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- VTEX CMS → VTEX IO migration
From legacy VTEX CMS to VTEX IO.
We move your storefront from CMS Portal to VTEX IO and FastStore, with catalog, checkout and operations kept in the same account and Core Web Vitals at today's level.
The storefront changes, the VTEX core stays
Catalog, orders, checkout, promotions, payments and logistics remain in the same account. The migration replaces only the experience layer.
- Only the storefront migrates: catalog and checkout stay as they are.
- FastStore with SSG and SSR, optimized images and a mobile LCP target under 2.5 s.
- SEO, slugs and domain authority preserved.
- Reusable design system in React and TypeScript.
- A clear roadmap to leave the legacy stack in 3 to 5 months.
Why leave VTEX CMS now
VTEX itself directs innovation to IO and FastStore. Every year on Portal widens the gap.
CMS Portal is legacy
New VTEX projects and innovation go to IO and FastStore. Staying on Portal means losing access to modern apps, Intelligent Search, headless and recent integrations.
Poor Core Web Vitals
Portal templates load heavy CSS and JS, render on the server with limited caching and make green mobile metrics hard to reach, which affects Google Ads, SEO and conversion.
Low productivity
Simple changes go through several screens, HTML coupled to templates and manual deploys. On IO and FastStore, a design system and CI/CD speed up every delivery.
Limited technical SEO
Portal offers little control over dynamic metadata, structured data, sitemap and performance. IO and FastStore deliver SSR, SSG, native JSON-LD and full control of the HTML.
An increasingly headless market
Headless stores already run with PWA, personalization and native A/B testing. Customizing the legacy stack does not close that gap.
The future of talent
New professionals prefer React and TypeScript on FastStore over old Portal templates. Migrating widens the talent pool and makes hiring easier.
Six phases, each with a decision gate
Focused on the storefront, preserving the catalog and checkout already running on VTEX, with objective deliverables and joint approval at the end of each phase.
- 1
Assessment
Templates, custom apps, page volume, performance, SEO and front-end integrations such as analytics, personalization and A/B testing. Output: scope map and recommendation.
- 2
Planning
FastStore architecture, design system, page matrix, SEO, content plan and schedule. Output: approved blueprint and kickoff.
- 3
Setup
FastStore project, IO workspace, repositories, pipelines, access and environments. Output: stack ready for continuous development.
- 4
Development
Design system in React and TypeScript, home, PLP, PDP and institutional pages, Intelligent Search, light checkout adjustments and performance and accessibility testing.
- 5
Cutover
Master workspace in production, domain routing switched to FastStore, 301 redirects active and gradual shutdown of Portal. Effective downtime close to zero.
- 6
Hypercare
30 to 60 days of Core Web Vitals fine-tuning, SEO and conversion monitoring, targeted fixes and knowledge transfer.
What you get
From design system to training, everything documented and handed over to your team.
Storefront
- FastStore design system in React and TypeScript
- Home, PLP, PDP, institutional pages and landing pages on IO
- Intelligent Search configured and tuned
SEO and performance
- Metadata, sitemap and JSON-LD
- 301 redirect matrix from Portal to FastStore
- Green Core Web Vitals as the target, on desktop and mobile
Engineering
- CI/CD pipeline and QA workspaces
- Technical documentation and maintenance guide
Team
- Training for marketing and IT
- Post-migration evolution plan
Typical risks and how we mitigate them
Five risks in every storefront migration, with the response defined before cutover.
SEO run as a project, from planning through post-go-live
Most SEO losses in migrations come from a lack of process, not knowledge. The workstream starts in planning and stays intensive for the first 90 days after go-live.
- Portal audit: pages with the most organic traffic and revenue.
- 1:1 matrix of 301 redirects for every URL that changes.
- Title, description, product JSON-LD, breadcrumb and canonical preserved.
- Sitemap.xml and robots.txt validated and accepted in Search Console.
- 404 errors monitored daily.
- Indexing, organic traffic and rankings tracked in Search Console and GA4.
High-level estimate
Costs and timelines vary with the number of templates, the volume of customizations and the maturity of the design system. The detailed estimate comes at the end of the assessment.
Simple stores, with few pages and a defined design system, can take 2 to 3 months. Multi-store, multi-language marketplaces can take 7 or 8 months.
VTEX CMS to VTEX IO migration: analysis
Why VTEX CMS became a problem
VTEX CMS Portal was the foundation of tens of thousands of VTEX stores for more than a decade, but the model of Portal templates and legacy apps has aged. Core Web Vitals became a Google ranking factor, Intelligent Search and headless became the basis of VTEX innovation, and teams want to work with React, TypeScript, CI/CD and a design system.
The question is not whether to migrate, but when. The sooner the store leaves the legacy stack, the lower the accumulated technical cost and the faster the return in conversion, SEO and productivity.
FastStore, the natural bridge to headless
FastStore is the open-source framework maintained by VTEX for headless storefronts. Built on Next.js, it delivers SSG and SSR, images optimized by default, ready-made JSON-LD and direct integration with VTEX APIs.
For teams coming from Portal, the learning curve is manageable: CCX has an internal starter, a base design system, a component library and page templates that cut weeks off the project. The result is your own storefront, built with the same tools the big digital natives use.
SEO in the migration: process before and after go-live
Many migrations lose SEO through a lack of discipline, not knowledge. Before go-live, we map the old URLs with relevant organic traffic, rank them by revenue and build the 1:1 matrix of 301 redirects. Title, description, product JSON-LD, breadcrumb and canonical are preserved on every migrated page.
Once the new site is live, the first 90 days bring intensive monitoring in Search Console and Google Analytics, with external audits, 404 errors tracked daily and sitemap.xml and robots.txt checked. If any URL pattern starts to drop, there is a rapid response plan.
What happens to checkout and integrations
The VTEX core does not change. Catalog, orders, checkout, promotions, payments and logistics remain in the same account, with the same apps and integrations. The migration works on the storefront, in the visual and experience layers.
That reduces operational risk: there is no risk of losing orders at cutover, integrations with SAP, ERP and OMS stay intact, and WMS and TMS are not touched.
Team, governance and continuity
For the internal team, the migration is a stack upgrade. Marketing sets up campaigns in a more modern interface, IT works with React, TypeScript and CI/CD, and the performance team gains visibility into Core Web Vitals by environment.
CCX delivers the foundation, training, playbooks and a hypercare period with the internal team operating alongside us. Six months after go-live, most clients keep evolving the storefront with CCX as an on-demand squad or advisory, no longer as a fixed-scope project.
Frequently asked questions
Do I also need to migrate catalog or checkout?
No. The migration from VTEX CMS to IO and FastStore focuses on the storefront. Catalog, checkout, payments, promotions and integrations remain in the same VTEX account, unchanged.
How long does the migration take?
Typical projects take 3 to 6 months. Simple stores, with few pages and a reasonably defined design system, can take 2 to 3 months. Multi-store, multi-language marketplaces can take 7 or 8 months.
Will I lose SEO when I migrate?
Not with process discipline. A dedicated SEO workstream follows the entire migration, with a 301 redirect matrix, preserved slugs and metadata and monitoring after go-live.
Will there be downtime at cutover?
Effective downtime is close to zero. Switching the domain route to the FastStore workspace takes minutes, in a low-traffic window.
Can I keep my current VTEX apps?
Most of them keep working, because the platform core does not change. We review each app during the assessment to identify the legacy ones that need to be replaced.
What about ERP, OMS and WMS integrations?
They are not touched. They talk to the VTEX core, not the storefront. That is why the operational risk of this migration is much lower than that of a platform change.
What is the investment range?
It depends on the number of pages, the complexity of the design system and the volume of current customizations. The detailed estimate comes at the end of the assessment.
How does maintenance work after go-live?
There are three models: a dedicated on-demand squad, monthly advisory or fixed-scope evolution projects. Most clients start with a small squad in the first six months and then move to advisory.
Ready to leave legacy VTEX CMS?
Thirty minutes with a CCX engineer, at no cost, to assess your current Portal and the path to FastStore.