If you have been manually setting up Shopify redirects for broken URLs that follow a particular pattern until now, then there’s some good news for you. There’s an easier and smarter way to handle them. And it doesn’t require you to create separate redirect rules for every page. Rather, you can handle all patterned URL redirects with ease and in one go.
You may have guessed already that we are talking about Shopify Wildcard redirects.
If you haven’t heard of these before, then worry not, this blog will help you.
Through it, we will be learning about Shopify wildcard redirects in detail. We will discuss their definition, benefits, use cases, and many other important details.
Table of Contents
What are Shopify Wildcard Redirects?
Shopify Wildcard redirects are URL redirects that use a special wildcard character (usually an asterisk ‘*’) to automatically match multiple missing (404) Shopify URLs that follow a common pattern to a new location. Instead of creating separate redirects for every single URL, a wildcard rule allows you to catch all URLs under a specific structure and send them to a new target URL.
For example, if you create a wildcard rule like /blog/* → /news/, then any 404 URL starting with /blog/ will automatically be redirected to the news page. This means that whenever a user or search engine visits a page like ‘/blog/organic-cotton-clothes’, ‘/blog/synthetic-cotton-clothes’, etc., they will be redirected to the /news/ page.
So, in simple terms, wildcard redirects let you handle groups of similar broken URLs with one smart rule.
However, depending on the tool you use, this functionality for wildcard redirects may extend further. For instance, if you add an asterisk (or the symbol used by your app) to both the source and target paths, the target link will also preserve matching segments from the source path.
This means that a wildcard rule like /blog/* → /news/* would mean that whenever somebody reaches a broken page like /blog/organic-cotton-clothes, they are automatically redirected to /news/organic-cotton-clothes.
Does Shopify Allow Creating Wildcard Redirects?
No, Shopify’s built-in redirect feature doesn’t allow you to create wildcard redirects.
You can verify this directly in your Shopify admin. When you go to Content > Menus > URL Redirects > Create URL redirect, you will notice that there are just two fields you can fill out:
- Redirect from, and;
- Redirect to
Within these fields, Shopify doesn’t recognize or accept regex or * wildcards. This means you cannot simply create a rule like /example/* in the Shopify admin interface to redirect multiple URLs following the same pattern to a new location.
How to Create Shopify Wildcard Redirects?
To create wildcard redirects in Shopify, you’ll need a third-party redirect app. That’s because, as we learned in the previous section, Shopify’s native functionality doesn’t support this feature.
One reliable option is AdNabu’s Redirect Manager app. It is a ‘Built for Shopify’ app that enables Shopify merchants to seamlessly redirect 404 (missing) pages to other relevant active webpages within or outside the Shopify ecosystem. Some of its key features include:
- Automatic Detection of 404 pages
- Detailed Analytics for 404 and 301 pages
- Allows creation of Unlimited Redirects
- Allows to Import and Export URL Redirects via CSV Files
Additionally, the app also allows you to create Shopify wildcard redirects. Here’s how you can do it:
- Within the ‘404/301 URL Redirects by Nabu’ app, navigate to the left-hand side menu, click on the ‘Wildcard Redirects’ tab.
- Then you will see two options to create redirects for URLs that follow a similar pattern:
- Wildcard Redirects
- RegEx Redirects
| Note: As per the intended length of this article, we will go ahead and create Wildcard redirects within the app. To learn about how to create RegEx Redirects in AdNabu’s Redirect Manager app, refer to this help article. |
- Click on ‘Create Wildcard Redirects.’
- You will then have to add the URL pattern for the 404 pages that you want to redirect in the Source Path field. Also, you must use the ‘*’ symbol to ensure that dynamic parts of the URL are matched.
- Add the destination URL in the Target Link field. You can also use the ‘*’ symbol here if you want to preserve matching segments from the source path.
- Click on “Create” and your wildcard redirect rule will be saved.
After you complete this process, whenever someone visits a 404 page that matches the defined URL pattern, they’ll automatically be redirected to the new target page you’ve specified. This will help ensure that the shopper doesn’t have a poor user experience, you don’t lose traffic, and that your store’s SEO performance doesn’t drop.
Save time and protect your SEO with
AdNabu’s Redirect Manager. Set up wildcard redirects,
auto-detect broken URLs, and keep
every page running smoothly.
| Note: 1. Wildcard redirects in AdNabu’s Redirect Manager app are implemented using JavaScript. This means they may impact SEO performance since search engines don’t always treat JavaScript redirects the same way as server-side 301 redirects. 2. As previously shared, we covered AdNabu’s redirect manager app in this article for reference purposes. However, there are other third-party apps as well, such as ‘SC Easy Redirects’, ‘Redirect Hero – Fix 404 Links’, etc., that you can use to create wildcard redirects for your Shopify store. |
Use Cases of Shopify Wildcard Redirects (With Examples)
Now, let’s discuss in which scenarios you can use Shopify wildcard redirects.
Migrating a Blog or Content Section
Whenever you make any changes to your store’s blog or articles section, a wildcard redirect rule can be helpful to match all old posts to the new target URLs.
For example, let’s say till now your blogs were available at the example.myshopify.com/blog/ location. Now, you want to shift them to example.myshopify.com/pages/articles. So, rather than setting up individual redirects, you can create a wildcard rule from /blog/* to /pages/articles/*. This will ensure that any page like /blog/best-brown-shorts/ will automatically redirect to /pages/articles/best-brown-shorts/.
This will help ensure that your entire blog is successfully migrated to the new path seamlessly.
Platform Migration (Different URL Formats)
If you are migrating from a different e-commerce platform like WooCommerce to Shopify, then you should note that the URL structure won’t be the same across both platforms. This can result in broken or missing pages, which can lead to poor user experiences and a drop in SEO rankings for your store. Wildcard redirects can help you evade such consequences by automatically redirecting your old store URLs to their new, active paths in Shopify.
Example: Let’s assume that your old store’s product URLs were in this format: /product-category/abc-product/
And the new Shopify URLs follow this format:
/products/abc-product/
So, after migrating, you can simply create a wildcard redirect rule from /product-category/* to /products/*. This will help ensure that old pages from your store automatically redirect to the correct new pathways, preserving both traffic and SEO value, without requiring excessive time and effort.
Language or Region Subfolder Changes
If you delete or restructure any subfolder, visitors may end up encountering 404 errors on those URLs. In such situations, too, you can use wildcard redirects to automatically send users from those old, outdated subfolder URLs to either another region-specific URL or your primary Shopify domain.
Example: Let’s suppose you have a Canadian market for your store that you now want to remove. In this case, you can set up a wildcard redirect rule like from: /en-ca/* → to: /*. This way, when shoppers visit any Canadian subfolder URL (for example, /en-ca/products/winter-jackets/), they’ll be redirected to the same product page on your primary domain (/products/winter-jackets).
This will keep them engaged and not hinder their shopping experience.
Redirecting Site-wide 404 Pages
Many times, merchants also strategically set up wildcard redirect rules like From: /* To: /products/ (or any other page). This setup ensures that whenever a user visits any broken page on your store, they’re automatically redirected to the /products/ (or other defined) page.
So, if you want a simple and quick store-wide fix for all 404 pages, you can try a wildcard redirect rule like the one shared above.
| Note: This approach works best for small Shopify stores with limited pages and SKUs. When the number of 404 pages is small, redirecting them all to one relevant page won’t cause issues. However, if you have a huge store with hundreds of URLs and plenty of 404 pages, we do not recommend using wildcard redirects to send shoppers to one particular page. That’s because Search engines might view such mass redirects to one unrelated page as soft errors. That can hurt your website’s authority and rankings. |
Adding or Removing URL Suffixes
Wildcard redirects can also be helpful when restructuring URLs that share a common prefix or suffix. For example, if your product URLs end with “-old”, such as black-bag-old, and you now want to drop the word old and send users to black-bag, you can create a wildcard redirect rule like from: /products/*-old → to: /products/*.
This will remove “-old” from the slug and automatically redirect users to the newer and more concise version of your product URL.
Best Practices for Implementing Wildcard Redirects Across Shopify
Here are some best practices to follow to ensure that you make the most of wildcard redirects:
- Always Plan and Scope your Redirects: Before you set up wildcard redirect rules, always analyze which URL patterns truly need redirection. Once you do, use narrow and highly specific patterns to avoid redirecting unintended URLs.
For example, if you change the destination of your blog page, then only create a rule for /blog/* and not /*, which would redirect all 404 pages across your entire site.
- Map Redirects to Relevant Pages: You must ensure that you redirect users and search engines to the next most relevant page possible.
So, if it’s an old product URL, it should lead to the same item’s new pathway. If you have discontinued a particular product variant, then set a redirect for another variant or the category page.
But strictly avoid redirecting all URLs to a generic page, as that may lead to “soft 404” errors.
- Document Your Wildcard Redirect Rules: Ensure that you document all Shopify wildcard redirect rules, their purposes, and their dates of creation either manually or by using a tool. This is to prevent any confusion or misunderstanding related to the URL behaviors in the future.
- Use a Reliable Shopify Redirect App: When it comes to choosing a tool for managing your Shopify wildcard redirects, go with a reliable solution like AdNabu’s Redirect Manager app. Such tools ensure that setting up, implementing, and monitoring wildcard redirects is easy and hassle-free. Moreover, a good tool is essential to ensure that you don’t risk your site’s SEO performance and disrupt user experience.
Conclusion and Key Takeaways
Shopify wildcard redirects offer a simple yet powerful way to manage large-scale URL changes, prevent broken links, and maintain a seamless shopping experience. They help merchants save time, preserve SEO value, and ensure store visitors always reach the right pages.
Let’s quickly recap the key takeaways from this guide:
- Wildcard redirects let you redirect multiple URLs with similar patterns using one simple rule, saving hours of manual effort.
- Shopify doesn’t support wildcard redirects natively, so third-party apps are essential for creating and managing them effectively.
- A reliable app like AdNabu’s Redirect Manager makes setting up and tracking wildcard redirects fast, accurate, and SEO-friendly.
- Wildcard redirects are useful during blog migrations, platform changes, and when restructuring product or regional URLs.
- They help preserve link equity, improve site navigation, prevent 404 errors, and enhance user engagement throughout your store.
- Plan and test every redirect rule carefully, map them to the most relevant destination, and always document them for future updates.
Good luck!
FAQs
1. Do wildcard redirects affect my Shopify store’s speed or performance?
No, wildcard redirects themselves don’t slow down your store. However, using too many redirect rules or redirect chains can slightly increase load times. Keep your redirect structure simple and minimal for best performance.
2. What’s the difference between a wildcard redirect and a regex redirect?
A wildcard redirect uses an asterisk (*) to match multiple URLs with a common pattern. A regex redirect, on the other hand, uses regular expressions for more flexible and complex URL matching. Regex gives more control but requires some technical understanding.
3. Will wildcard redirects impact my SEO rankings?
If implemented correctly, wildcard redirects help preserve link equity and prevent SEO loss. Problems arise only if you redirect many unrelated pages to a single destination, which can create soft 404s or confuse search engines.
4. Are wildcard redirects reversible or easy to edit later?
Yes, you can easily edit or delete wildcard redirects within your redirect app. Most apps, including AdNabu’s Redirect Manager, let you modify source and target paths without affecting other rules.
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