Gambio readiness depends on understanding which records and rules make a Product sellable in the intended environment. A variant quantity, a customer-group label, or a familiar option name is incomplete evidence without its effective stock, pricing, and access context. Preparation should preserve that meaning before the source catalog is cleaned or mapped.
Identify the actual Source Platform and the intended Gambio destination version, hosting arrangement, modules, and customizations separately. Where the Source Store is already Gambio, its current Product Options and Product Variants may coexist with legacy article attributes or properties from earlier generations. If the Source is another platform, preserve its own option and commercial relationships, then document the proposed Gambio treatment without inventing a legacy Gambio lineage.
Every preparation action should name an owner, evidence artifact, and ready condition. The package should distinguish source evidence from target implementation: Product and variant relationships, historical Orders, Content Manager records, URLs, external identifiers, and module-owned data belong to migration readiness, while live payment, shipping, tax, email, theme, and checkout behavior remains target-side configuration.
Source access, evidence and recovery
Confirm access to every source layer that contains required evidence. For an existing Gambio Store, this includes administration, hosting/database access where available, filesystem, images, downloads, Content Manager, modules, scheduled processes, and integrations. Record the actual source versions and code owners. Separately confirm the intended Gambio build, enabled modules, language/currency scope, roles, and implementation prerequisites. For hosted environments, document the available extraction and recovery arrangements instead of assuming direct database or filesystem access.
| Preparation action | Owner | Evidence | Ready condition | Source / Target applicability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm administration access | Actual Source administrator; Gambio administrator when Gambio is the Source | Working account and role summary | For a Gambio Source, Products, options, variants, Customers, Orders, content, and modules can be inspected. Another Source provides access to its own selected records. | Actual Source administration. Native Gambio records apply when that installation is the Source; intended Gambio Target administration is confirmed separately. |
| Confirm environment access | Source infrastructure or hosted-platform owner | Available actual Source administration/data access; hosting, database and filesystem access summary only where that environment provides them | The available source evidence and technical ownership are known. | Actual Source access is conditional on the hosting arrangement. Neither a hosted Gambio Source nor another hosted platform is assumed to expose a database or filesystem. |
| Create recoverable backups | Source infrastructure or platform-recovery owner | Available actual Source backups or exports, files/images/downloads, configuration evidence, recovery coverage, limits and owner; native database/files backups where accessible | Required evidence is recoverable under the declared Source method; full-Store restoration limits are explicit. Resolve a required recovery gap, agree its explicit exclusion or hold the affected scope. | Actual Source recovery capability. Exports and managed recovery may preserve selected evidence without restoring a complete Store; retain database/files/media/download backups where available. |
| Record versions and customizations | Source technical owner; Target build owner separately | Actual Source software and customizations; for a Gambio Source, Gambio, PHP/database where relevant, theme, module, GXModule, and custom-code inventory | Version-dependent structures and modifications are documented. | Actual Source versions and record lineage. Native Gambio/GXModule details apply when used by the Source; intended Target build and consumers are assessed independently. |
| Map external systems | Source and continuing integration owners | ERP/PIM/WMS/CRM/marketplace/accounting/payment/fulfillment endpoints and IDs | Continuing data authorities and synchronization keys are known. | Actual Source and continuing external identifiers and authorities. Future Target endpoints, stock writers and synchronization responsibilities require a separate decision. |
Use the recovery and extraction arrangements available in the actual Source hosting environment. Record the date, included records/files, external media or downloads, missing areas, recovery route and responsible owner. An accessible export can recover evidence without proving full Store restoration. Keep the required Source relationships recoverable, and resolve, agree exclusion or hold any material coverage gap before execution.
Preserve actual Source identifiers for Products, variants or choices, Categories, customer groups, Customers, Orders, content, modules and external systems where present. For a Gambio Source, keep current variants and legacy attributes/properties distinct. Retain dated, protected database/file/media/download backups where available, or the Source’s available exports/files and recovery evidence, with coverage, limits, recovery owner and known exclusions. The identifier map must show the actual lineage of each relationship, including archived combinations still referenced by Orders; another Source must not be assigned an invented Gambio generation.
Classify Products, Product Types, and Category Relationships
Prepare Products by commercial behavior rather than by row count. Record article number, model or barcode identifiers, Product type, price, tax class, stock, dimensions, manufacturer, Categories, images, downloadable files, delivery status, quantity rules, multilingual descriptions, metadata, and visibility.
| Product pattern | Evidence to prepare | Ready condition |
|---|---|---|
| Standard physical Product | Product ID, article/model number, price, tax, stock, weight, Category, manufacturer, and images | One record clearly identifies the item sold and fulfilled. |
| Downloadable Product | File, Product link, access relationship, limits or expiry where used, and completed Order sample | The file and historical purchase evidence are recoverable. |
| Service or non-shipped Product | Product type, price, tax, availability, and Order example | Physical stock and shipping data are not invented. |
| Multi-Category Product | Product-to-Category assignments and priority public routes | Duplicate Products are not created merely to reproduce discovery paths. |
| Customer-group restricted Product | Group visibility, Product ID, price relationships, and representative Customers | Access and commercial scope are documented beyond the Product status. |
| Media-rich Product | Primary/additional images, variant-specific media, sort order, and storage path | Every asset has a known Product or variant owner. |
Record inactive, hidden, discontinued, unavailable, back-order, minimum-quantity, and graduated-quantity cases. These states need explicit destination treatment.
Separate Current Product Options and Variants From Legacy Structures
Current Gambio options can supply Product-level additional choices or concrete Product Variants. Variant values need their effective settings as well as identifiers and amounts: stock checking can follow global defaults, Product stock, variant stock, or no check. Weight can add to or replace the Product weight, and the variant article number can append to or replace the main number. Record those decisions from the actual environment rather than treating every stored value as an override. Older article attributes and properties require their own version and behavior evidence.
| Source structure | Evidence to prepare | Ready condition |
|---|---|---|
| Current option | Option ID, values, translations, sort order, and Product assignments | Reusable choice definitions are documented. |
| Product Option | Product, linked option values, image references, required state, and display purpose | Product-level selectable values are traceable. |
| Product Variant | Variant ID, option combination, model/EAN/GTIN, price, stock, weight, image list, Product link, and effective identity/stock/weight modes | Every sellable combination has complete identity and interpretable values. |
| Legacy article attribute | Attribute group/value, Product link, price/weight effect, stock behavior, and Order-line examples | Legacy behavior is not mislabeled as a current variant without evidence. |
| Legacy article property | Property groups, values, combinations, stock, Product link, and source-version context | Combination ownership and lineage are explicit. |
| Buyer personalization | GX-Customizer or module owner, field definition, entered value, and Order-line reference | One-time Customer input remains separate from reusable variant data. |
Build a choice ledger with one row per important option family. Record whether the value changes sellable identity, price, stock, weight, media, fulfillment, filtering, or only Product description.
Prepare Customer Groups, Prices, Quantity Rules, and Stock
Gambio customer groups can affect Product and Category access, content visibility, prices, graduated prices, tax treatment, and discounts. Record price inheritance, price-display and purchase rules, quantity thresholds, and any payment or shipping restrictions separately from membership. Stock ownership likewise depends on the effective Product/variant mode and external authority; the presence of a variant quantity does not settle which quantity controls selling.
| Commercial area | Evidence | Owner | Ready condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer group | Group ID, name, members, visibility assignments, price fields, discount or tax behavior | Commerce owner | Group meaning is documented beyond its label. |
| Group-specific price | Product/variant, group, currency, amount, and fallback behavior | Pricing owner | Each price is connected to the intended Product and group. |
| Graduated price | Product/variant, group, quantity thresholds, price, and date context | Pricing owner | Thresholds and commercial scope are complete. |
| Quantity rule | Minimum quantity, purchase step, packaging unit, and Product/variant owner | Catalog owner | Quantity constraints are not hidden in notes. |
| Stock | Product/variant ID, quantity, stock-management mode, back-order state, and external authority | Inventory owner | The authoritative sellable-unit quantity is known. |
| Promotion or coupon | Code/rule, value, conditions, dates, usage, and historical Order references | Marketing owner | Historical discount evidence is separate from live target setup. |
Historical Order prices and discounts must remain snapshots. They should not be recalculated from current customer-group settings.
Prepare Customers, Addresses, Orders, and Service History
Customer preparation should include identity, customer-group membership, addresses, company or tax information, account state, consent evidence, reviews, memos where relevant, external IDs, and authentication dependencies. Order preparation should preserve Product or variant lines, selected values, addresses, quantities, prices, taxes, discounts, payment and shipping labels, statuses, comments, invoices, deliveries, refunds, withdrawals, and external references.
| Record area | Evidence | Owner | Ready condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer identity | Customer ID, email, group, status, addresses, language, company/tax fields, and external ID | Customer-data owner | Duplicate accounts and group assignments are resolved deliberately. |
| Authentication | Password scheme, social login/SSO, MFA, reset path, and communication owner | Security owner | Customer completeness and account access have separate readiness decisions. |
| Order lines | Product/variant IDs, snapshot names, option values, quantity, price, tax, and discount | Order-data owner | Purchased items remain understandable independently of current catalog data. |
| Order state and comments | Status history, timestamps, public/internal comments, and responsible team | Operations owner | Historical workflow meaning is documented. |
| Documents and after-sale records | Invoice, delivery document, refund, withdrawal, tracking, and payment references | Finance/support owners | Historical support and reconciliation evidence is recoverable. |
| External IDs | ERP, marketplace, accounting, payment, and fulfillment keys | Integration owners | Cross-system lineage remains traceable. |
Include guest or restricted accounts, dealer groups, several addresses, current and legacy option Orders, graduated-price cases, refunds, withdrawals, and externally fulfilled Orders. Resolve password-verification continuity for the exact supported Source-to-Target path, or plan reset, activation, or first-login handling with an owner. Preserve historical group prices, taxes, and status evidence without applying present rules or triggering new notifications, charges, stock adjustments, or fulfillment work.
Prepare Categories, Content Manager Records, Legal Pages, and URLs
Gambio content can live in Product or Category descriptions, Product tabs, Content Manager entries, legal pages, banners, teaser areas, menus, themes, language files, or modules. Customer-group access can also apply to Products, Categories, and content.
| Storefront area | Evidence to prepare | Ready condition |
|---|---|---|
| Category hierarchy | Category IDs, parents, Product assignments, group visibility, translations, images, and metadata | Catalog hierarchy and access scope are complete. |
| Content Manager record | Content ID, type, language, status, group access, route, menu/footer placement, and media | CMS content remains separate from theme presentation. |
| Product tab or additional field | Product ID, field/tab definition, language, display position, and consuming theme/module | Product-owned content is not converted into a generic Page. |
| Priority URL | Product/Category/content owner, language, source path, metadata, and destination intent | Every high-value path has a keep, change, merge, retire, or redirect decision. |
| Internal link | Source content, linked object, old path, and destination intent | Links can be rewritten without losing the referenced record. |
| Theme or StyleEdit content | Theme, block, placement, source content, and responsible owner | Presentation dependencies are separated from portable content. |
Include legal and policy pages as content records while assigning current legal review to the appropriate business owner. Migration preparation should preserve content identity and placement evidence, not certify legal currency.
Inventory Modules, GXModules, Custom Tables, and Integrations
Create an ownership ledger for modules, GXModules, payment and shipping components, marketplace connectors, Product feeds, search, loyalty, reviews, personalization, ERP/PIM/WMS/CRM integrations, custom tables, modified fields, and direct database changes.
| Dependency | Evidence to prepare | Ready condition |
|---|---|---|
| Module or GXModule | Name, version, status, purpose, configuration owner, tables/fields, and affected records | Module-owned data has a destination or retained owner. |
| Custom field/table | Schema, key relationships, business purpose, and consuming code | Custom records can be interpreted rather than copied blindly. |
| Theme customization | Theme version, StyleEdit settings, overrides, scripts, and affected content/routes | Presentation is separated from portable records. |
| External system | Endpoint, authoritative entities, synchronization direction, IDs, and cutover owner | Competing systems of record are avoided. |
| API or feed | Resources, credentials owner, payload identifiers, update direction, and error owner | Integration evidence is complete without exposing secrets in documentation. |
| Generated data | Cache, logs, sessions, search indexes, temporary exports, and abandoned tables | Non-authoritative data is excluded deliberately. |
Inactive modules should remain in the ledger when their fields or historical records still appear in Products, Customers, Orders, or content.
Confirm Gambio Target implementation prerequisites
The intended Gambio environment needs a declared catalog model and compatible consumers. A Source variant quantity does not settle the destination stock rule, and a historical group price does not configure future access or pricing. The Target catalog, inventory and module owners should agree the usable representation and its effective settings before execution. Keep native Gambio generation evidence conditional on its presence in the Source.
| Preparation action | Owner | Evidence to prepare | Ready condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm the intended build and access | Target technical owner | Gambio build and hosting arrangement, administration, available infrastructure/storage access, required modules and recovery responsibilities | The intended environment and permitted access are explicit; required components are available to their owners. |
| Prepare catalog, group and stock representation | Target catalog, pricing and inventory owners | Chosen option/variant treatment, Source lineage decisions, effective identity/weight/stock settings, quantity authority, customer-group access and price rules | The agreed sellable units and group context have a usable Target representation; a stored variant quantity or familiar label alone does not settle behavior. |
| Confirm content and module consumers | Target content and development owners | Content Manager and Product/Category content, routes/media/languages, theme/StyleEdit work, compatible modules/GXModules and custom-field/table consumers | Required content and module data have usable consumers; presentation remains separately implemented. |
| Assign continuing live-operation owners | Target operations and integration owners | Payment, shipping, tax, notifications, checkout, scheduled processes, search/feeds, stock/fulfillment writers and historical/test containment decisions | Future operations and external identities have declared owners; historical/test imports cannot replay operational events. |
Select Representative Migration Test Samples
Choose samples that expose the actual Gambio generation and operating model. Record source IDs, article numbers, URLs, option lineage, customer groups, module dependencies, external keys, and the reason each sample was selected.
| Sample | Evidence to prepare | Preparation purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Product | Price, tax, stock, Category, manufacturer, media, group visibility, and Order | Establishes the ordinary Product baseline. |
| Current Product Variant family | Product, options, variants, identifiers, stock, price, weight, images, and Orders | Represents the current combination model. |
| Legacy attribute/property Product | Source version, groups/values, combinations, price/stock behavior, and Order lines | Exposes legacy structure before mapping. |
| Customer-group case | Customer, group, restricted Product/content, price, and relevant Order | Represents segmented commerce. |
| Complex Order | Variant or legacy choice, discount, tax, payment, shipping, invoice, refund/withdrawal, and external IDs | Represents historical commerce evidence. |
| Content/route case | Content Manager entry or Product/Category content, language, group access, URL, and links | Represents content and SEO ownership. |
| Module-owned record | Core entity, module table/field, configuration owner, and integration key | Exposes non-core scope before execution. |
The Gambio sample package is ready when each selected record has a source expectation sheet, actual option/variant generation, effective stock and price settings, related files, intended representation, agreed exclusions, and a named reviewer. These inputs prepare the later proof; they do not replace migrated-outcome validation.
Complete the Final Gambio Readiness Gate
| Readiness area | Ready condition |
|---|---|
| Access and recovery | Actual Source administration, available hosting/database/files/media backups or exports, recovery method, coverage, limits and owner are confirmed. Required evidence is recoverable under that method; intended Gambio prerequisites are assessed separately. |
| Catalog | Products, current variants, legacy attributes/properties, Categories, manufacturers, media, prices, stock, and identifiers are traceable. |
| Customers and Orders | Accounts, groups, addresses, Orders, lines, totals, statuses, documents, after-sale records, and external IDs have evidence. |
| Content and URLs | Content Manager records, legal pages, Product/Category content, themes, priority paths, links, and redirect decisions are documented. |
| Dependencies | Modules, GXModules, custom fields/tables, APIs, feeds, and external systems have named owners. |
| Samples | Representative records cover each material current, legacy, Customer-group, Order, content, and module pattern. |
| Target prerequisites | The intended Gambio build/hosting access, catalog/group/stock representation, compatible content/module consumers and live-operation containment owners are confirmed. |
The Gambio scope is ready when every material record can be traced to its source generation, owner, related records, evidence artifact, and intended destination or retained system, with required target module consumers confirmed. Resolve critical unknown stock rules, option identities, recovery gaps, or unowned records; agree an explicit exclusion; or hold the affected scope. An owner and deadline alone cannot clear a required dependency. Accepted noncritical exceptions need a recorded boundary and impact.
Assess the actual Source evidence and intended Gambio implementation as one preparation decision. Missing stock authority, unresolved current/legacy identity, an unavailable required module consumer or a material recovery gap cannot be cleared by assigning an owner alone. Resolve the required dependency, agree its explicit exclusion or hold the affected scope, then pass the declared outcomes to later validation.
Conclusion
Gambio preparation requires coordinated evidence across the operating environment, Products, current options and variants, legacy attributes or properties, customer groups, prices, stock, Customers, Orders, Content Manager records, URLs, modules, and external systems. The checklist should make lineage and ownership explicit before execution.
A complete readiness package preserves recoverable source evidence, distinguishes current and legacy catalog structures, separates historical transactions from live configuration, and gives every content or module dependency a named owner.
Carry the evidence package, intended Target decisions and any held scope into Gambio Validation Priorities. Preparation defines what must be tested; migrated results and acceptance belong to that later review.
Common Questions
What should be prepared first for a Gambio migration?
Identify the actual Source Store and intended Gambio environment. Secure the available source administration, data, media, and recovery evidence, then record its versions and maintenance owners. Separately confirm the destination build and enabled modules; a hosted source needs an explicit extraction/recovery arrangement rather than assumed direct infrastructure access.
Why must current variants and legacy attributes or properties be separated?
They can produce similar storefront choices through different records and rules. Current Product Variants have combination-specific identity and commercial values, but stock, weight, price, and article-number meaning depends on the effective settings. Older attributes or properties need their own generation evidence; a matching visible label does not establish equivalent behavior.
How should customer groups be prepared?
Document group membership together with Product, Category, and content visibility; group prices; graduated prices; discounts; and tax behavior. Preserving the group name alone does not preserve its commercial meaning.
Which Gambio Orders should be selected as representative samples?
Include current variants, legacy attribute/property choices, Customer-group pricing, guest or dealer accounts, discounts, taxes, invoices, deliveries, refunds or withdrawals, and external integration references.
How should Content Manager and theme content be divided?
Content Manager entries and Product/Category content should retain their record identity, language, access, route, and links. StyleEdit, theme blocks, and template overrides belong to presentation and need separate ownership.
What belongs in the Gambio module ledger?
Record every module, GXModule, custom table or field, feed, API connection, and external integration that creates or consumes business data. Each item needs an owner, affected records, evidence, and a destination or retained-system decision.
Does a Gambio variant quantity prove which stock controls selling?
No. The effective stock-check setting may use global defaults, the Product quantity, the selected variant quantity, or no stock check. Capture that mode, the applicable global rule, back-order behavior, and any external inventory authority with the values. Settle the intended target treatment before considering the Product family ready.