Shopify Redirects Guide

What Are Redirects?

A redirect is a method of sending users and search engines from one URL to another.

This is commonly done when the original URL no longer exists or has been replaced.

There are several types of redirects, with the most common being:

301 Redirects
These are permanent redirects that indicate the original URL has moved permanently to a new location. This type of redirect transfers the SEO value from the old URL to the new one.

302 Redirects
These are temporary redirects used when a URL is moved temporarily and will eventually revert to the original.

When you, or a Google bot visits a website, the website's server sends a message to your browser to let it know whether it can load the page or not. These messages are called status codes, and they are hidden in the code of the website and let the browser know if the page loaded successfully, if there's an error, or if the page has moved.

In Shopify, 301 redirects are the ones that are used by default, because they permanently redirect traffic from one page to another, ensuring customers and search engines can find the updated content.

Why Are Redirects Important?

Redirects play a crucial role in maintaining a seamless user experience and preserving your website's search engine optimisation (SEO) efforts. Here’s why they matter:

1. Preserving SEO Value
   When a page URL changes, any SEO rankings associated with the old URL could be lost. Setting up a redirect ensures that the "link juice" (or SEO value) transfers to the new URL, helping maintain your rankings.

2. Improving User Experience
   Redirects prevent visitors from encountering 404 error pages. Instead, they are seamlessly directed to the relevant page, which minimises bounce rates and enhances the shopping experience.

3. Ensuring Link Continuity
   Redirects help ensure that any external links pointing to the old URL continue functioning and direct users to the right page, preserving valuable referral traffic.

When Do You Need to Set Up Redirects on Shopify?

There are several situations where setting up redirects in Shopify becomes necessary. Let’s explore the most common scenarios:

1. Removing Products or Collections
   When you remove products or collections from your Shopify store, visitors may still attempt to visit these pages via direct links, bookmarks, or search engine results. Without redirects, they will encounter a 404 error page. Setting up redirects ensures visitors are sent to a relevant alternative page, such as a related product or collection.

2. Migrating from Another Platform
   Migrating to Shopify from another e-commerce platform usually results in different URL structures. For example, a product URL on your previous platform may look entirely different from how Shopify generates URLs.
   
   Setting up redirects from your old URLs to the new ones will ensure that any inbound traffic from old links is not lost and continues to flow seamlessly to your new Shopify store. This is an extremely important area of migration, as if not done right, redirects may cause significant loss to traffic and revenue.

3. Updating URL Structures or Product Names
   As your business evolves, you may need to update your URL structures or product names to better reflect your offerings. For example, changing "best-winter-coat" to "top-winter-jacket" would require a redirect to ensure that any old links continue to work. Without a redirect, both customers and search engines could lose track of the updated content.

How to Create Redirects in Shopify

Shopify makes it easy to create URL redirects through its built-in tools. Here are the primary methods for setting up redirects in Shopify.

Method 1: Automatic Redirects During URL Handle Changes (Recommended)

This is the simplest and most efficient way to manage redirects for everyday product and collection URL changes.

1. Go to Your Product or Collection:
   In your Shopify admin, navigate to the product or collection you want to edit.

2. Scroll to the "Search Engine Listing" Section:
   On the product or collection editing page, scroll down to the "Search engine listing" section. Here, you'll see the current URL for the product or collection.

3. Edit the URL and Handle:
   Click the "Edit" link in this section. You can now update the URL handle to reflect the new name or structure.

4. Check the Redirect Option:
   After changing the URL handle and saving the product or collection, Shopify will automatically set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one.

5. Save Changes:
   Click “Save” to apply the changes. Shopify will now redirect users from the old URL to the new one automatically.

Example:

Suppose you change a product's URL from /winter-coat to /best-winter-jacket. In that case, Shopify will automatically redirect anyone who tries to visit the old URL /winter-coat to the new URL /best-winter-jacket.

Method 2: Using Shopify’s URL Redirects Tool

Shopify has a tool that allows you to create individual URL redirects directly from the admin dashboard.

1. Go to the Shopify Admin:
   Log in to your Shopify admin panel.

2. Navigate to "Online Store" > "Navigation" > "URL Redirects":
   In the left-hand menu, click on "Online Store," and then select "Navigation," then select "URL Redirects."

3. Create a New Redirect:
   Click "Create URL Redirect" at the top right of the page.

4. Enter the Old and New URLs:
   In the "Redirect from" field, enter the old URL path (e.g., /old-product). In the "Redirect to" field, enter the new URL (e.g., /new-product).

5. Save:
   Click "Save" to create the redirect.

Method 3: Shopify Admin CSV Upload (Bulk Redirects)

Shopify allows you to upload a CSV file with bulk redirects, streamlining the process for larger migrations or updates.

1. Prepare a CSV File:
   Create a CSV file with two columns – "Redirect from" and "Redirect to." Each row should represent a different redirect.

   Example:

   • Redirect from, Redirect to

   • /old-product-1, /new-product-1

   • /old-collection, /new-collection

2. Go to the Redirects Section:
   In your Shopify admin, navigate to "Online Store" > "Navigation" > "URL Redirects."

3. Upload CSV:
   Click on "Import URL Redirects" and upload the CSV file with your redirects.

4. Confirm and Apply:
   Shopify will process the CSV file and automatically create the redirects.

Method 4: Using Shopify Apps for Bulk and Advanced Redirects

For more complex redirect needs, Shopify apps offer powerful features like:

• Regex-based redirects.

• 404 monitoring and automatic redirect creation.

• Redirect chains and loop detection.

• Detailed analytics.

Using a Shopify App is the suggested way to perform advanced redirects. Search the Shopify app store for “redirects” to see available applications.

Important Notes About Shopify Redirects:

• Avoid Liquid Code Redirects: Using Liquid code for redirects is generally discouraged due to its complexity and potential SEO issues.

• Regular 404 Monitoring: Use Google Search Console or Shopify apps to regularly monitor 404 error pages and fix broken links.

• SEO Best Practices: Always use 301 redirects for permanent URL changes to preserve SEO value. Understand the difference between 301 and 302 redirects.

• Shopify Updates: Shopify's admin interface and functionality are subject to updates, so double-check navigation and options.

Shopify redirects are essential for maintaining your store's SEO value, ensuring a smooth user experience, and keeping traffic flowing to the right places. By using Shopify’s built-in tools and redirect Apps, and by following SEO best practices, you can effectively manage all your redirects.