You can make Shopify SEO friendly URLs by editing the handle, which is the last part of the address, but you cannot remove or rename the fixed path in front of it, such as /products/, /collections/, /pages/ or /blogs/. That fixed structure is not a ranking problem. What matters is a short, descriptive handle, one clean address per page, and redirects whenever a handle changes.
This guide explains exactly which parts of a Shopify URL you control, the duplicate URL issue most stores have without knowing it, and a safe process for changing URLs on a live store.
How Shopify builds every URL
Every Shopify URL has three parts: your domain, a fixed path that tells Shopify what type of page it is, and a handle you can edit.
| Page type | URL pattern | What you can edit |
|---|---|---|
| Product | /products/handle | Handle only |
| Collection | /collections/handle | Handle only |
| Page | /pages/handle | Handle only |
| Blog post | /blogs/blog-handle/post-handle | Blog handle and post handle |
| Blog tag archive | /blogs/blog-handle/tagged/tag | Tag name, indirectly |
Shopify treats /products, /collections and /collections/all as fixed paths. Its URL redirect documentation lists these among the paths you cannot redirect, which tells you how deeply they are built into the platform. No setting, app or theme can turn /products/blue-mug into /blue-mug on a standard Shopify store.
Why the fixed path does not hurt rankings
Store owners coming from WordPress or a custom site often worry that /products/ wastes space or dilutes keywords. In practice, a single folder word in the URL has little effect. Google reads the page title, headings, content and links far more than the folder name. Thousands of Shopify stores rank well with this exact structure. Spending effort on the part you control is a better use of time than trying to work around the part you cannot.
Writing Shopify SEO friendly URLs: rules for handles
The handle is the only part of the address you write yourself, so it is where Shopify SEO friendly URLs are won or lost. Shopify creates a handle automatically from the title when you first save a product, collection or page. That is a good start, but titles are often long, and the handle keeps every word.
- Keep it short. Use the product type and the one or two attributes people search for. /products/linen-shirt-white is better than /products/the-classic-everyday-relaxed-fit-linen-shirt-in-white-new.
- Use lowercase words separated by hyphens. Shopify does this for you, so do not fight it with underscores.
- Leave out words that will change, such as the season, year, “sale” or “new”. A handle should outlive the promotion.
- Leave out internal SKUs and codes unless customers actually search for them, as they sometimes do for parts and replacement items.
- Do not repeat the folder. /collections/shoes-collection says “collection” twice.
- Make each handle unique and clear on its own. If Shopify adds “-1” to the end, it means another item already uses that handle, which is often a sign of a duplicate product.
You edit a handle in the search engine listing section of the product, collection, page or blog post. The same section holds the page title and meta description.
The duplicate URL problem: collection-aware product links
This is the URL issue that affects the most Shopify stores. A product that sits in a collection can be reached at two addresses:
- /products/linen-shirt-white
- /collections/mens-shirts/products/linen-shirt-white
If the product is in five collections, it can have six addresses. Shopify themes output a canonical tag on all of them that points to the /products/ version, so Google is told which one to index. That prevents the worst outcome, but it is still a hint, not a command, and Google has to crawl all the versions to see it.
The cleaner fix is in the theme. Many themes build product links inside collection grids using a Liquid filter that makes the link collection-aware, like this:
<a href="{{ product.url | within: collection }}">Changing it to link straight to the product URL means your internal links all point to the canonical address:
<a href="{{ product.url }}">The trade-off is that breadcrumbs based on the collection path may stop showing which collection the shopper came from. Many stores accept that, or build breadcrumbs another way. Test on an unpublished copy of the theme first, and have a developer make the change if you are not comfortable editing Liquid.
Other URLs Shopify creates on its own
Shopify generates some pages you never set up. Know what they are so they do not surprise you in Search Console.
- /collections/all lists every product. It is useful for shoppers but rarely worth optimizing.
- Vendor and product type pages, such as /collections/vendors?q=brand, appear when a theme links to them.
- Tag URLs, such as /collections/mens-shirts/linen or /blogs/news/tagged/style-tips, appear when a theme links to tag-filtered views. Whether these should be indexed is covered in our post on how Shopify tags affect SEO.
- Filter and sort parameters, such as ?sort_by= or ?filter.v.price.gte=, appear when shoppers use storefront filters.
- Translated or regional versions in subfolders appear if you sell in several markets with different languages or domains. Check that each version has its own hreflang tags and is not blocked.
Shopify’s default robots.txt already blocks some sort and filter combinations, internal search and the cart. Look at yourdomain.com/robots.txt to see what is blocked on your store before adding rules of your own.
How to change URLs on a live store safely
Changing a handle on a page that already ranks resets some of the signals tied to the old address. Redirects carry most of that value across, but you should still only change URLs when there is a clear reason, such as a handle that is wrong, misleading or full of stale words.
- Export the list of URLs you plan to change and record their current clicks and impressions from Search Console.
- Edit the handle in the search engine listing section. Shopify offers to create a redirect from the old URL to the new one. Make sure that option is ticked.
- Check the redirect under Content, then Menus, then URL redirects.
- Update internal links that point to the old URL, including menus, buttons in theme sections, blog posts and collection descriptions. A redirect works, but a direct link is cleaner.
- Update links in email templates, ads and social profiles that point to the page.
- Inspect the new URL in Search Console and request indexing for your most important pages.
- Compare clicks after a few weeks against your notes.
If you are changing hundreds of handles at once, for example after a migration, import redirects in bulk with a CSV file rather than relying on one-by-one edits.
Common URL mistakes on Shopify
- Changing handles every time a product is renamed. Small title edits do not need a new URL.
- Deleting a product without a redirect. The old URL returns a 404 and any links to it are wasted.
- Creating redirect chains, where an old URL redirects to another redirect. Point every old URL straight to the final page.
- Redirecting every removed product to the homepage. Send it to the closest product or the parent collection instead, so the visitor still finds what they wanted.
- Using a third-party app to “rewrite” URLs in a way that fights Shopify’s fixed paths. These workarounds tend to create more duplicates, not fewer.
Shopify SEO friendly URLs are one part of a wider audit. Our Shopify SEO checklist covers the rest, from indexing to product copy. If you are planning a migration or a large restructure and want it done without losing traffic, a Shopify SEO agency that maps every redirect in advance is worth the time.
FAQ
Can I remove /products/ from Shopify URLs?
No. On a standard Shopify store the /products/, /collections/, /pages/ and /blogs/ paths are fixed. You can only edit the handle that comes after them, and that fixed path is not a meaningful ranking problem.
Will changing a Shopify URL handle hurt my SEO?
It can cause a short dip while Google processes the change, which is why you should only change handles for a good reason. Always keep the redirect option ticked so visitors and search engines are sent from the old URL to the new one.
Why does the same product appear under /collections/ and /products/?
Many themes link to products through the collection, which creates a collection-aware URL. Shopify adds a canonical tag pointing to the /products/ version, and you can also change the theme to link straight to the product URL.
What makes a Shopify URL SEO friendly?
A short, lowercase handle with hyphens that describes the page in the words people search, without dates, promo words or repeated folder names, and only one indexable address per page.
