Magento 1 End-of-Life Migration Checklist

Summary

Magento 1 reached end-of-life in June 2020. If you're still running it, or advising a client who is, this checklist covers the hard questions most teams skip until they're already in trouble.

Migration Projects Fail in Discovery, Not Platform Selection

Most Magento 1 migrations don't fail because teams picked the wrong platform. They fail because nobody mapped what was actually running in production before making promises about timelines and budgets.

Magento 1 stores accumulate years of custom code, undocumented integrations, and business logic buried in extensions that stopped being maintained in 2018. The real migration scope lives in these details, not in the feature comparison spreadsheet.

Use this checklist during discovery to surface risks early. Skip it, and you'll find them during UAT instead.

Platform & Infrastructure Baseline

What version of Magento 1 is running (CE or EE, specific version number)?
Is the instance running on PHP 5.x or has it been patched to run on PHP 7.x?
What hosting environment is in use, and does the current hosting contract have a termination date?
Are there any custom patches applied to Magento core files?
How is the current environment backed up, and when was the last restore test?

Security Exposure Since EOL

Has the site been audited for known Magento 1 vulnerabilities since EOL?
Is PCI compliance currently maintained, and through what compensating controls?
Are there any active security monitoring tools in place?
Has the site experienced any breaches or security incidents in the past 24 months?

Extension & Customization Audit

Which Extensions Are Migration Blockers?

How many third-party extensions are installed, and which vendor built each one?
Which extensions are still actively maintained by their vendors?
Which extensions have been abandoned or have no upgrade path to modern platforms?
Are there any extensions with known security vulnerabilities that haven't been patched?
Which extensions contain business-critical functionality that must be replicated?

Custom Code Nobody Documented

What percentage of the codebase is custom vs. core vs. third-party?
Is there documentation for custom modules, or will reverse-engineering be required?
Who originally built the custom code, and are they available to consult?
Are there custom code dependencies on deprecated PHP functions or libraries?
What custom functionality exists in local.xml or other configuration overrides?

Frontend Technical Debt

Is the current theme custom-built or based on a commercial theme?
Does the theme rely on deprecated JavaScript libraries (Prototype, Scriptaculous)?
Are there custom frontend features that bypass standard Magento patterns?
What is the current mobile experience, and does it require a complete rebuild?

Data Migration Complexity

Customer Data

How many customer records exist, and what percentage are active?
What custom customer attributes have been added?
Are there customer segments or groups with special pricing rules?
How is customer password hashing handled, and what's the re-authentication strategy?
Are there GDPR or CCPA considerations for migrating customer data?

Product Data

How many SKUs exist, and how many are active vs. discontinued?
What product types are in use (simple, configurable, bundle, grouped, downloadable)?
Are there custom product attributes that don't map to standard fields?
How is product data currently maintained, manually, via import, or through integration?
What's the image asset situation (quantity, quality, naming conventions, storage location)?

Order History

How much order history needs to migrate, and why?
Are there active subscriptions, recurring orders, or layaway arrangements?
What order statuses and workflows are custom?
Are there legal or compliance requirements for order data retention?

Content & Configuration

What CMS pages and static blocks exist, and which are still active?
Are there URL rewrites or redirects that need to migrate?
What promotional rules and coupon codes are active?
Is there a custom data structure for wishlists, gift registries, or saved carts?

Integration Mapping

What's Actually Connected?

What ERP, OMS, or inventory management systems connect to Magento 1?
How do these integrations work (API, flat file, direct database)?
Which integrations are real-time vs. batch?
Are there middleware tools in the stack (Celigo, Boomi, custom scripts)?
Who maintains these integrations, and is documentation available?

Integration Risk Assessment

Which integrations will break completely on a new platform?
Are there integrations relying on deprecated Magento 1 APIs?
What's the vendor support situation for re-integration on a new platform?
Are there seasonal or peak-period freezes that affect integration work?

Business Logic & Process

Checkout & Payment

What payment gateways are in use, and do they support the target platform?
Are there custom checkout steps or flows?
What shipping calculation methods are implemented?
Are there tax calculation customizations or integrations?
Is there any fraud detection tooling that needs to migrate?

Pricing & Promotions

Are there customer-specific pricing tiers or negotiated prices?
What promotional mechanics are in use beyond standard catalog and cart rules?
Is there integration with external pricing engines?
Are there complex bundle or kit pricing calculations?

Operational Dependencies

What order fulfillment workflows exist, and where are they documented?
Are there custom admin interfaces or dashboards that operations depends on?
What reports does the business run regularly, and how are they generated?
Are there any automated processes (cron jobs, scheduled tasks) that aren't documented?

Timeline & Risk Factors

Hard Constraints

Is there a hard deadline driving this migration (compliance, contract, security)?
What's the peak season, and what's the realistic freeze window?
Does the current hosting contract have a termination date that forces timing?
Are there other major initiatives competing for the same resources?

Organizational Readiness

Who owns the migration decision, and do they have budget authority?
Is there internal technical staff who understands the current implementation?
What's the realistic availability of business stakeholders for requirements and UAT?
Has the organization been through a platform migration before?

Contingency Planning

What happens if the current site goes down during migration?
Is there a rollback plan if the new platform launch fails?
What's the contingency if migration takes 50% longer than estimated?
Are there contractual or legal implications of the current EOL status?

Platform Selection Readiness

Requirements Clarity

Are the requirements for the new platform documented and prioritized?
Which current capabilities are must-have vs. nice-to-have?
Are there new capabilities required that don't exist today?
Has the business articulated a 3-year vision, or just a 1:1 migration?

Evaluation Criteria

What platforms are under consideration, and why?
Who needs to be involved in platform evaluation?
What's the decision-making process and timeline?
Are there existing vendor relationships or biases that will influence selection?

Using These Answers

This checklist isn't meant to generate a score. It's meant to surface the conversations you need to have before scope is locked.

Every question you can't answer clearly is a risk. Every answer that starts with "I think..." needs validation. The goal is to know where the gaps are before they become change orders.

For agencies and consultants: use this during discovery to build a realistic migration roadmap. For internal teams: use this to pressure-test vendor proposals and timelines.

How DigitalStack Structures Migration Discovery

DigitalStack treats migration discovery as a structured process, not a document collection exercise.

Instead of scattering this information across spreadsheets, emails, and slide decks, DigitalStack connects stakeholder input, system inventory, and requirements into a single engagement model. When integration findings inform timeline risks, that connection is maintained, not lost in version 3 of a deck.

For Magento 1 migrations specifically:

System and integration mapping tied directly to requirements
Stakeholder surveys that surface operational dependencies before they become surprises
Risk tracking that connects to scope and timeline decisions
Outputs generated from structured data, not manually assembled

Next Step

Migrating from Magento 1 means choosing what comes next. Before you evaluate platforms, make sure your requirements are structured and your decision criteria are clear.

[Explore the Platform Selection Guide →]