When migrating a blog from WordPress to Shopify, many users face the challenge of failing to transfer custom field data. While Shopify offers a powerful custom data feature called “Metafields,” the standard import function cannot directly read this data from a WordPress XML file.
The Solution: By using the free “XML to CSV Converter Tool” provided by Blog Importer, you can automatically extract WordPress custom fields and bulk import them directly as Shopify metafields.
What You Will Learn in This Guide
- How to completely migrate custom fields attached to WordPress posts (SEO settings, unique data, etc.).
- How to eliminate manual copy-pasting and drastically reduce migration time.
- How to confidently move complex blog structures to Shopify.
Why is Custom Field Migration Difficult?
While the WordPress data format (WXR/XML) is highly flexible, Shopify’s standard article import feature only recognizes basic elements like “Title,” “Content,” and “Publish Date.”
As a result, crucial data is often lost during the migration process, such as:
- SEO Plugin Data (custom titles, meta descriptions)
- Author Information
- Design-specific Flags (True/False values)
Manually registering these one by one into Shopify metafields is highly impractical when dealing with dozens or hundreds of articles.
3-Step Migration Guide Using the Converter Tool
You can fully automate this process using Blog Importer’s “XML to CSV Converter Tool.”
Step 1: Export XML from WordPress
From your WordPress admin dashboard, navigate to “Tools” > “Export” and download your target posts in XML format.
Step 2: Convert to CSV with the Converter Tool
Upload the XML file to the free XML to CSV Converter Tool on the Blog Importer website.
The tool will automatically parse the <wp:postmeta> tags within the XML and extract your custom fields as CSV columns.
The converter automatically outputs custom fields in the format: metafield_custom_xxx:typeName.
Step 3: Adjust Column Names to the Metafield Format
Open the converted CSV in Google Sheets or Excel. Rename the column headers of the custom fields you want to import into a format that Blog Importer can recognize. Since the output data types are temporary defaults, ensure you edit the CSV column names to match the exact keys and data types registered in your Shopify admin.
Format: metafield_custom_keyName:dataType
Examples:
metafield_custom_writer:single_line_text_fieldmetafield_custom_recommend_flag:boolean
Execute the Import with Blog Importer
Simply upload the prepared CSV to the Blog Importer app. Your articles, images, and specified metafields will all be automatically linked and saved to Shopify.
Blog Importer (Shopify App)
Handle custom field migrations, image hosting, and SEO redirects. The #1 app dedicated to WordPress to Shopify migrations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What metafield types are supported?
A. We support all major Shopify metafield types. As of March 2026, only single-value types are supported.
| Name | Type Name | Input Format |
|---|---|---|
| Single-line text | single_line_text_field | What’s My Age Again? |
| Multi-line text | multi_line_text_field | No kings, no crowns tonight Just broken rules and flashing lights |
| Rich text | rich_text_field | <p>London Calling</p> |
| Integer | number_integer | 42 |
| Decimal | number_decimal | 3.14 |
| Boolean | boolean | true or false |
| Date | date | 2025-10-05 |
| Date and time | date_time | 2025-10-05T13:45:00Z |
| Color | color | #000000 |
| URL | url | https://example.com/page |
| JSON | json | {“foo”:“bar”} |
| File * | file_reference | gid://shopify/File/12345 or https://example.com/abc.jpg |
| Page | page_reference | gid://shopify/Page/12345 |
| Product | product_reference | gid://shopify/Product/12345 |
| Collection | collection_reference | gid://shopify/Collection/12345 |
| Article reference | article_reference | gid://shopify/Article/12345 |
* For image files, specifying the original URL will automatically upload them to Shopify Files.
Q. Some fields were not extracted by the converter tool. Why?
A. Certain WordPress plugins save data in their own custom database tables. As long as the data is included in the XML file under the <wp:postmeta> format, our tool will reliably extract it.
Q. Can I migrate over 1,000 articles?
A. Yes, you can. Even when migrating a massive volume of articles, managing them via CSV allows for easy bulk editing and processing.
Conclusion
Migrating WordPress custom fields used to be a complex task requiring a developer. However, by combining the XML to CSV Converter Tool and the Blog Importer app, anyone can complete a professional blog migration in just a few minutes.
Stop worrying about data loss and start your new blog journey on Shopify smoothly.
Try the XML to CSV Converter Tool
Convert WordPress XML to a Shopify-compatible CSV for free. Custom field extraction is fully automated.