How we performed a last minute migration from deal-based to order-based architecture due to major Shopify integration changes with minimal impact on operations.
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Shaper Tools is an innovative ecommerce company specializing in carpentry tech products, with the vast majority of their business powered by Shopify. When they initially engaged our HubSpot partner agency, their HubSpot portal was deeply reliant on a deal-based structure — a necessity at the time due to the original Shopify integration, which synced ecommerce transactions into a dedicated deal pipeline.
This setup caused significant friction. For example, contact segmentation based on product ownership was cumbersome and prone to errors. To overcome this, we built a robust system of contact properties and workflows to sanitize and organize data based on deal information. While effective, this structure was inherently complex and vulnerable to future changes.
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In early 2024, HubSpot announced a critical update: the legacy Shopify integration (which synced to deals) would be deprecated and replaced by a new version that leverages Orders and Carts — two ecommerce-native objects in HubSpot.
With just two weeks' notice before the old integration would be disabled, Shaper Tools faced a sudden and urgent need to migrate to the new order-based architecture. The catch? They didn’t even know it was happening.
Luckily, we did.
Without waiting for direction, our team sprang into action. We:
Audited all affected assets:
We reviewed every deal-influenced property, workflow, list, report, and email in the account. Assets were categorized by priority for migration.
Rebuilt the structure using Orders and Carts:
Over an intense two-day sprint, a dedicated internal team re-created all relevant automations and assets using orders and carts instead of deals.
Retroactively synced Shopify data:
We initiated a backfill of Shopify orders into HubSpot’s new ecommerce objects to ensure data consistency.
Tested extensively and rolled out in stages:
We enabled the new Shopify integration one store at a time, validating each stage before moving forward.
Trained the Shaper Tools team:
Once live, we provided a streamlined walkthrough of the new data structure to ensure a smooth handoff to the client’s internal teams.
Data continuity preserved: Historical deal-based data remains intact but is now mirrored in orders and carts, allowing for unified reporting without backward dependencies.
Avoided business disruption: Despite the compressed timeline, Shaper experienced zero negative impact on their marketing, service, or communication pipelines.
Proactive partnership: Shaper didn’t have to lift a finger. We identified the issue, designed the solution, and executed everything with minimal client involvement.
The result was a flawless migration that left Shaper Tools not just compliant with the new Shopify-HubSpot requirements — but fully optimized for them. The client avoided the common pitfalls others faced post-migration, such as broken workflows, lost data, or fragmented customer reporting.
“We were expecting a mess. Instead, we didn’t even notice the change — because everything just worked.”
– Shaper Tools Team
If you didn’t prepare for the shift from deals to orders in HubSpot — and are now experiencing unexpected consequences — we can help.
Migrating between objects in HubSpot isn’t just a technical exercise. It requires deep CRM experience, cross-functional thinking, and a future-proof mindset.
Let’s make your HubSpot setup work for you — not against you.
Looking to move your website to HubSpot or optimise your current HubSpot website? Contact Baskey Digital today.
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