Customer synchronization in WooCommerce to Shopify Sync (W2S) helps you keep customer records aligned between WooCommerce and Shopify. This guide explains how customer sync works, what data is transferred, supported sync directions, and best practices for avoiding duplicates and data conflicts.

Customer sync plays a critical role in order synchronization. Customers must be synced before orders to ensure proper order-to-customer linking on the destination platform.

How Customer Synchronization Works #

W2S synchronizes customers by creating, updating, or deleting customer records between WooCommerce and Shopify based on your selected sync direction and rules.

Key characteristics of customer sync:

• The email address is the primary identifier
• Customers can be synced one-way or bidirectionally
• Existing customers can be updated
• Customer deletion is supported (use with caution)
• Sync runs safely in the background
  

Customer Data That Is Synced #

Basic Customer Information

• First name
• Last name
• Email address (primary identifier)
• Phone number (if available)
  

Billing Address

• Address line 1
• Address line 2
• City
• State or province
• Postal code
• Country
• Company name (if available)
  

Shipping Address

• Address line 1
• Address line 2
• City
• State or province
• Postal code
• Country
• Company name (if available)
  

Only the address data that exists on the source platform is synced.

Supported Sync Directions #

1. WooCommerce → Shopify

Sync customers created in WooCommerce to Shopify.

How to Sync Customers from WooCommerce to Shopify

1. Go to the Config tab
2. Select WooCommerce → Shopify as the sync direction
3. Choose sync timing: on-save, hourly, daily, or weekly sync
4. Enable the Customers module
5. Choose Create, Update, or Delete actions
6. Apply filters if required
7. Save configuration to run sync
   

2. Shopify → WooCommerce

Sync customers created in Shopify to WooCommerce.

How to Sync Customers from Shopify to WooCommerce

1. In the Config tab, select Shopify → WooCommerce as the sync direction
2. Choose one sync timing
3. Enable the Customers module
4. Choose Create, Update, or Delete actions
5. Save the configuration
6. Verify the audit log for sync status
   

3. Bidirectional Customer Sync

W2S Sync supports bidirectional customer synchronization.

This allows:

• Customers created in WooCommerce to sync to Shopify
• Customers created in Shopify to sync to WooCommerce
  

Updates are synced carefully using email-based matching to prevent duplication.

Customer Matching Logic #

Primary Matching Rule

Customers are matched using their email addresses.

Email is used because:

• It is unique across platforms
• It is required for account creation
• It ensures accurate order-to-customer linking
  

Existing Customer Handling

If a customer with the same email already exists on the destination platform:

• The existing customer is updated (if Update is enabled)
• A duplicate customer is not created
  

Customer Account Creation Behavior #

WooCommerce

When customers are synced into WooCommerce:

• A WordPress user account is created
• The user role is set to Customer
• WooCommerce customer data is linked automatically
  

Shopify

When customers are synced into Shopify:

• A customer record is created
• Email address is preserved
• Address information is attached if available
  

Passwords are not transferred between platforms.

Customer Role Filtering (Pro Feature) #

W2S Pro allows filtering customers by WordPress user role before syncing.

Examples:

• Sync only users with the Customer role, or Subscriber role, or both 
• Exclude subscribers or test accounts

Customer Deletion Sync #

Customer deletion sync is supported.

• If a customer is deleted on the source platform
• The same customer will be deleted on the destination platform

This action is permanent and should be used carefully. So it’s recommended only for removing test accounts, controlled cleanup tasks, and non-production environments.

Customer Sync Operations #

Create

Creates new customer records on the destination platform.

Used for:

• Initial migration
• Syncing new customers
  

Update

Updates existing customer records when changes are detected.

Used for:

• Address updates
• Name or phone number changes
• Ongoing maintenance sync
  

Delete

Deletes customers from the destination platform. Use with caution.

Customer Sync and Orders #

Customer sync should always be completed before order sync.

Here’s why this matters: 

• Orders are linked to customers using email
• Pre-synced customers prevent orphaned orders
• Customer history remains intact
  

If a customer is not found during order sync:

• The order may still sync
• Customer linkage may be incomplete
  

Best Practices #

Before Sync

• Ensure customer emails are valid and unique
• Backup customer data on both platforms
• Test with a small set of customers
• Sync customers before orders
  

During Sync

• Monitor the Audit Log
• Avoid changing sync settings mid-run
• Check for errors or skipped records
  

After Sync

• Verify customer counts
• Check billing and shipping addresses
• Confirm no duplicate customers were created
  

Common Issues and Solutions #

Customers Not Syncing

• Ensure the Customers module is enabled
• Verify sync direction
• Check Audit Log for errors
• Confirm customers have email addresses

Duplicate Customers

• Duplicate emails on the source platform
• Manual customer creation on both platforms

Solution:

• Clean duplicate emails
• Use Update instead of Create where applicable
  

Missing Addresses

• The address fields are empty on the source
• Incomplete customer profiles

Solution:

• Update customer profiles before syncing
• Re-run sync with Update enabled
  

Related Documentation #

• Product Synchronization Guide
• Order Synchronization Guide
• Sync Configuration
• Field Mapping
• Frequently Asked Questions

Support #

If you need help with customer synchronization:

• Review the FAQ
• Check the Audit Log
• Contact Smackcoders Support