What Are Shopify URL Redirects & How To Use Them

Shopify URL redirects are an important for maintaining a seamless user experience and ensuring strong SEO performance. A URL redirect is a way to send visitors and search engines from one URL to another when a page has been moved, deleted, or updated.

In Shopify, managing redirects efficiently can prevent broken links, help retain search engine rankings, and improve customer satisfaction. The default redirect provided in the Shopify dashboard is the 301 redirect.

What Are Shopify URL Redirects?

URL redirects guide visitors and search engines to a new location when a page has been moved permanently or deleted.

This ensures users are not confronted with 404 errors or broken URLs. A redirect URL on Shopify typically refers to either a 301 redirect (permanent) or a 302 redirect (temporary).

When setting up Shopify redirects, you’re essentially telling search engines like Google that an old URL has moved, allowing them to transfer any ranking power (also known as link equity) to the new page.

Example: If a product page’s URL changes from “/product-old” to “/product-new,” you would set up a 301 redirect to automatically send traffic to the correct page.

Types of URL Redirects in Shopify

There is 1primary types of URL redirects used in Shopify stores dashboards:

301 Redirects (Permanent): These are used when a page is moved permanently or deleted. The old URL is redirected to a new URL, and search engines automatically redirect all ranking power from the old page to the new page.

How to Set Up URL Redirects in Shopify

To create a URL redirect in Shopify, follow these steps:

Access Shopify Admin: Navigate to your Shopify admin dashboard.
Go to Online Store > Navigation: This is where you manage URL redirects.

Click URL Redirects: Select the URL redirects section to view existing redirects or create new ones.
Click Create URL Redirect: Enter the old URL path and the new URL you want the traffic to go to.
Click Save Redirect: This saves your redirect and automatically ensures visitors are sent to the correct page.

For bulk uploads, you can also use a CSV file to manage large numbers of redirects. This is useful when migrating many products or making site-wide changes.

To import redirects:

Click Import Redirects: In the URL Redirects section.
Click Upload File: Upload your CSV file containing the old URLs and their corresponding new URLs.
Click Save Filters: This ensures that the selected redirects are processed correctly.

Alternatives To Redirects

While not generally recommended, it is also possible to create a meta refresh redirect within the core code of Shopify. There are some use cases where you may want to use a meta refresh rather than a 301 redirect, but these are rare.

In Shopify, you can implement a meta refresh to redirect visitors from one product page to another. A meta refresh is a type of redirect that uses a <meta> tag in the HTML to automatically refresh the page after a specified amount of time. However, it’s important to note that this type of redirect is less SEO-friendly compared to 301 redirects, as search engines may not always follow them correctly.

Here’s how to create a meta refresh for a product in Shopify:

Steps to Add a Meta Refresh to a Shopify Product Page

Access the Shopify Admin Panel:
- Log in to your Shopify admin and navigate to the Online Store section.
- Click on Themes and select Edit Code from the actions dropdown of your current theme.
Find the Product Template:
- In the theme editor, go to Sections or Templates and open the file that corresponds to the product page layout. The file name is often something like product.liquid or product-template.liquid.
Add the Meta Refresh Code:
- Locate the <head> section of the product template. This is where you’ll place the meta refresh code.
- Add the following code to the <head> section:

<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5;url=/new-product-url" />

Replace /new-product-url with the URL of the new product you want to redirect to. The number 5 represents the number of seconds before the redirect happens; you can adjust this time as needed.

4. Save the Changes:

After adding the meta refresh code, click Save.
Test the Redirect:
Visit the old product page to confirm the redirect is working. After the specified time (in seconds), the page should automatically refresh and redirect to the new product page.

Considerations:

SEO Impact: Meta refresh is not as SEO-friendly as a 301 redirect. If the product is permanently discontinued or moved, it’s better to use a 301 redirect through Shopify’s built-in URL redirect feature.
User Experience: A meta refresh may result in a brief delay, so it’s important to keep the refresh time short for a smoother user experience.

For most scenarios, especially for SEO purposes, it’s recommended to use Shopify’s native URL redirect feature instead of relying on meta refreshes.

Best Practices for Shopify URL Redirects

To maintain an optimized Shopify site, follow these best practices:

Redirect Only Necessary Pages: Only set up redirects for important pages like product pages, collections, or other high-traffic areas. Avoid unnecessary redirects as they can slow down your site.
Avoid Redirect Loops: A redirect loop occurs when a URL is redirected back to itself or through a chain of redirects. This can confuse search engines and users.
Update Internal Links: After redirecting a page, update any internal links that point to the old URL.
Use 301 Redirects for Permanent Changes: Always use 301 redirects when content has been permanently moved or deleted to retain SEO benefits.

By adhering to these practices, you ensure that your Shopify store provides a seamless user experience while preserving your search engine rankings.

Fixing 404 Errors and Broken Links with Shopify URL Redirects

Broken URLs lead to 404 errors, negatively affecting both user experience and SEO. It’s essential to fix them as soon as you spot them. Generally you should aim to complete a broken link audit each month.

To identify and fix broken URLs:

Use Google Search Console or tools such as ahrefs.com: This tool helps you find pages on your Shopify site that are returning 404 errors.
Redirect the Old URLs: Set up URL redirects for the identified broken links to direct users to the relevant new URL.
Use Shopify Apps: Apps like “Bulk 301 Redirects” from the Shopify App Store allow for easier management and automation of URL redirects.

By redirecting broken links, you ensure visitors always reach a functional page on your site, preventing lost sales and protecting your SEO.

Managing Product and Collection Page Redirects

One of the most common uses of URL redirects in Shopify is for product and collection pages. When a product is discontinued or a category structure changes, it’s crucial to set up permanent redirects to the closest alternative.

For product page redirects:

If a product has been removed, redirect it to a similar product or the main collection page.
For changes in collection hierarchy, ensure that all old URLs point to the correct, new location.

You can also manage these changes efficiently using Shopify apps or by doing a bulk upload of CSV files containing the old and new URLs.

Collection & Product Page Redirect In The Editing Dashboard

Shopify now has a page by page redirect feature, that will automatically pre fill a redirect if a change is made to the URL. This helps missing redirects accidently. You can find the feature as per below:

redirect checkbox on a shopify product editing page

Measuring the Impact of Shopify URL Redirects

Once you’ve set up your URL redirects, it’s important to monitor their impact:

Use Analytics Tools: Google Analytics and Shopify analytics can track changes in traffic, bounce rates, and overall site performance post-redirect.
Monitor Search Rankings: Redirects can influence your SEO. Ensure that search engines have properly indexed the new URLs by checking your search results in Google.
Watch for Traffic Drops: If traffic drops significantly after setting up a redirect, it could be due to a misconfigured redirect or loss of link equity. Always check for error pages or redirect loops.

Generally we find that if redirect are setup correctly, they don’t negatively impact traffic and ranking as they traditionally have in the past.

By analyzing these metrics, you can refine your URL redirect strategy to maintain a strong SEO presence and avoid traffic loss.

Key Points

Shopify URL redirects are an important tool for maintaining your store’s usability and search engine performance. By understanding the types of redirects, learning how to set them up correctly, and following best practices, you can avoid broken URLs, preserve your SEO rankings, and provide a seamless experience for your customers.

Whether you are migrating your store, fixing broken links, or updating product pages, having a solid URL redirect strategy is essential. Shopify’s URL redirect tool simplifies this process, while bulk uploads and Shopify apps offer efficient solutions for larger sites. Keep track of your redirects, ensure their proper implementation, and watch as your Shopify site continues to thrive without disruption.

For more advanced management, consider using third-party Shopify apps that automate or enhance the redirect process, providing better insights and more comprehensive control over your online store’s URLs.