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Moving your online store from Ribbn to Shopify (FAQ)

When moving your online sales from Ribbn to Shopify, Ribbn will continue to be your system for in-store operations, inventory and product data — while Shopify becomes your platform for the online storefront and online orders.

Below you’ll find the most common questions and answers about the migration.

Do I need to create a new design in Shopify?

Yes. In Shopify you build your storefront using a theme. The theme provides the foundation of your store, and you then add your own images, text, and content.

We recommend the Horizon theme, but you can choose freely from Shopify’s free themes here.

Do I need to create a new navigation/menu?

Yes. Navigation comes with the theme, but you’ll need to set up your menu items the way you want the menu structure to look.

Will collections transfer from Ribbn to Shopify?

No. Collections do not transfer automatically from Ribbn, so you will need to create them in Shopify.

However, you can still use Ribbn’s taxonomy when setting up and filtering collections in Shopify.

Do I need to rebuild the taxonomy? 

No. Your taxonomy carries over and will appear as Meta Fields in Shopify.

How do I sync products from Ribbn to Shopify?

When a product is ready to be sold online, you sync it manually from Ribbn to Shopify with one click.

You can also select multiple products and sync them in bulk.

Does the “availableOnline” tag work in Shopify?

Not in the same way anymore.

The availableOnline tag is no longer used by Shopify as a sales/publishing trigger. It is mainly used for internal product management and visibility inside Ribbn.

You still need to manually sync products from Ribbn to Shopify.

Can I use “availableOnline” during the first sync to move everything that’s currently online?

Yes — that’s a great approach.

We recommend syncing in batches, for example by collection or product group, so the migration is controlled and smooth.

Are in-store returns still handled in Ribbn/Stripe?

Yes. All in-store sales, returns, and product management continue to be handled in Ribbn/Stripe.

Only your online sales are moved to Shopify.

Is in-store order management still handled in Ribbn?

Yes — correct. All in-store order management is handled in Ribbn, same way as before.

How long does the migration take?

It depends on how much time you spend building your storefront design and content in Shopify.

A good approach is to gradually build the theme layout over time (evenings, or quieter moments in the store). We can also review your setup and support you with any questions.

For the actual product migration and domain switch, we recommend setting aside one full day, so everything can be done carefully and correctly.

How does sync work when an item is sold in-store and should be removed online?

If a product is changed to a Sold-state in Ribbn, the inventory quantity in Shopify automatically decreases.

  • Shopify inventory is reduced

  • When inventory reaches 0 (which happens immediately for unique items), the product status in Shopify is set to Draft

This automatically removes the product from online sale once it’s sold in-store.

Have you worked in Shopify before? Can you show me around?

Yes — if you haven’t used Shopify before, we can book a short meeting and walk you through it.

Shopify is very intuitive, and most users enjoy the flexibility it provides for building and managing an online store.

Payments and Stripe fees

Will I pay Stripe fees twice?

No.

Ribbn’s Stripe fees only apply to online purchases processed in Ribbn. When you receive online orders in Shopify, you connect Shopify to Shopify’s Stripe setup.

After the migration:

  • Ribbn will only keep transaction fees for in-store purchases

  • Shopify handles transaction fees for online purchases

  • You will not be charged twice

What data is transferred when publishing products to Shopify?

When you select products in Ribbn and click “Publish item(s) on Shopify”, the product data is transferred to Shopify — including media.

Synced data includes:

  • Title

  • Product description

  • Media (images)

  • Price

  • Other product information (as Meta Fields in Shopify) such as:

    Primary Segment (e.g. Woman)

    Product Category (e.g. Bags)

    Product Type (e.g. Shoulder Bag)

    Product Style (e.g. Tote)

    Standard Size

    Label Size

    Brand

    Color

    Condition

    Original Price

    Commission

    Seller Name

    Ribbn Seller ID

    Ribbn Inventory Location(s)

    Ribbn Tags
    (e.g. doneEditing, availableOnline, Designers, carousel, etc.)

    RFID

    Status (e.g. SOLD)

    Product Class (e.g. UNIQUE)

    URL (internal Ribbn reference)

    Ribbn ID

In Shopify, you’ll then be able to build collections and search/filter products based on this data.

Ribbn vs Shopify: responsibilities

The main rule is:

  1. All product management is done in Ribbn

  2. All order management is done in Shopify

What this means in practice

  • You create and update products in Ribbn

  • When a product is ready for online sale, you sync it to Shopify

  • If you update product information in Ribbn, Shopify will update automatically (as long as the product has already been synced)

Returns and order history

Where are online returns handled?

Returns from purchases online are handled in Shopify.

Can I still see order history in Ribbn?

Yes. You will still be able to see order history in Ribbn, since Shopify orders are mapped over to Ribbn.

Please note: orders are visible in Ribbn, but cannot be managed there.

Read more here:
https://help.ribbn.ai/how-orders-work-between-ribbn-and-shopify