Master Shopify 404 Redirects: Fix Links & Boost SEO

Broken links and 404 errors can quietly drain your Shopify store’s traffic and sales. When shoppers encounter a 404 error, they tend to bounce. Similarly, when Google crawls those pages, your SEO is negatively affected. 

This is why it is essential to set up Shopify redirects for 404 URLs. It is a must-have strategy to maintain your e-commerce store. 

The platform makes setting up Shopify 404 redirects easy. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Navigation > URL Redirects, click Create URL Redirect, then add your Redirect from URL, your Redirect to destination, and Save redirect.

These built-in URL Redirects help you quickly redirect old or broken links, and redirecting properly ensures both users and search engines land on the right page.

This blog walks you through how 301 and 404 redirects serve different, yet complementary purposes. We will also explore how to use Google Search Console to identify broken links. 

We will also learn how apps like 404/301 URL Redirects by Nabu or MIT Broken Links Fixer can set a 301 redirect or even automatically redirect 404 pages in your Shopify store. 

Let’s get started!

What is a ‘Shopify 404 Redirect’?

A 404 is an HTTP status code that indicates the server cannot find the webpage at the requested URL. This often happens when the page has been deleted, moved, the link is broken, or typed incorrectly. 

Instead of loading the intended page, the browser displays “404 Not Found”, informing the user that the URL no longer points to an existing page. 

This breaks the customer journey, especially for e-commerce stores. It also affects your SEO because search engines waste crawl budget on missing pages and lower your domain’s perceived quality. 

As a result, you can lose rankings, traffic, and even sales from shoppers who hit dead ends.

This is when merchants apply a ‘Shopify 404 Redirect’. They redirect the dead link to an active and relevant page so as not to lose traffic–keeping the customer journey momentum. 

The actual redirect that is applied is known as a Shopify 301 redirect. A 301 redirect is an HTTP status that signals a permanent move from an old URL to a new one. 

How to Redirect Broken Links in Shopify? (3 Methods)

Redirecting broken links in Shopify is a simple, straightforward process. It is essential to note that Shopify only permits 301 redirects for 404 errors. This means that you cannot redirect a live page to another. However, if you really want to, you can use Shopify Redirect Apps for this.

Pro Tip💡: When fixing 404s, start with links that have impressions/clicks in GSC or traffic in GA. Fix high-value ones first.

In order to fix a broken link on Shopify, merchants must apply a 301 redirect. 

Method 1: From Shopify Admin (Native Method)

This method involves using Shopify’s built-in redirect tool. 

Step 1: From your Shopify Admin, go to Content > Menus 

Step 2: Click on ‘URL Redirects’ in the top right corner

Step 3: Then click on ‘Create URL Redirect’ 

(You have the option of ‘Import URL Redirects’ to import a CSV file with multiple redirect links. This is useful for bulk redirects, which is explained in the following subsection.)

Step 4: On the next page, enter paths: 

• Redirect from: Enter the old/broken URL path (e.g., /products/blue-shirt-old).
• Redirect to: Enter the new destination path (e.g., /products/blue-shirt-v2).

Step 5: Click on ‘Save redirect’. And you’re all set! 

Pro Tip💡: Test if your old URL is now redirecting to the new page. 

Pro Tip💡: Test if your old URL is now redirecting to the new page.  Also Read: How to Create Shopify Redirects to External URLs in 2025?

Method 2: Bulk Redirects 

This method involves using Shopify’s built-in redirect tool. However, bulk redirects can also be applied through third-party apps. 

Steps 1 to 2 remain the same for this method. 

Step 3: Select ‘Import URL Redirects’. 

Step 4: Once you click on ‘Import URL Redirects’, a modal will pop up. You have two options to import your CSV file. 

Option 1 involves downloading a sample CSV template provided by Shopify. 

Option 2 involves uploading your own CSV file from your system. 

Your CSV file (template or your own should look like this).

Once you have loaded the file, click on ‘Upload file’ and then ‘Import redirects’. 

You will then see this message if it is successful. 

You will also receive a redirects summary email. 

If your redirects are not successful or one of them encounters an error, you will be notified. In such cases, you will have to identify why your Shopify redirects are not working.

Pro Tip💡: Wildcard redirects fall under the umbrella of bulk redirects, but they follow a pattern-based rule. For example, Say all your old product URLs used to be: /products/-old And you renamed them to remove “-old”, like: /products/blue-shirt-old → /products/blue-shirt Instead of creating dozens of 301s, you set one wildcard redirect: – Redirect from: /products/-old – Redirect to: /products/* These are not supported by Shopify’s built-in tool and require a redirect app.

Method 3: Using Shopify Redirect Apps

Shopify merchants also have the option of using Shopify redirect apps to set up redirects for their store. 

For the purpose of this blog, we will understand how to apply redirects via AdNabu’s Redirect App (404/301 URL Redirects by Nabu). 

Step 1: Download the app from the Shopify store.

Step 2: Give the app access to the required data and click on “Install”. 

Step 3: Configure the settings on the next page. 

Step 4: On your dashboard, you will be able to view all the “Unresolved 404s”. These are links that returned 404 errors when a user clicked on them. 

Note: 404 links clicked by users will be tracked only from the date the app was installed.

Step 5: Click on “Create Redirect” on the rectangular-shaped dashboard card. 

Step 6: Fill in the “Source Path” (from) and “Target Link” (to) fields to create a 301 redirect. 

Step 7: Once done, click on “Create Redirect” and you’re all set! Test if the redirect is working to steer clear of any errors. 

404/301 URL Redirects by Nabu offers bulk redirects and wildcard redirects. These are two other ways to resolve Shopify 404 redirects that are offered by the app.  Learn how to set up wildcard redirects and bulk redirects with AdNabu.

Tools for Identifying 404 Errors 

It is close to impossible for merchants to identify all 404 errors on their Shopify store. It is also exceptionally important to identify these broken links before they start hurting your SEO efforts. 

Let’s explore some tools you can use to easily identify 404 errors: 

1. Google Search Console (free) – Shows “Not Found (404)” crawl errors and the exact URLs Googlebot cannot reach. Go to “Coverage” or “Pages” report to access this information. You can also request the removal of a broken URL from search results.

2. Google Analytics (free) – Allows you to identify 404s by customizing reports in the “Behavior” or “Content” reports. You can find the exact page title or path, and how many users are running into these errors. 

3. Semrush and Ahrefs (paid) – While not the sole purpose of the SEO platforms, they do offer site auditing tools that can crawl your entire website and identify pages with 404 errors. 

4. Screaming Frog (free version available) – A popular website crawler that scans your website and instantly identifies 404 pages. In addition to this, you can also audit existing redirects and identify redirect chains.

5. Shopify apps such as SEOAnt, Dr. Link Check, Doc404, NotFoundBot, MIT Broken Links Fixer, Redirect Hero, and 404/301 URL Redirects by Nabu.

Importance of Fixing 404 Errors 

It is of utmost importance to fix 404 errors on your Shopify store–largely because you want to maintain continuity in the customer journey. Having broken links creates an obstacle in that journey, which results in lost traffic and sales. 

Additionally, it negatively impacts your website SEO and corresponding search rankings–all of which once again affects your ultimate goal, sales. 

• Boosts User Experience: Visitors or customers encountering 404 pages are likely to leave your store and never return again. Tracking and fixing these errors allows you to redirect users to relevant pages or offer helpful alternatives. This keeps them engaged and more likely to convert. 
• Passes Link Equity: When you apply 301 redirects in particular, all the link equity from the old broken URL is passed onto the new one. This is helpful because it means you don’t lose the ranking power those backlinks earned over time
• Preserves SEO & Search Rankings: 404 errors signal to search engines that the page does not exist, which hurts your site’s ranking over time. It also wastes search engine crawl budget and signals poor site maintenance. By regularly identifying and fixing these errors, you ensure that search engines continue to index your valuable content. 
• Recovers Lost Sales Opportunities: Studies suggest that 73.72% of users who land on a 404 error page leave your website and never return–impacting potential revenue. By monitoring and correcting these broken links, you can guide users back into the sales funnel, increasing the chance of conversion.
• Enables Data-Driven Decisions: Tracking broken links reveals which URLs are problematic and where users are coming from. This can help you prioritize fixes and even identify missing content or popular products. 

Pro Tip💡: If a product is out of stock permanently, redirect it. If it’s temporary, keep it live and mark it as out of stock; don’t redirect.

Using Apps for 404 Management 

If you don’t want to use Shopify’s native method for applying redirects, then you can use Shopify redirect apps. The Shopify app store offers a variety of options, let’s briefly explore some of them: 

1. SC Easy Redirects – Bulk 404 redirects, automatic 404 tracking, automated redirects, redirect patterns, live redirects, bulk upload live redirects, etc. This app starts at $14.99/mo, and offers a free version too. 7-day free trial available

2. 404/301 URL Redirects by Nabu (Completely free, 4.8⭐ rating) – AdNabu’s redirect app offers auto detection of 404 errors, bulk redirects, simple 301 redirects, bulk and wildcard redirects, imported redirects via CSV file, and auto sync with Shopify. The app is Built For Shopify, which means it meets Shopify’s highest standards for design, performance, and integration. This app is completely free. 

3. SEOAnt ‑ 404 Link Redirect – 301 redirects, bulk upload redirects, live suggest target URL, daily report, real-time 404 error tracking, automated 301 redirect pattern, and more. This app starts at $7.99/mo, and offers a free forever plan too. 7-day free trial available

4. Redirect Hero ‑ Fix 404 links – Auto detect 404 errors, live redirects, automatic redirects, redirect pattern, and more. This redirect app starts at $2.90/mo. No free plan available. 7-day free trial available. 

5. Redirect Ninja ‑ AI 404 Fix – AI-powered redirects, automatic redirects, email notifications, link analysis, wildcard redirects, template-based redirects, and more. This app starts at $7.99/mo and offers a free forever plan. They offer a 7-day free trial for paid plans. 

Using Wildcard Redirects 

Beyond using individual 301 redirects for broken links, users can also use wildcard redirects. Wildcard redirects route multiple broken links that share a pattern to a single destination. This is an alternative to bulk redirects.

Using wildcard redirects can help you fix hundreds of 404s in one rule instead of manual redirects. 

For example, 

You migrate from an old blog structure where every article URL used /blogs/news/….

But now your blogs follow a new pattern /blog/resources..

So you apply a wildcard redirect rule: 

/blogs/news/* → /blogs/resources/

What it does:

So essentially, what happens is that if any URL starts with /blogs/news, it gets redirected to /blog/resources/.

Shopify does not natively support wildcard redirects. Wildcards usually require an app, a reverse proxy/CDN rule, or a theme/router workaround. The easiest and simplest method is to use an app.

Pro Tips💡: 

• Only use wildcard redirects when URLs share rel intent. 
• Redirect to the closest category or collection. 
• Keep the destination live and indexable. 
• Monitor after launch. 

Avoiding Redirect Loops 

Avoid creating redirect loops when applying 301 redirects. A redirect loop or a redirect chain happens when a URL redirects back to itself. 

For example, URL A to B to C to A. This leads to an endless chain or “loop” of redirects. Your browser will return a “ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS” error message. 

Shopify merchants often see this error when they add a redirect using the default method and an app. This causes a conflict between the redirects. 

Adding 301 redirects for valid live pages instead of only 404 pages will also cause conflicts. 

Beyond this, this issue could also arise if the wildcard rules are too broad. This means redirecting a broad category (parent) to a specific page inside that same category (child). 

It could also happen during site migrations when you want to move a folder structure, but accidentally overlap the names. 

How to avoid redirect loops? 

• Use absolute URLs for external redirects, and relative URLs for internal Shopify redirects. 
• Only create redirects from URLs that return 404 errors.
• Avoid redirects, including query strings or special characters, as Shopify ignores query components. 
• Avoid redirecting system-reserved Shopify URL paths such as /cart, /orders/, /products, and /collections/all (these are managed by Shopify internally). 
• Avoid redirecting to similar patterns. If your rule is /pages/* to /pages/new, do not have another rule that is /pages/new to /pages/*. 
• Test the destination URL. Make sure it loads directly and not via another redirect. 
• Keep redirect chains short, A to B. 
• Document redirect rules to avoid loops. 

Also Read: How to Fix the Shopify Too Many Redirects Error Quickly

Customizing Shopify 404 Page 

A 404 page is a lost opportunity. However, you can turn it into a lucrative opportunity by customizing the 404 page. You can do this by adding helpful features, such as product recommendations or navigation options, to redirect users to relevant pages. This will re-engage customers and decrease bounce rates. 

Having a custom 404 page indirectly supports your SEO by providing better engagement signals (lower bounce rate, more clicks) and enhancing overall site quality.

PS – This does not mean you don’t fix 404 pages. This is just a precautionary measure in case customers land on a broken page.

Let’s look at some design tips for effective 404 pages: 

• Add a clear CTA such as “Back to Shop”, “Explore Winter Collection”, etc.
• Add a recommendation widget. There are apps available on the Shopify app store that can help with this. 
• Match your store’s look and tone. Same design theme, colors, and voice, so it feels like it is a part of the site. 
• Include a search bar so users can perform searches for specific products if need be. 
• Show popular or related products such as “Best sellers” or “Trending Now”. 
• Add category links by having quick tiles for top collections. 
• Light humor or friendly copy can reduce frustration. 
• Optional: Add a support link such as “Chat with us” or “Contact support”. 

Conclusion

Managing Shopify 404 redirects is a fairly straightforward task. These broken links result in lost traffic and sales, thus it is important to fix them as soon as possible. 

With that, let us recap what we learned in this blog. 

Key takeaways: 

• 404 errors hurt SEO, user experience, and sales, so fixing them is important. 
• Shopify 404 fixes are done by applying 301 redirects (permanent redirects). 
• You can add redirects in 3 ways: Native Shopify admin (single redirects), bulk CSV import for many redirects, and redirect apps for auto-tracking + advanced rules. 
• Wildcard redirects can be used for patterned URL changes, but Shopify does not support them natively (use an app). 
• Use tools like Google Search Console, GA, Ahrefs/Semrush, Screaming Frog, and redirect apps to find broken links.
• Fixing 404s preserves rankings and link equity, reduces bounce, and recovers lost revenue.
• Avoid redirect loops and chains by keeping redirects clean, relevant, and well-documented.
• A customized 404 page helps retain users, but it’s a backup, not a replacement for fixing links.

FAQs

What is a 404 redirect?

A 404 redirect is when you send visitors and search engines away from a missing page to a live and relevant page (you redirect them). 

How to redirect 404 in Shopify?

Go to Admin → Online Store/Content → Navigation/Menus → URL Redirects → Create Redirect. Add the broken path in “Redirect from,” the new path in “Redirect to,” then save.

Beyond this, you can use Shopify redirect apps or bulk import a CSV file for multiple redirects. 

What is a 404 page on Shopify?

If a user visits a URL that does not exist on your store, a 404 error page will be shown. “404” is the standard HTTP status code that indicates a “Page Not Found” error. 

How do I remove 404 pages from Shopify?

You cannot remove a 404 page from Shopify. Instead, you can fix it by adding a 301 redirect or correcting the broken link source. 

How do I handle 404 errors for products that are permanently out of stock in Shopify? 

Consider redirecting to similar products or a category page to retain potential sales.

What should I do if my Shopify store has a high number of 404 errors? 

If your Shopify store has lots of 404 errors, export the list and fix them in bulk. Upload a CSV in Shopify URL Redirects to create many 301 redirects at once. For repeated URL patterns, use a redirect app to set wildcard redirects and automate the cleanup.

How can I test if my 404 redirects are working correctly in Shopify? 

Use browser tools or online redirect checkers to verify redirect paths.

What is the difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect, and which should I use for 404 errors in Shopify?

Use 301 for permanent redirects and 302 for temporary ones; 301 is recommended for 404 errors.

How can I create a custom 404 error page in Shopify to enhance user engagement?

Use Shopify’s theme editor to design a page that includes helpful links and a search bar. There are also Shopify apps available that can create custom 404 pages.