You can move your web push subscribers from PushOwl to PushEngage. Because web push subscriptions are tied to your domain and encrypted, they cannot simply be copied over and used right away, so this guide explains the path that works and what to expect afterward. Migration is handled together with our team.
Before You Start
- Create an account with PushEngage and complete installation. On a Shopify store, install PushEngage on the store first.
- Have access to your PushOwl account.
- Know roughly how many subscribers you have, so we can confirm the right path for your account.
- After migration, plan to upgrade your PushEngage plan to fit your subscriber count before you start sending.
How Web Push Migration Works
There are two possible paths, depending on what your current provider can give you.
Path 1: Key-based import
If PushOwl can provide your subscriber list with each subscriber’s endpoint, auth key, p256dh, and VAPID public and private keys, we can import it as a CSV. You can share a sample of the list with our team and they can confirm if the format is valid to start the process.
Path 2: Silent resubscribe (recommended)
Silent resubscribe brings your subscribers over without needing those keys, and without asking anyone to opt in a second time:
- Complete PushEngage installation.
- Your existing subscribers are re-subscribed to PushEngage quietly the next time they visit your site. They are not shown the opt-in popup again, because a subscriber who already granted notification permission does not need to grant it again.
- As subscribers return, they are recovered under PushEngage over time.
If you would rather ask subscribers for permission again as part of the switch, see Ask Before Resubscribing When Migrating to PushEngage.
Navigate to Site Settings » Site Details and scroll to Ask Before Auto-Subscribing and Toggle to Yes.
What to Expect After Migration
Migration is not a switch that is fully on the moment it completes. Reachability starts lower and climbs over time.
Think of a subscriber’s service worker as the delivery address of someone with no phone. The only way they learn something has arrived is when the mailman actually knocks. In the same way, a migrated subscriber’s service worker only updates when that person next visits your site, whether they come back on their own or land there from a push or an email. Until that visit happens, that subscriber shows up as lower reachability. As migrated subscribers return over the following days, your reachability rises gradually. Sending campaigns and keeping up your normal store activity helps subscribers come back sooner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will all my subscribers move over immediately?
No, and that is normal for web push. With silent resubscribe, subscribers are recovered as they return to your store, so your reachable count builds up gradually rather than all at once.
Do I need keys from PushOwl?
Only for the key-based import path. If those keys are not available, you can still migrate with silent resubscribe, which does not need them.
Will my subscribers see a second opt-in popup?
No. Silent resubscribe re-subscribes people who already gave permission without showing the opt-in popup again.
Why is my reachable count lower right after migration?
Because a subscriber’s service worker only updates when they next visit your store. Until then they count as lower reachability, and the number rises as people come back over the following days.
If you run into any issues, please feel free to contact us by clicking here. Our support team will be able to help you.