix, these become trade offers. Each PrestaShop combination becomes a separate SKU with a set of properties. The combination's price modifier (price_impact) is added to the base product price to get the final SKU price.

Categories and breadcrumbs

PrestaShop stores the category tree using nleft/nright (nested set model). To recreate the hierarchy in Bitrix, a simple query with ORDER BY level_depth suffices:

SELECT c.id_category, c.id_parent, c.level_depth, cl.name, cl.link_rewrite
FROM ps_category c
JOIN ps_category_lang cl ON c.id_category = cl.id_category AND cl.id_lang = 1
WHERE c.active = 1 AND c.id_category > 2  -- exclude Root and Home
ORDER BY c.level_depth, c.id_category;

Images

PrestaShop stores images in /img/p/ with subfolders based on the ID digits: product with id=1234 has an image at /img/p/1/2/3/4/1234.jpg. Multiple sizes are generated (thumbnail, medium, large, home).

During migration, we need the original images at maximum resolution. Bitrix generates thumbnails automatically via CFile::ResizeImageGet().

Modules and functionality

PrestaShop has a vast module ecosystem. Some have direct counterparts in Bitrix:

Custom modules for PayPal, DHL, and other foreign services cannot be transferred — domestic alternatives (YooKassa, CDEK, Boxberry) are required.

Transferring SEO settings

It's crucial to preserve search engine positions. We export meta tags from ps_meta and ps_product_lang.meta_title/meta_description, transfer SEO-friendly URLs from link_rewrite, and set up 301 redirects from old URLs. After migration, we check indexing and update the sitemap.

Why is migration from PrestaShop to Bitrix beneficial?

Bitrix processes a catalog of 10,000 products three times faster than PrestaShop thanks to tagged caching. 1C integration is implemented at the kernel level — no additional modules required. Official 1C-Bitrix documentation confirms compliance with Russian fiscalization standards (54-FZ, OFD). Moreover, switching to Bitrix reduces support costs through a unified platform and built-in tools.

What is included in the migration?

• Audit of the current database — identify unused tables, duplicates, errors
• Write export/import scripts — handling custom fields and modules
• Transfer images — preserve folder structure and optimize
• Configure 1C exchange — via CommerceML with stock and price synchronization
• Testing — reference product sample, order verification, performance checks
• Team training — basic Bitrix administration
• 12-month warranty — free fixes for any migration-related issues

Orders and customer base

If preserving order history for LTV analysis and repeat sales is important, we migrate from ps_orders + ps_order_detail to Bitrix's "Online Store" module. Order statuses from ps_order_state are manually mapped to Bitrix statuses.

Typical timelines

Site design is developed from scratch to fit the Bitrix template. Get a consultation for your project — we'll estimate the scope and timeline. Contact us to discuss your migration details.

Why URL Structure Matters in Bitrix Migration?

Skipping URL mapping during a website migration to Bitrix crashes organic traffic by 50–80% in two weeks. WordPress uses /product/item-name/, OpenCart uses /index.php?route=product/product&product_id=123, Bitrix defaults to /catalog/section/element/. Without a 301 redirect map, search engines index mass 404s. We start every migration with Screaming Frog scanning the old site, then compile a complete redirect map before writing a single line of code. Proper migration requires full URL mapping — every indexed page gets a correspondent.

Over seven years we have completed 50+ projects: landing pages, catalogs with 300,000 products, e‑commerce stores. Typical duration 2–8 weeks. Contact us for a free project estimate within one day.

How Migration Preserves SEO Positions

Losing organic traffic is the biggest fear, and it's justified. Here is how we avoid it.

• URL mapping 1:1 — where possible, via CUrlRewriter and infoblock SEF settings we keep the exact structure. When impossible — 301 redirect. Auto‑generation of redirect map: parse Screaming Frog export, match with new element slugs, generate nginx config. Each redirect verified with curl -I after switching.
• Transfer of meta tags — title, description, h1 moved into properties ELEMENT_META_TITLE and ELEMENT_META_DESCRIPTION. Canonical via Bitrix SEO component. Duplicates cut: www/non‑www, http/https, sorting parameters. Sitemap: new sitemap.xml generated by Bitrix seo module, submitted to Search Console immediately after DNS switch.
• Speed comparison — Bitrix processes a catalog of 100,000 products 3x faster than OpenCart due to tagged caching and query optimization for b_catalog_product.

What Data Gets Transferred?

Content — pages, articles, news → information infoblocks. Catalog: categories → sections, products → elements linked to b_catalog_product, properties → infoblock properties or highload directories. Images, reviews, FAQ.

E‑commerce — products with trade offers (SKUs), prices in b_catalog_price (multi‑currency via b_catalog_currency), stock balances b_catalog_store_product, discounts (b_sale_discount), order history (b_sale_order + b_sale_basket).

Users — client base b_user plus custom UF fields. Passwords are hashed differently: WordPress — phpass, OpenCart — SHA1+salt, Drupal — SHA512. We write a custom CUser::LoginByHash with fallback to old algorithm — client enters password once, system rehashes to Bitrix bcrypt.

SEO data — meta tags, alt attributes, URL structure. Main task: preserve every indexed URL or set 301.

Media — images, documents, videos — transferred preserving paths and optimized via CFile::MakeFileArray().

How to Plan a Successful Migration: 5 Key Steps

1. Audit — scan with Screaming Frog: all URLs, status codes, meta tags. Analyze DB structure, custom modifications, integrations. Create migration map.
2. Architecture design — map content types → infoblocks, fields → properties, directories → highload blocks. Architecture must be convenient for Bitrix administration.
3. Migration scripts — PHP scripts read from old DB (or API), transform and write via Bitrix API (CIBlockElement::Add, \Bitrix\Sale\Order::create). Re‑run during testing.
4. Staging — full migration to test server. Verify integrity: product count, properties, URLs, filters.
5. Final migration & switching — delta import, DNS switch, monitoring.

Typical Migration Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Each of these errors has caused loss of positions and clients.

• Loss of URLs without redirects — the most destructive mistake. /product/123 instead of /catalog/item-name.html — without 301 this means mass 404s and traffic collapse. We auto‑generate the map and verify every redirect after switching.
• Content duplication — one product accessible with and without www, via HTTP and HTTPS, with GET filter parameters → five URLs instead of one. SEO weight dilutes. Set up canonical, 301 for variants, robots.txt with Disallow for parameters.
• Broken images — absolute URLs in content (src="https://old-site.ru/img/photo.jpg"), quality loss during compression. Replace with relative paths, transfer preserving structure, check HTTP 200 for each file.
• Loss of meta tags and microdata — title, description, Schema.org may not transfer. Do full mapping and verify on staging.
• Broken forms and integrations — changed IDs, API keys, webhooks. Compile integration register before start and test each after.
• Mobile version — old m.site.ru → responsive Bitrix. Without mobile URL redirect → 404 for mobile users. Include in redirect map.

Timelines and Cost Savings

Businesses typically save $3,000–$8,000 annually after migration — no old CMS license fees, reduced plugin and hosting costs. Annual hosting savings alone can reach $1,200. Add the affordable licensing cost of 1C‑Bitrix — it pays off quickly.

Contact us for a free migration estimate. We also provide a preliminary calculation within one day — request a consultation with our Bitrix specialists.