Broken links create a poor shopping experience. They frustrate visitors, hurt your SEO performance, and cost you conversions. That is why every Shopify store should monitor and fix 404 errors before they reach customers.
The good news is that you can find these errors using free tools you already have access to. In this guide, we will cover three simple methods:
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- Google Search Console (GSC)
- Nabu Redirect Manager
For each one, we will also explain its strengths and its limitations so you can decide which fits your store best.
| Bonus: Read our blog on Shopify redirects. |
Why Monitoring Shopify 404 Errors Matters
Here are some key reasons why you should always closely monitor Shopify 404 errors:
- Lost sales you already paid for: When a shopper clicks a product link from Google, an ad, or your own menu and hits a dead page, most will not search for the right page. They leave, and that is a lost sale. If the click came from a paid ad, that money is gone with nothing to show for it.
- Wasted ad spend: Ads pointing to deleted products or collections send buyers to dead pages, so the money spent on those clicks delivers no return.
- Burned crawl budget: Google spends only a limited amount of time crawling your store. Every dead page it hits is time it does not spend on the pages that should be ranking.
- Lost ranking value: When other sites link to a page that no longer exists, the ranking value those links could pass disappears instead of flowing to a working page.
- Damaged trust: Shoppers who repeatedly hit broken pages start to see the store as unreliable, which makes them less likely to buy or come back.
| Also Read: Prevent and Fix Shopify Redirect Chains |
How to Find and Fix Broken Link Errors in Shopify?
Here are 3 methods to find and fix broken link errors in Shopify.
Method 1: Find Shopify 404 Errors in Google Analytics 4
Google Analytics tracks visits to your website, including visits to 404 pages.
One advantage of GA4 is that it captures all types of 404 errors. It does not matter whether the visitor is a customer, a bot, or another source. If the page is viewed, Analytics can record it.
Steps to Find 404 Pages in GA4
- Open Google Analytics 4.
- Go to Reports.
- Click Engagement.
- Select Pages and Screens.
- Change the primary dimension to Page Title and Screen Class.
- Search for your 404 page title.
Most Shopify stores use titles such as:
- 404 Not Found
- Page Not Found
- Once you find the 404 page title, click the + icon.
- Add Landing Page + Query String as a secondary dimension.
You will now see the exact URLs that generated 404 errors, along with their page view counts.
Pros of GA4
- Tracks all types of 404 visits
- Shows how often each broken URL is viewed
- Helps prioritize high-impact errors
Cons of GA4
- Data is not real-time
- Reports can be delayed
Method 2: Find Shopify 404 Errors in Google Search Console
Google Search Console provides another free way to discover broken URLs.
Unlike Analytics, Search Console only reports pages discovered by Google’s crawler.
Steps to Find 404 Errors in Search Console
- Open Google Search Console.
- Navigate to Pages under Indexing.
- Select Not Found (404).
- Review the example URLs provided.
Google will display URLs that returned a 404 response during crawling.
Pros of Google Search Console
- Easy to access and review
- Directly connected to Google’s indexing process
- Helps identify crawl issues affecting SEO
Cons of Google Search Console
- Only tracks URLs discovered by Googlebot
- Does not provide a complete list of all 404 errors
Method 3: Find Shopify 404 Errors in Real Time with AdNabu’s Redirect Manager App
While Analytics and Search Console provide valuable insights, both have reporting limitations.
AdNabu’s Redirect Manager app offers real-time 404 monitoring and hassle-free Shopify 301 redirect creation with just a few clicks. This means you do not need to navigate through multiple tabs, juggle between different tools, or apply filters to track and fix 404 URL errors.
How It Works
Once you install the app:
- Nabu Redirect Manager starts monitoring all the pages that shoppers visit.
- Whenever a customer lands on a broken page, the app automatically identifies it and starts to highlight the 404 error in the “All Redirects” dashboard, specifically under “Unresolved 404s,” as visible in the screenshot below.
- From the same dashboard, you can also create a target 301 redirect, save the changes, and solve the issue instantly.
- Visitors are then automatically sent to the new, active webpage instead of the old, broken one.
These and other features inside the app — like Shopify wildcard redirects and redirects to external URLs — make it easy to maintain a smooth shopping experience.
Pros of Nabu Redirect Manager
- Real-time 404 detection
- Quick redirect creation
- Allows import and export of CSV files with redirect rules
- Offers advanced Shopify bulk redirect creation functionality via Wildcard and RegEx rules
- Easy Shopify integration
Cons of Nabu Redirect Manager
- Only works for Shopify stores.
Fix Shopify 404 errors instantly and protect your SEO and sales using AdNabu's Redirect Manager app.
🚨 Auto-detect every 404 instantly so you never miss a broken URL. 
Create 301 redirects with just a few clicks.
🧩 Set up bulk redirects with wildcards / RegEx rules
📄Import and export redirects with CSV to fix hundreds of URLs without manual work.
| Also Read: How to Use Shopify Import Redirects? |
Which Method Should You Use To Find and Fix Shopify 404 Errors?
Each tool serves a different purpose.
Google Analytics 4 is ideal for understanding how often broken pages are viewed.
Google Search Console helps identify 404 issues that may affect SEO and indexing.
Nabu Redirect Manager helps you detect and fix customer-facing 404 errors in real time.
We recommend using all three methods together for the best Shopify SEO results. This gives you a complete view of broken URLs across your Shopify store and helps you resolve them before they impact traffic or sales.
| Also Read: Shopify Redirects Not Working. |
Final Thoughts
404 errors are inevitable as your Shopify store evolves. Products get removed, collections change, and URLs get updated.
The key is finding those errors quickly and redirecting visitors to relevant pages.
By using Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and AdNabu’s 301 redirect app together, you can identify broken links, protect your SEO performance, and create a better shopping experience for every visitor.
| Also Read: How To Fix Broken Links in Shopify? |
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the difference between a soft 404 and a hard 404?
A hard 404 returns a proper “Page Not Found” status code. A soft 404 shows a missing page but returns a 200 status code. Search engines may struggle to interpret soft 404s correctly.
- Which Shopify pages generate the most 404 errors?
Deleted products, discontinued collections, outdated blog URLs, and old campaign landing pages are common sources of 404 errors.
- Should I redirect a deleted product to the homepage?
No. Redirect visitors to the most relevant alternative product or collection. Relevant redirects create a better user experience, which in turn sends positive signals to Google about your store, such as stronger dwell time and lower bounce rates, helping improve your rankings.
- How long does Google take to recognize a new redirect?
Google picks up a redirect on its next crawl of that URL, so there is no fixed timeline. For popular pages that Google crawls often, it can happen within a day or two. For less frequently visited URLs, it may take several weeks. You can speed things up by submitting the affected URL through the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console.
- Are 404 errors more common after a store migration?
Yes. URL structure changes often create broken links if redirects are not configured properly during migration.
- Can seasonal campaigns create 404 errors?
Yes. Temporary landing pages for sales, holidays, and promotions often become broken links after campaigns end.
- What should I do before deleting a Shopify page?
Check whether the page receives traffic or backlinks. If it does, create a redirect before removing it.
- Can I prevent 404 errors completely?
No. Some 404 errors are unavoidable. Regular monitoring and timely redirects help minimize their impact.
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