How to Change the URL in Shopify: Simplify the Shopping Experience

When you want to go somewhere, you need the right address. The same goes for your Shopify store’s URLs. A broken or outdated link can turn a smooth shopping experience into a dead end for your customers.

Maybe you’re rebranding, simplifying product names, or just fixing an old URL structure. Do it right, and the transition is seamless. Skip a step, and you might lose traffic and sales. This is the reason why expert Shopify developers recommend doing it with caution.

But the question is, how do you change the URL in Shopify? In this blog, we’re going to answer this question in detail. We’ll also tell you how it affects your site’s SEO and what to consider before changing it. So, let’s get started!

Things to Consider Before Changing the URL in Shopify

Switching up a product URL isn’t just about updating the link. There are a few extra steps to make sure everything runs smoothly. Here’s what to keep in mind:

• Check Internal Links: If you’ve linked to this product elsewhere on your site (like in blog posts or other product pages), those links need to point to the new URL.
  
• Set Up Redirects: Don’t lose visitors. Add a redirect so anyone clicking the old URL lands on the new one automatically.
  
• Update External Links: If other websites, influencers, or directories link to your product, it’s worth asking them to update the URL. This helps keep your traffic and SEO strong.
  
• Fix Marketing Links: Double-check ads, social media posts, and email campaigns to make sure they’re using the new link.
  
• Adjust Tracking & Analytics: If you’re using UTM tags or tracking tools, update them with the new URL so your data stays accurate.

Taking these steps ensures your URL change doesn’t hurt your SEO or confuse customers. A little extra effort now saves headaches later. You can hire our Shopify development company if you need expert assistance with the process.

Now, let’s discuss the steps to change the URL in Shopify.

How to Change the URL in Shopify: Detailed Steps

Follow these steps to change your Shopify product URL correctly. This will help you avoid losing traffic in the process.

Changing Your Domain URL in Shopify

Shopify uses a default .myshopify.com URL, which you’ve probably seen earlier. It works rather well for a time. Most store owners prefer instead to have their own domain name, which makes it more professional and trust-building to customers. 

It gives your brand an even stronger identity and easy remembrance to people.

Shopify makes it simple to connect to or buy a new domain right from your dashboard. If you want to change the main domain of your Shopify store (what shows in the address bar), follow these steps:

Steps to Change Domain URL:

1. Go to your Shopify Admin panel.
   
2. Click Settings > Domains.
   
3. Click Connect existing domain or Buy new domain.

You can buy a domain through Shopify or connect one from a third-party provider like GoDaddy or Namecheap.

4. Once the domain is connected, click Change primary domain.
   
5. Choose your new domain and save.

Your store will now use the new domain as the default.

Note:

• The original yourstore.myshopify.com URL can’t be removed but can be hidden from public view.
  
• Make sure your DNS settings are correct if you are using a third-party domain.
  
• SSL certificates are provided automatically for secure browsing.

As soon as the new domain is set up as the primary one, visitors will automatically see this domain when they view your store. Just make sure that everything is integrated and up and running without a hitch. Small change, yet it will increase your brand equation with the outside world tremendously.

Changing Product, Collection, Page, and Blog Post URLs

If you want to change the URL in Shopify for a given type of content, such as products, collections, pages, or blog posts, here are the steps you may follow. These have the purpose of making the content easier to read, more relevant, and more search engine friendly.

Shopify gives you control over these URLs so you can keep things organized and clean. Even small changes to a link can improve how customers find and understand your content.

These URLs are based on something called “handles” in Shopify. You can customize them to be shorter, clearer, and more SEO-friendly.

How to Change a Product URL:

• Go to Products.
  
• Click on the product you want to edit.
  
• Scroll to the search engine listing section.
  
• Click Edit.
  
• Change the URL handle field to your new preferred URL.
  
• Save your changes.

Repeat similar steps for:

• Collections: Go to Products > Collections.
  
• Pages: Go to Online Store > Pages.
  
• Blog Posts: Go to Online Store > Blog Posts.

Example:

From: yourstore.com/products/red-shoes

To: yourstore.com/products/blue-running-shoes

After updating any URLs, it’s a good idea to set up redirects. This way, visitors who click on old links will still land on the right page. It keeps your store user-friendly and helps you avoid losing traffic.

How to Set Up URL Redirects in Shopify?

The old URL will no longer function on your Shopify store after changing it, and you must make a redirect in order for it to work. If you do not create a redirect page, visitors will be sent to the dead pages, which greatly annoys them and will strongly affect your search rankings. A redirect thus serves to direct both users and search engines to the new address.

You must create a 301 redirect every time a URL changes, sending your clients and the search engines on their way to the new URL instead of hitting a 404 error.

How to Add a URL Redirect:

• Go to Content > Menu.
  
• Click on URL Redirects (or “View URL Redirects” in some themes).

• Click Create URL redirect.

• Enter the old URL and the new URL.

• Click Save.

Taking a moment to set up redirects can save you from a lot of issues later. It keeps the browsing experience smooth and ensures that you don’t lose traffic or sales because of outdated links.

Why Should You Change the URL in Shopify?

There are several strategic scenarios where modifying your product URLs makes sense. You may be changing the name of your Shopify store. Or you just want to refine your store. Other good reasons include:

• Product Information Updates: When product names, variants, or collections change significantly, URLs should reflect these updates to maintain accuracy.
  
• SEO Optimization: URLs containing relevant keywords can improve search visibility but require careful implementation to preserve existing rankings.
  
• Brand Consistency: URL structures should align with current branding and product taxonomy for a cohesive customer experience.
  
• Site Architecture Improvements: As product catalogs evolve, URL restructuring may be necessary for better organization and navigation.
  
• Marketing Campaign Alignment: Special promotions or seasonal products often benefit from custom URLs that support marketing initiatives.

In short, updating product URLs helps align with changes like SEO, branding, or product updates while improving site structure and marketing efforts. Strategic modifications maintain accuracy, visibility, and user experience as your catalog evolves.

How Does Changing the URL in Shopify Affect SEO?

Changing product URLs in Shopify affects your search rankings in several important ways. Here’s what every store owner should understand:

• Search Engine Reindexing Required: When you modify a URL, search engines treat it as a new page. Without proper redirects, you lose the ranking power accumulated by the original URL.
  
• Link Equity Preservation: Any backlinks pointing to the old URL lose value unless you implement 301 redirects. This permanently redirects both users and search engines to the new address while maintaining SEO value.
  
• Temporary Ranking Fluctuations: Expect some volatility in search positions for 2-4 weeks as search engines reprocess the page. Properly configured sites typically recover rankings within this period.
  
• User Experience Considerations: Broken links frustrate visitors and increase bounce rates. Always update internal links and marketing materials when changing URLs.
  
• Crawl Budget Impact: Frequent, unnecessary URL changes force search engines to waste crawl budget reprocessing existing content rather than discovering new pages.

Simply put, search engines treat new URLs as fresh pages, so always use 301 redirects to preserve rankings and backlink value. Expect temporary ranking shifts for 2-4 weeks, and avoid unnecessary changes to maintain crawl efficiency and user experience.

Best Practices When Changing URLs

Though URL editing may seem to be a minor affair in your store, it affects the functioning of your site and the manner in which visitors interact with it. To keep things running smoothly, some simple tips can help. These also ensure that the changes are not obstructing the smooth work of any of your customers or the search engine.

• Keep URLs short, relevant, and keyword-rich.
  
• Always create redirects after changing URLs.
  
• Double-check that internal links (menus, buttons, etc.) are updated.
  
• Submit updated URLs in Google Search Console for indexing.
  
• Avoid frequent URL changes and plan them carefully.

Following these steps can help you update URLs without confusing or broken links. A little planning goes a long way in keeping your store easy to navigate and search-friendly.

FAQs on Changing URL in Shopify

Let’s Summarize

Changing the URLs of your store is not a mere technicality; it directly affects SEO and the customer experience. You must follow the right way to ensure nothing goes wrong. Without proper setup, you end up with broken links, lost traffic, and dropped rankings.

Make sure to work with 301 redirects for the old URLs, test out your changed configuration before making it live, and keep up with the same structure. Following these steps delicately will enhance the navigation for your store while allowing you to retain its hard-earned visibility.

Need help with Shopify setup? Consult with us today!