Migrating From Salesforce Commerce Cloud to Magento / Adobe Commerce

Many businesses selected Salesforce Commerce Cloud to run their online commerce functions. Its built-in tools offer a reliable foundation but can limit deep customization and flexible integration. As customer expectations evolve, moving to an open system like Magento Open Source or Adobe Commerce may provide the control and adaptability that growing enterprises need.

Enterprise teams often reach the limits of traditional SaaS platforms. While these platforms support core operations, tailoring experiences and integrating advanced marketing tools sometimes requires a more flexible solution. Magento/Adobe Commerce offers a modular architecture that lets you customize your storefront while keeping your existing Salesforce CRM intact — ensuring that customer data and sales insights remain a key asset.

Industry research from experts such as Gartner and Forrester confirms that digital transformation should improve system flexibility without compromising core customer management capabilities. This article outlines the initial considerations for migrating from Salesforce Commerce Cloud to Magento/Adobe Commerce, covering technical and operational aspects that will guide your digital transformation while preserving the strengths of your current CRM system.

Understanding the Existing Environment

Many organizations rely on Salesforce Commerce Cloud as the backbone of their digital commerce. Its multi-tenant SaaS architecture simplifies operations but restricts deep backend modifications. The platform manages products, customers, and orders in standardized formats, often extended with custom attributes. Customizations are typically developed using ISML templates and proprietary scripting, while integrations are built to work seamlessly within the Salesforce ecosystem.

Before planning a migration, it’s essential to map your current setup:

• Platform Architecture: A hosted, multi-tenant system that limits backend modifications.
• Data Structures: Proprietary formats for products, customers, and orders, often enhanced with custom attributes.
• Customizations: Tailored within Salesforce’s framework, which may need to be re-implemented on a new platform.
• Integrations: Designed to work within the Salesforce ecosystem and with select third-party services.

Why Consider Magento and Adobe Commerce?

Magento and Adobe Commerce offer open, modular platforms that provide full control over customization and integration. Unlike Salesforce Commerce Cloud’s proprietary model, Magento lets you modify both the front-end and back-end to meet your specific business needs.

Key advantages include:

• Flexibility: Tailor every aspect of your storefront and underlying business logic.
• Control: Choose your own hosting and infrastructure to optimize performance.
• Integration: Access a broad ecosystem of third-party extensions and robust APIs.
• Innovation: Adapt quickly to market demands without being restricted by vendor constraints.

For enterprises needing an adaptable solution that supports innovation while preserving a strong CRM foundation, Magento and Adobe Commerce provide the necessary tools to drive growth and maintain customer insights.

Key Migration Considerations

Migrating from Salesforce Commerce Cloud to Magento or Adobe Commerce requires clear planning and precise execution. Focus on these key areas:

• Discovery & Assessment: Evaluate your current platform’s architecture, data structures, customizations, and integrations to define the scope of the migration.
• Data Migration: Map existing product, customer, and order data to Magento’s format. Prioritize data cleansing and validation to ensure a smooth transition.
• Rewriting Customizations: Identify unique features and custom code. Determine how these will be rebuilt or reconfigured using Magento’s modular framework.
• Integration Strategy: Plan to maintain seamless connections between your new eCommerce platform and existing systems, especially Salesforce CRM.
• Testing & Quality Assurance: Develop a comprehensive testing plan covering functionality, performance, security, and user acceptance.
• Change Management: Prepare teams for operational changes with a phased rollout and clear communication to minimize disruptions.

Maintaining and Leveraging Salesforce CRM Capabilities

A key priority during the migration is preserving the strengths of your Salesforce CRM. Even as the eCommerce front-end transitions to Magento and Adobe Commerce, Salesforce should remain the central system for customer data and sales insights.

Consider the following:

• Data Synchronization: Ensure smooth, accurate data flows between Magento and Salesforce CRM to keep customer information up-to-date.
• Integration Best Practices: Use standardized APIs and proven integration patterns to maintain robust connections between systems.
• Enhanced Functionality: Leverage Magento’s customization options together with Salesforce’s deep customer insights to drive personalized marketing and engagement.
• Vendor Guidance: Follow established practices from both Salesforce and Adobe to design a secure, efficient integration strategy.

Risk Management and Mitigation Strategies

Every migration project carries risks. A proactive approach to risk management is essential to avoid disruptions and ensure a successful transition.

Focus on these areas:

• Data Integrity: Develop a robust plan for mapping, cleansing, and validating data throughout the migration process.
• Integration Reliability: Identify critical integrations early and design fallback procedures to handle unexpected failures.
• Operational Continuity: Implement a phased rollout strategy to minimize disruption to daily business operations, with rollback plans in place if needed.
• Comprehensive Testing: Execute extensive testing protocols covering functionality, security, and performance across the new environment.
• Stakeholder Communication: Keep all key stakeholders informed and engaged to ensure alignment and swift resolution of issues.

What Are the Next Steps?

Migrating from Salesforce Commerce Cloud to Magento or Adobe Commerce is a strategic move that enhances customization and integration while preserving the trusted capabilities of your Salesforce CRM. This article has outlined the key technical and operational areas to consider — from assessing your current environment to managing risks.

Next steps include:

• Detailed Discovery: Conduct a comprehensive assessment of your existing setup.
• Migration Planning: Develop a detailed, step-by-step plan for data migration, customizations, and integrations.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Align technical and business teams on objectives, timelines, and responsibilities.
• Pilot Testing: Launch a pilot phase to validate your migration strategy before full-scale implementation.

This migration is not just a technical upgrade — it represents a strategic evolution of your digital commerce capabilities, setting the stage for improved personalization, operational efficiency, and sustainable growth.