What Is a URL Redirect? A Simple Explanation
Learn what URL redirects are, how they work, and why every Shopify store owner needs to understand them to protect traffic and SEO rankings.
A redirect in everyday terms
Imagine you move your physical shop to a new address across town. You would put a sign on the old door telling customers where to find you now. A URL redirect — sometimes called URL forwarding — does exactly that for a web page. When someone visits the old address, the server automatically sends them to the new one before they even notice.
The visitor does not have to do anything. They click a link or type a URL, and a fraction of a second later they arrive at the correct page. Search engines follow the same path, which means any authority the old page had built up can transfer to the new location instead of vanishing into a 404 error.
For Shopify store owners, redirects appear in daily operations more often than you might expect. Every time you rename a product, delete an out-of-season collection, or migrate from another platform, the old URLs stop working. Without a redirect each of those dead links becomes a missed sale and a small hit to your search rankings.
How a redirect works behind the scenes
When your browser requests a web page it sends an HTTP request to the server. Normally the server responds with a status code of 200, meaning everything is fine, and delivers the page content. With a redirect the server responds with a status code in the 3xx range and includes a Location header pointing to the new URL. The browser reads that header and immediately makes a second request to the new address.
The entire exchange happens in milliseconds and is invisible to the visitor. They see the final page load as if they had typed the correct URL from the start. The address bar updates to show the new URL, and the browser stores the redirect so future visits can be even faster.
There are several 3xx status codes, but two matter most in everyday store management. A 301 tells the browser and search engines that the move is permanent. A 302 says the move is temporary and the original URL may come back. Choosing the right one determines whether search engines transfer ranking signals to the new page or keep them attached to the old one. If you want to understand the difference in depth, read our guide on 301 vs 302 redirects.
Why online stores need redirects
E-commerce sites change constantly. Products sell out, collections rotate with the seasons, and marketing campaigns come and go. Each change can leave behind a URL that no longer leads anywhere. Here are the most common scenarios where a redirect saves the day.
Deleting or archiving a product. When you remove a product from your Shopify store, the URL it lived at starts returning a 404 error. Customers who bookmarked it, affiliate sites linking to it, and search engines that indexed it all hit a dead end. A redirect from the old product URL to a similar item or the parent collection keeps that traffic flowing.
Changing a product handle or page slug. Even a small tweak to a URL structure breaks every existing link. A redirect from the old path to the new one ensures nothing is lost.
Migrating from another platform. Moving from WooCommerce, Magento, or another system to Shopify almost always means your URL structure changes. Without a complete redirect map, every page indexed by Google under the old domain or path returns an error. A well-planned migration includes a one-to-one redirect for every important URL. Our migration redirect guide covers this process in detail.
Consolidating duplicate content. If two pages serve essentially the same purpose, redirecting one to the other strengthens the surviving page and removes confusion for search engines.
Switching domains. Rebranding often comes with a new domain name. Redirecting the entire old domain to the new one preserves years of accumulated search authority. We cover this in our post on redirecting an old domain to a new one.
The main types of redirects at a glance
Not every redirect behaves the same way. The HTTP status code tells browsers and search engines whether the change is permanent or temporary, which affects how they handle the link going forward.
301 — Moved Permanently. This is the redirect you will use most often. It tells search engines to transfer ranking signals from the old URL to the new one and to update their index. Browsers cache 301 redirects aggressively, so repeat visitors reach the new page even faster. Use a 301 whenever a page has moved for good: after deleting a product, changing a slug, or completing a migration.
302 — Found (Temporary). A 302 signals that the move is short-lived. Search engines keep the original URL in their index and continue to associate the ranking signals with it rather than moving them to the new page. Use a 302 when you plan to bring the original page back, for example during a temporary promotion or while a page is under maintenance.
307 and 308. These are the modern equivalents of 302 and 301 respectively. They guarantee that the browser preserves the original request method, which matters for form submissions but rarely comes up in typical store management. For a full breakdown of every type, see all types of redirects explained.
For most Shopify store tasks, 301 is the right choice. Shopify’s built-in redirect tool creates 301 redirects by default, which is exactly what you want when a page has permanently moved.
What happens when redirects go wrong
Redirects are powerful, but they can cause problems when mismanaged. Knowing what to watch for helps you avoid the most common pitfalls.
Redirect chains. A chain forms when URL A redirects to URL B, which redirects to URL C, and so on. Each hop adds latency and dilutes the SEO signal passed along the way. Google follows up to ten hops before giving up, but you should keep chains as short as possible. The fix is simple: update the redirect so A points directly to the final destination. Read more in our guide to redirect chains and loops.
Redirect loops. A loop occurs when two or more URLs redirect in a circle, for example A sends visitors to B and B sends them back to A. The browser detects the infinite cycle and displays an error. Loops block access entirely and must be resolved as soon as they appear.
Redirecting to irrelevant content. Sending a product page to the homepage instead of a related product is tempting because it is fast, but search engines notice that the content does not match. This creates what is known as a soft 404, and Google may drop the page from results anyway. Always redirect to the closest matching page.
Too many redirects slowing the site. While a single redirect adds only a small delay, hundreds of chained or unnecessary redirects across a site can accumulate into noticeable performance issues. Regularly auditing your redirects keeps the list clean. Our article on whether redirects affect page speed goes deeper into this topic.
Getting started with redirects in Shopify
Shopify includes a built-in redirect tool that covers the basics. You can find it under Online Store > Navigation > URL Redirects in your Shopify admin. From there you can create individual redirects or import a CSV file for bulk changes. Standard plans support up to 100,000 redirects, and Shopify Plus stores can hold up to 20 million.
For a step-by-step walkthrough, see our guide on how to create redirects in Shopify.
The built-in tool works well for small numbers of redirects, but it does not monitor for new 404 errors, detect chains, or suggest redirect targets automatically. As your store grows and URLs change more frequently, a dedicated redirect management tool saves time and catches issues before they affect traffic. A dedicated redirect management app handles all of this inside your Shopify admin: automatic 404 detection, one-click redirect creation, chain detection, and bulk management so you can focus on running your store instead of chasing broken links.