Switching Shopware Agencies: Plan the Handover

Your Shopware store is up and running, but the relationship with your agency isn’t? Tickets go unanswered, updates get pushed back, and every new request takes longer as someone tries to make sense of the code. At some point, the question comes up: Is it time to switch Shopware agencies?

The technical change is rarely the hardest part. Shopware 6 is built on an open-source core, and any experienced Shopware agency can get to grips with an existing store. The handover is where things can go wrong: missing documentation, accounts registered in the old agency’s name, or customisations only one person knows about.

Plan the handover properly, and you can switch without downtime or a relaunch. Underestimate it, and you may end up paying twice.

In this article, we’ll look at:

• how to tell when it’s time to switch agencies

• what happens technically when a Shopware store changes hands

• how the handover works in four phases

• what we’ve learned from real-world handovers

How to tell when it’s time to switch agencies

One missed ticket isn’t a reason to move on. It’s a concern when a pattern emerges:

• Updates keep getting delayed. Shopware regularly releases new versions and security updates. If your store falls several versions behind, the work involved in the next update grows with every passing month.

• Estimates become unpredictable. Small changes suddenly take weeks because no one is quite sure what depends on what in the code.

• Key knowledge sits with one person. If that developer is unavailable, progress on your store can grind to a halt.

• Your agency stops making suggestions. They work through tickets but don’t help shape your roadmap.

The key point: a poorly maintained store is usually a support issue, not a platform issue. In most cases, you don’t need to switch platforms.

Taking over a Shopware store: What’s involved

A Shopware store takeover means a new agency takes over the ongoing development and operation of an existing store, without changing platforms. The handover covers four areas:

• Code: custom plugins and apps, the theme, and any changes to standard Shopware functionality.

• Infrastructure: hosting, deployment process, backups, and monitoring.

• Integrations: connections to ERP, PIM, payment, and logistics systems.

• Access and contracts: repository, server, Shopware account, licences for the edition and extensions, and domain.

Every takeover starts with a code audit: a systematic review of the existing store. Which Shopware version is it running? What custom extensions are in place, and has the Shopware core been modified directly? Are there automated tests? Where are the security risks? Only then can anyone give you a realistic estimate for future development work.

What an agency switch means for your team

A switch also takes time from your own team. You’ll need someone to coordinate the project on your side and explain the business logic behind the store. A code audit can’t tell you why a particular customer group gets a specific discount.

Allow for a transition period when you’re paying both agencies in parallel. That may seem expensive at first, but it’s far cheaper than taking over a store without secure access or a proper knowledge handover, then spending months piecing everything together.

Also, check your contract’s notice period early. It determines how much time you have to arrange an orderly handover.

The Shopware handover in four phases

1. Secure access. Before giving notice, make sure the repository, hosting, Shopware account, and all licences are registered to your company. This is the most important step, and the one most often overlooked.

2. Code audit. The new agency reviews the code, extensions, infrastructure, and integrations. The result is a list of risks, technical debt, and priorities.

3. Knowledge handover. If the previous agency cooperates, arrange handover meetings and documentation. If it doesn’t, the new agency can reconstruct what it needs from the code. This takes longer, but it’s manageable.

4. Start with small releases. The new agency begins with small, low-risk changes. This is an early way to confirm that deployment and tests are working before larger features are introduced.

In practice: Taking over without complete documentation

Siriderma is a brand specialising in alkaline skincare products that require extensive customer advice. In January 2024, we took over its Shopware 6 store from another agency without complete documentation. Since then, we’ve continued developing it through 28 releases.

What we’ve learned from takeovers like this:

• Missing documentation can be addressed. An audit won’t replace it entirely, but it makes the store easier to assess and plan for.

• Stabilise before making major changes. Starting a relaunch immediately after a takeover means building on a foundation you haven’t had time to understand.

• The most common mistake happens before the switch: giving notice before securing access.

Five recommendations for switching agencies

1. Secure all access and licences before giving notice. The repository, hosting, and Shopware account should be registered to your company.

2. Ask for an audit before accepting a proposal. A fixed price without a review of the code is just a guess.

3. Use the notice period for the handover. Plan the period when both agencies are involved.

4. Stabilise first. Move on to new features after the first successful releases.

5. Check the agency’s Shopware expertise. Partner status and Shopware-certified developers are a useful first filter. Find out how we work as a Shopware agency on our overview page.

Conclusion

Switching Shopware agencies doesn’t mean relaunching your store or changing platforms. Almost all the risk lies in the handover: access, knowledge, and documentation.

For businesses, that means a switch can be planned if you secure access early and have the new agency start with an audit. A stuck store can then become a project with a clear roadmap again.

Shopware continues to evolve, with new versions, AI features, and B2B capabilities. A store that can’t keep up loses ground every year. An orderly switch is often the fastest way to catch up.

FAQ

How does switching Shopware agencies work?
There are four steps: secure access and licences, have the new agency conduct a code audit, hand over knowledge, and start with small releases. Your store continues operating as usual throughout.

Do I need a relaunch when switching agencies?
No. In a store takeover, Shopware remains the platform and the existing store continues to be developed. The code audit will show whether larger changes make sense later.

Who owns the code in my Shopware store?
The Shopware core is open source. Your contract with the agency determines the rights to custom-developed plugins and the theme. Check it before giving notice.

What if the previous agency doesn’t cooperate?
The new agency will reconstruct the necessary knowledge from the code and infrastructure. This takes more time, but it’s manageable as long as you have access to the repository, hosting, and Shopware account.