Shopify URL redirects: Create, import, and test 301 redirects

Direct solution coming soon

• Create redirects in Shopify under Content → Menus → URL Redirects (in some cases: Online Store → Navigation → URL Redirects ).
• Use Import (CSV) if you have many redirects from a migration.
• Set Redirect from as a relative path (e.g. /alte-seite ), not as a full URL.
• Test randomly with your browser and curl -I for 301 errors and avoid redirect chains.

When does this occur?

• After changing product, page or blog handles (e.g., /products/alt became /products/neu ).
• After migrating from another shop system where the URL structure changed.
• After switching collections/pages, if old URLs are still in Google, Ads, newsletters or backlinks.
• If 404 error clusters appear in Browser/Analytics for former top URLs.

Technical background: Why does this happen?

Shopify generates URLs from handles and defined paths (e.g. /products/ , /collections/ , /pages/ ). As soon as a handle or structure changes, old paths are no longer resolvable and return a 404 error. A Shopify URL redirect is a server-side redirect that Shopify delivers as a permanent redirect (301) so that browsers and search engines permanently switch the old URL to the new target URL.

Some redirects occur automatically (e.g., when a product handle is changed, if the option to create a redirect is enabled). During migrations or structural changes, automatic redirects are typically incomplete; therefore, they must be selectively supplemented and checked for chains/loops.

Step-by-step: Here's how to implement it

1. Create a list of old URLs

   • Export from Migration/Altshop or derive from Analytics/Google Search Console.
   • For each old URL, define the new target URL (preferably 1:1, otherwise to the most thematically appropriate page).

2. Open redirects in the Shopify admin

   • Newer admin navigation: Content → Menus → URL redirects
   • Older admin navigation (depending on shop/plan/UI): Online shop → Navigation → URL redirects

3. Create individual redirects

   • Click Create URL Redirect .
   • Set the redirect from as a relative path, starting with / , e.g. /alte-kategorie or /products/altes-produkt .
   • Set the redirect to path as a relative path ( /collections/neu ) or as a full URL if external.
   • Save.

4. Bulk import via CSV (for many redirects)

   • Click Import .
   • Create a CSV file containing the Shopify column names (without any additional columns).

    Redirect from,Redirect to
    /alt,/neu
    /collections/sale,/collections/outlet
    /products/sku-123,/products/neuer-handle
    /pages/versandkosten,/policies/shipping-policy
   

   • Upload the CSV file and start the import.
   • After importing, check randomly selected entries in the list.

5. Tests: Check status code, target, and chains

   • Browser test: Visit the old URL and make sure you land directly on the target page.
   • CLI test (returns header including status code and location):

    curl -I https://deinshop.de/alte-seite
   

   • Expectation: HTTP/2 301 (or HTTP/1.1 301 ) and a Location: header with the target URL.
   • Avoid redirect chains: the old URL should lead to the final URL in one go if possible.

6. Optional: Check automatically generated redirects

   • If you change handles in Shopify (product/collection/page), check if Shopify has created a redirect (list of URL redirects).
   • If you deliberately do not want a redirect (rare), remove the corresponding redirect entry after making the change.

Common mistakes

• Error: A full URL is entered in the redirect from field (e.g., https://deinshop.de/alt ). Cause: Shopify expects a path here. Fix: Use only the relative path, e.g. /alt .

• Error: Missing leading slash (e.g., alt ). Cause: The path is not matched correctly. Fix: Always start with / , e.g. /alt .

• Error: Redirect loop (A → B and B → A) or target redirects back to source. Cause: Duplicate/conflicting entries, often after multiple imports. Fix: Clean up affected redirects, define a unique target URL, then test again (browser + curl -I ).

• Error: Redirect chain (A → B → C). Cause: Historically grown redirects or multiple handle changes. Fix: Redirect A directly to C (adjust the entry for A), reduce intermediate steps.

• Error: Incorrect target page (e.g., product on collection or vice versa). Cause: Mapping error in the migration list/CSV. Fix: Correct the mapping and update the redirect entry; then randomly check the most important top URLs.

• Error: Query parameters are "lost" and are required for tracking. Cause: Shopify redirects primarily match paths; parameters are often not managed as a rule set in practice. Fix: If parameters are mandatory, design the landing page so that it works without parameters (recommended). Alternatively, switch to the new URL in campaigns.

Best Practices

• Prepare the redirect CSV before a migration goes live and import it directly after the domain switchover.
• Prioritize top URLs: first the most important landing pages/products/collections (from Analytics, Logs, Ads goals).
• No redirects to irrelevant pages (e.g., everything to the homepage). If no direct target exists, redirect to the next most appropriate category/collection.
• One step towards the goal: regularly resolving redirect chains, especially after rebranding and multiple structural changes.
• Keep naming conventions stable: Only change handles if there is a clear reason; always check whether the redirect was created automatically when making changes.

Brief summary

• Shopify URL redirects fix 404 errors after handle, structure, or migration changes.
• Redirecting from is a relative path with a leading / , not a full URL.
• Many redirects can be imported via CSV (columns: Redirect from , Redirect to ).
• Test for 301 errors and check Location ; avoid redirect loops and chains.
• Keep redirects well-maintained: Prioritize top URLs and regularly clean up mappings.