Why 301 Redirects Matter After a Shopify Migration
Switching your store to Shopify can be a game-changer for your eCommerce business. You get a better backend, better design capabilities, and more scalability. But one critical mistake that many merchants make during migration is ignoring their URLs — and that’s where 301 redirects come into play.
In this article, we’ll explain why 301 redirects matter after a Shopify migration, how they impact SEO, and how to use a Shopify 404 redirect app like SM Quick Redirects to handle them efficiently.
What Is a 301 Redirect?
A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect from one URL to another. It's a way of telling browsers and search engines that a page has permanently moved to a new location. This ensures that your visitors land on the right page, even if they’re using old or outdated links.
Examples:
- /old-product-url → /new-product-url
- /collections/old-sale → /collections/new-sale
Why Migrations Cause 404 Errors
When you migrate to Shopify from platforms like WooCommerce, Magento, or BigCommerce, the URL structure often changes. Here are some common causes of 404 errors post-migration:
- Different URL formatting (e.g., “/product-name” becomes “/products/product-name”)
- Old categories or tags are removed
- Manual redirects were not added
- External backlinks point to now non-existent pages
Unless you set up proper 301 redirects, all those old URLs will return 404 errors — which damages your SEO and ruins the customer experience.
SEO Impact of Missing Redirects
Here’s what happens when you migrate to Shopify without 301 redirects:
- Loss of Page Authority: Google won’t transfer the SEO value of the old URL to the new one.
- Broken Backlinks: Any external links pointing to your site now land on 404 pages.
- Traffic Drops: Organic visitors can’t find your new pages.
- Increased Bounce Rate: Dead pages frustrate users and increase exit rates.
According to Google, 301 redirects are the proper way to preserve SEO signals like page rank and trust when moving URLs permanently.
Real Merchant Risk: What’s at Stake
Imagine you run a successful Shopify store and migrate 500+ products from WooCommerce. If you forget to redirect those old URLs, all of your product backlinks from Google, Pinterest, and blogs will lead to 404 pages. That’s thousands of dollars in lost traffic and SEO equity — gone overnight.
"We migrated 900 product pages and saw a 40% drop in organic traffic before realizing none of our old URLs were redirecting." – Shopify Merchant
Why You Need a Shopify 404 Redirect App
Shopify has a native redirect feature, but it lacks critical tools like auto-detection of broken links, bulk management, and advanced pattern-based redirects. A dedicated Shopify 404 redirect app like SM Quick Redirects solves this efficiently.
Features You Need:
- Auto-detect 404 errors in real time
- Bulk import old-to-new URL redirects via CSV
- Set pattern-based (regex) redirects to save time
- Get email alerts for new 404s
- View redirect analytics to track performance
How to Set Up 301 Redirects After Shopify Migration
Step 1: Identify Old URLs
Export all old URLs from your previous platform or use Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or Ahrefs to identify indexed URLs.
Step 2: Map to New Shopify URLs
For each old URL, determine the corresponding Shopify page. Keep in mind Shopify’s URL structure:
- Products: /products/product-name
- Collections: /collections/collection-name
- Blogs: /blogs/news/article-name
Step 3: Use SM Quick Redirects
Install SM Quick Redirects and import your redirect list. The app will handle the rest—no coding or theme editing required.
Step 4: Monitor for Missed URLs
After launch, use SM Quick Redirects’ 404 auto-detection and email alerts to catch any broken links you missed during migration.
Pro Tips for Migration Success
- Use consistent naming for URLs to minimize redirect needs
- Use regex redirect rules to cover large groups of similar URLs
- Always export and back up your redirect lists
- Monitor Search Console after launch for crawl errors
Shopify Native vs SM Quick Redirects
| Feature | Shopify Native | SM Quick Redirects |
|---|---|---|
| Bulk Redirect Upload | ✅ | ✅ |
| 404 Auto-Detection | ❌ | ✅ |
| Email Alerts | ❌ | ✅ |
| Regex/Pattern Redirects | ❌ | ✅ |
| Analytics Dashboard | ❌ | ✅ |
Best Use Cases for 301 Redirects
- Replatforming from Magento, BigCommerce, or WooCommerce
- Cleaning up outdated or seasonal URLs
- Changing product names or collections for SEO
- Fixing external links from social or referral traffic
What Other Merchants Are Saying
SM Quick Redirects has a 5.0-star average on the Shopify App Store with over 300 reviews:
- “Fast, easy, and reliable – saved us hours of manual work.”
- “Essential after our migration. Recovered SEO traffic instantly.”
- “Love the email alerts for new 404s – super helpful!”
Conclusion: Don’t Skip Your Redirects
If you’re migrating to Shopify and want to preserve your SEO, traffic, and customer trust — 301 redirects are non-negotiable. Set them up the right way using a dedicated Shopify 404 redirect app like SM Quick Redirects.
With built-in automation, email alerts, and bulk editing features, it’s the easiest way to handle redirects at scale and prevent SEO disasters after migration.
Start your Shopify journey strong. Fix your 404s before they cost you.