How to Create & Manage Shopify Redirects Easily (2024)

While browsing online, you certainly stumbled upon some “dead” websites that informed you the page you wanted to enter was not found. 

After that, the most logical action is to leave that website, return to Google, and try to find what you were searching for elsewhere. 

That means the owner of the site you previously visited is losing money because he has a dead page on their website. If you are a Shopify store owner, you must avoid this situation. The solution is — Shopify redirects.

In this article, we will discuss how to create and manage URL redirects on Shopify. We'll cover Shopify URL redirects, when to use redirects on Shopify, SEO benefits, how to add a redirect, automatic redirects by Shopify, and some frequently asked questions.

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What is a URL redirect?

A URL redirect is a way to send both users and search engines to a different URL than the one they originally requested. It is like forwarding mail to a new address when you move houses.

For example, if you have a product page at example.com/old-product, and you want to change the URL to example.com/new-product, a URL redirect ensures that anyone trying to visit the old URL gets automatically redirected to the new one.

There are different types of redirects, but the most commonly used are 301 (permanent) and 302 (temporary) redirects.

301 Redirect

A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect from one URL to another. It tells search engines that a page has permanently moved to a new location. This type of redirect is beneficial for SEO because it passes nearly all of the original page's ranking power to the new page. When a browser or search engine encounters a 301 redirect, it updates its index to the new URL. Common uses of 301 redirects include:

• Migrating a website to a new domain
• Merging two websites or pages
• Redirecting outdated URLs to new ones

302 Redirect

A 302 redirect is a temporary redirect from one URL to another. It indicates to search engines that the original page is temporarily moved and will be back. Unlike a 301 redirect, a 302 redirect does not pass the original page's ranking power to the new page. This type of redirect is useful in scenarios such as:

• Temporarily moving a page for maintenance
• Running A/B tests where you temporarily change the page's URL
• Redirecting users based on specific conditions, such as geographical location or device type

When should you use redirects on Shopify?

Using redirects on Shopify is crucial when you make significant changes to your site's structure. For instance, if you change a product URL, you should use a redirect to ensure customers can still find the product.

Another scenario is when you discontinue a product and want to redirect visitors to a similar product or category page. This way, you avoid showing a 404 error page, which can negatively impact user experience.

Additionally, redirects are useful when you migrate your store to Shopify from another platform. Redirects help preserve your existing SEO rankings by ensuring that all traffic from old URLs is directed to the new URLs on Shopify.

Are there any SEO benefits to using redirects?

Yes, there are SEO benefits to using redirects. Properly implemented redirects help maintain the SEO value of your original URLs by transferring it to the new URLs. This is particularly important when you change the structure of your site or migrate to Shopify.

Using 301 redirects can prevent loss of page rank and ensure that search engines recognize the new URLs as valid ones. This helps maintain your site's visibility in search engine results.

It is also important to know that 301 redirects preserve some of the power of backlinks that were on the old page. 

Therefore, redirects can improve user experience, which is a key factor in SEO. By guiding users to the right pages, you reduce bounce rates and increase the chances of conversions.

How to add a redirect to Shopify

To add a redirect in Shopify, follow these steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Navigation.

2. Click on “Open sales channels”.

3. In the Sales channels section on the left, Tap on “Navigation” and then click on “View URL redirects”.

4. Click on “Create URL redirect”.

5. In “Redirect from”, enter the old URL from which you’d like to redirect visitors. In “Redirect to”, enter the new updated URL, where you’d like visitors to land from the old URL. Click ‘Save redirect’ once you’re done.

Adding redirects with Bloggle is even easier!

1.  Go to your Bloggle dashboard and click on the blog you want to update the URL for

2.  Jump to the SEO tab and in „Article URL“ enter the new URL where you want visitors to redirect to. Tick the checkbox “Create 301 redirection on handle changing”.

3.  Hit “Publish on Shopify”.

Does Shopify create redirects automatically?

Shopify does create redirects automatically in certain scenarios. For example, if you change a product's URL, Shopify can automatically create a redirect from the old URL to the new one.

However, not all changes trigger automatic redirects. It is always a good practice to check your URL redirects manually to ensure that all necessary redirects are in place.

Automatic redirects can be a great time-saver, but they are not foolproof. Always verify that your redirects are working correctly to avoid any potential issues.

FAQs

How many URL redirects can I create in Shopify?

You can create as much as you want — There is no limit on the number of URL redirects. However, you shouldn't go wild and create too many, because too many redirects can affect your website performance.

Do redirects affect my site’s speed?

Redirects can have a minimal impact on site speed, under assumption they are well-managed. Excessive redirects can affect site speed, as we previously mentioned.

Can I redirect to external URLs?

Yes, Shopify allows you to redirect to external URLs. If you need to redirect traffic to another website or external source, this is the way to go.

Summing things up

Creating and managing redirects on Shopify is essential for maintaining your site's structure, and it is beneficial for user experience and your SEO efforts.

By understanding what URL redirects are, when to use them, and how to implement them in Shopify, you will avoid common problems with broken pages and reduce your bounce rates.

Whether you are changing product URLs, discontinuing products, or something else, doing URL redirects properly is essential for your site and its health.