When to use cloning
- Staging or development — clone production data to a test store to safely try theme changes, app integrations, or bulk edits.
- Regional expansion — duplicate your catalog and content to a store targeting a different market or currency.
- New brand setup — use an existing store as a template for a new brand.
Supported data types
| Data type | Supported |
|---|---|
| Products | |
| Custom collections | |
| Smart collections | |
| Pages | |
| Blogs and blog posts | |
| Files | |
| Themes | |
| Customers | |
| Metafield definitions | |
| Metafields | |
| Metaobject definitions | |
| Metaobjects | |
| Translations |
Clone your store
Prerequisites
- BackupMaster installed on both stores
- A Pro plan or higher on the source store (the destination can be on any plan)
- A completed initial backup on both stores
On the source store
Open Clone store
In the source store’s Shopify admin, go to Apps > BackupMaster and click Clone store.
On the destination store
Open Clone store
In the destination store’s Shopify admin, go to Apps > BackupMaster and click Clone store.
How items are matched
BackupMaster matches each item by handle in the destination store. If a match exists, the destination item is updated with the source version. If no match is found, a new item is created. Cloning the same data twice won’t create duplicates. Items that exist only on the destination are left untouched.How themes are handled
When you include themes, you can transfer only the currently published theme or all themes from the source store. Themes are matched by name — if a theme with the same name exists on the destination, it is updated; otherwise a new theme is created.Cloned themes are not automatically published. If the matched theme is already published on the destination it stays published, but a newly created theme remains unpublished. Publish it manually in the destination store’s Shopify admin.
How dependencies are resolved
BackupMaster resolves dependencies between objects automatically. Before the transfer begins, it creates matching metafield and metaobject definitions and any missing languages in the destination store. When an item transfers, its metafields, metaobjects, and translations transfer with it — for example, a product is cloned together with all of its metafields and translations. References between objects — products in collections, metafields that reference products, files, collections, or blog posts — are resolved by matching handles in the destination store.Errors during cloning
Errors can occur for a variety of reasons — temporary Shopify outages, store plan limits, missing data types, or edge cases. BackupMaster shows a View details link next to any affected item so you can see what went wrong.
How to transfer inventories
Inventory quantities are transferred separately using a CSV file. In the source store, open BackupMaster, go to Backup Storage, select the Inventories category, choose the location and backup version you want, and download the CSV. Then import that CSV into the destination store using Shopify’s built-in inventory import. For the full step-by-step process, see How to restore inventory.Troubleshooting
Metafield or metaobject definition errors
Metafield or metaobject definition errors
If a definition already exists on the destination store with a different type than the source (for example,
single_line_text vs. multi_line_text), the transfer for that definition fails. Remove the conflicting definition from the destination store or update it to match the source, then click Retry Only Failed.Some items failed but most transferred successfully
Some items failed but most transferred successfully
Click Retry Only Failed to re-import only the items that failed. BackupMaster skips everything that already transferred successfully.
Cloned theme not appearing on the storefront
Cloned theme not appearing on the storefront
Cloned themes are not automatically published. Go to Online Store > Themes in the destination store’s Shopify admin and publish the theme manually.
Frequently asked questions
Will cloning delete existing data on the destination store?
Will cloning delete existing data on the destination store?
No. Items that exist only on the destination are left untouched. Cloning only updates items that match by handle and creates new items for anything that doesn’t exist yet.
Can I clone the same data twice?
Can I clone the same data twice?
Yes. BackupMaster matches items by handle, so cloning the same data again updates existing items instead of creating duplicates.
Does cloning transfer orders?
Does cloning transfer orders?
No. Orders, store settings, third-party app data, and menus are not transferred.
Can I clone to multiple destination stores?
Can I clone to multiple destination stores?
Yes. Repeat the process for each destination store using a new clone code.
Do I need to keep the browser open during the transfer?
Do I need to keep the browser open during the transfer?
No. You can close the browser after starting the import. BackupMaster sends an email when the process finishes.