Managing a Shopify store comes with its challenges, and broken links are one of them. Learning how to fix broken links on Shopify can make a huge difference in user experience and search rankings. 

In this post, I will give you a complete guide on how to fix broken links on Shopify so you will have no trouble dealing with this type of store issue. Make sure you read till the end to fully understand the steps and tutorials.

What is a broken link? 

A broken link is basically a hyperlink that no longer works, which usually means it leads to a page that’s been moved or deleted. I’ve come across plenty of these while browsing, and it’s super frustrating because you’re left with a “404 Not Found” message instead of the information you were expecting. From my experience, broken links can really hurt the user experience, and they’re also bad for SEO, so keeping them in check is important for any website owner.

Types of broken links on Shopify

Here’s a brief overview of each type of broken link on Shopify, along with my experience managing them:

• 404 Error Pages: These occur when a page is missing, and I’ve realized the importance of using a Shopify broken link checker regularly to catch and address these issues before they accumulate.
• Broken Internal Links: Internal links within the site may break after updates or content changes. To resolve this, I consistently test and update links, ensuring smooth navigation for visitors.
• Broken External Links: Links to outside sites often break when those sites update or remove pages, so I now check these regularly to ensure a smooth user experience.
• Missing Image Links: These happen when images are deleted or moved; I re-upload or replace images as needed to avoid empty image boxes.
• Outdated Redirects: Redirects can break over time if not updated, and I always verify that my redirects are correctly pointing to active pages.
• Broken Product Links: When products are removed, old links become invalid; I’ve found setting up 301 redirects to similar products or categories is helpful.
• Broken Collection Links: Collection pages can break if categories are removed; I update these links to relevant collections or add redirects.
• Missing Blog Post Links: Links to deleted or moved blog posts can become broken, so I check and update blog links regularly to keep content cohesive.
• Incorrect URL Syntax: Typos in URLs can lead to errors, so I’m meticulous with proofreading URLs to avoid these issues.

Why do broken links occur?

I’ve noticed that broken links can be a real headache, both for website owners and visitors. So, I’m going to talk about why these broken links happen and what usually causes them below:

Broken links can occur due to several common reasons:

• Deleted Pages: Broken links happen when pages are removed without setting up a redirect, which is something I’ve run into a lot when older content is retired
• Incorrect URLs: Typing mistakes in URLs or changes in the URL format can lead to broken links. 
• Outdated External Links: Sometimes broken links happen when a website you’ve linked to no longer exists or changes its pages.
• Moved Content: When content is moved to a new URL, and links aren’t updated, it leads to broken links. 
• Changes in Site Structure: Changing the layout or categories of a website without setting redirects results in broken links.

How can broken links affect your Shopify store?

Broken links can significantly impact your Shopify store in various ways. From my experience, here’s how they can affect your business:

• Lower Search Engine Rankings: I’ve seen broken links lead to a drop in search rankings because search engines treat them as poor maintenance, which can hurt a Shopify store’s visibility.
• Reduced Customer Trust: Whenever I’ve come across broken links while shopping, it made me doubt the store’s reliability, which is why it’s important to keep links working to maintain trust.
• Loss of Sales Opportunities: Broken product links are a big problem; I’ve personally left a store when I couldn’t find an item I wanted, which directly results in lost sales.
• Increased Bounce Rates: From my experience, encountering broken links is frustrating, and it often makes me leave a site right away, leading to higher bounce rates and lower SEO performance.
• Poor User Experience: Navigating smoothly is key in e-commerce, and broken links create a frustrating experience, making me think twice before visiting the store again.
• Wasted Marketing Efforts: I once clicked a link from an ad that led to nowhere—it was disappointing and felt like a waste, which is why broken links can seriously undermine marketing campaigns.

How to find & fix broken links on your Shopify store?

Broken links can be a real issue for any Shopify store, and I’ve definitely felt the pain of trying to fix them before they drive customers away. Here, I’m going to share some easy ways on the methods to find and how to fix broken links Shopify so your store can run smoothly without frustrating your customers.

Method 1: Manually find and fix broken links on Shopify

This is the direct way for you to fix Shopify broken links. However, you will have to find the links manually, and Shopify only helps you fix them, not to find them. This is appropriate if your store is small and has few products. 

To fix the links, open your Shopify admin panel > Sales Channels > Online store > Navigation. Then, choose View URL redirects.

Then there are 2 options for you: Import URL redirects (if you want to fix multiple links) or Create URL redirects (if you want to fix each link). In this case, I’ll choose Create URL redirect.

Paste your Shopify broken link and new redirect link into the field, then Save. 

If you have multiple links to fix, choose Import URL redirects.

Then, download the sample CSV template. Now, you need to open it and paste the Shopify broken links and new links. Then, Ctrl + S to Save.

Right now, you need to return to Shopify and upload the edited Excel file, then click Upload File.

Method 2: Use Google Search Console

To find and fix Shopify’s broken links using the Google Search Console, you’ll need to verify your page’s domain.

Go to Shopify dashboard -> Online Store -> Preferences. Choose Remove password, then click Save.

Then click the eye icon to navigate to your Shopify store.

Copy the link and open the Google Search Console.

Now, it’s time to proceed to the Google Search Console for further tasks. In the URL Prefix, paste the link you just copied and hit Continue.

In the HTLM tag, copy the meta tag.

Return to Shopify and navigate Online Store -> Themes. Choose the theme you need to add to Google Search Console and duplicate it to ensure there is no problem with your store if you do something wrong. Then, choose Edit Code.

Choose Theme.liquid at the <head>, then paste the code. Finally, you can click Save.

Return to Google Search Console, hit Verify, and there you go; you have successfully connected your store to Google Search Console. Now, let’s learn how to find and fix broken links on Shopify with this tool.

Open the property you just created. Under “Indexing” on the left-hand navigation bar, click “Coverage” (or “Pages”).

The Error section will display any loaded sites that include crawler issues. Here is where you may get helpful information about broken links. Specifically, ‘404 errors‘ relate to broken links; click them to see the links.

After you find the link, return to Shopify to fix the link; check the How to find & fix broken links on your Shopify store. To learn how to fix broken links on Shopify.

Method 3: Use 3rd-party Shopify apps

Keeping track of broken links manually on a Shopify store can be overwhelming, especially if you have a lot of products. That’s why I think using 3rd-party Shopify apps is a smart way to easily find and fix those broken links, saving time and maintaining a smooth customer experience.

Here are 5 Shopify apps that can help you detect and fix broken links effectively:

For more visualization on how to use these 3rd-party apps, I will show you how to fix broken links on Shopify using Dr. Link Checker. So, first of all.

After downloading the app, you’ll be navigated to Shopify Dashboard; the app will then ask you to provide access authentication and click Install.

Dr. Link Checker dashboard will show up; in the first installation, the app will automatically scan your store to find shopify broken links. You could hit Restart to scan broken links again.

Here is my new Shopify store, so there are no broken links; however, if you have broken links, you can check them by choosing All -> Issues or More filters and choosing the type of broken links you want to view.

To download all the broken links, you can choose Export. However, you need to have a Pro plan to export.

FAQs

How do I fix a broken URL link?

To fix a broken URL, consider using URL redirects in your Shopify store. Create a redirect from the broken URL to the correct target URL. 

Why is my Shopify store link not working?

If your Shopify store link isn’t working, check your domain setup, ensure proper 301 redirects (especially after any URL changes), and watch out for typos.

How do I remove a dead link in Shopify?

To remove a dead link in Shopify, locate it in your admin dashboard, then set up a URL redirect to a valid page.

How do you deal with dead links?

Deal with dead links by identifying them, creating redirects, and customizing your 404 error page to guide lost visitors back home.

Final words

This article has walked you through practical steps to identify and fix broken links on your Shopify store to improve user experience and SEO. I recommend regularly checking for broken links and using reliable tools to keep your store running smoothly and efficiently.