Shopify 404 Errors: Causes and How to Fix Broken Links (Complete 2025 Guide)

 

Shopify 404 Errors: Causes and How to Fix Broken Links (Complete 2025 Guide)

⚠️ What Is a 404 Error in Shopify?

A 404 error means a page on your website couldn’t be found. On Shopify, this often appears as a "Page Not Found" message — frustrating users and hurting your SEO.

If your visitors or Google bots are landing on broken links, it affects trust, crawlability, and sales.

At RootSyntax, we’ve fixed hundreds of 404 issues for Shopify stores, helping brands recover traffic and improve performance. Here's how you can fix it too.

🔍 Common Causes of 404 Errors on Shopify

1. Deleted Products or Collections

When you remove a product or collection without setting up a redirect, any existing link to it becomes broken.

2. Changed URLs (Handles)

Editing a page’s URL (handle) changes its link — previous links now lead to a 404 error.

3. Outdated Menu or Footer Links

Menus often contain old product, collection, or blog links that no longer exist.

4. Misspelled or Manual Links

If you added a manual link with a typo (like /prodct/red-shoes), it will lead to a 404 error.

5. Third-Party Blog Posts or Backlinks

If other websites link to an old or incorrect page, your visitors will land on a 404 page unless redirected.

🛠️ How to Find 404 Errors on Your Shopify Store

Here are tools to locate broken links quickly:

  • Google Search Console → Coverage → “Not Found (404)”

  • Ahrefs or SEMrush → Site Audit → Broken Links

  • Screaming Frog SEO Spider → Crawl your store for 404s

  • Shopify Admin > Online Store > Navigation → Manually check menus

  • Use Shopify apps like Broken Link Manager or SEO Manager

✅ RootSyntax Pro Tip: We use advanced crawlers + Google tools to generate a complete 404 error report for every Shopify SEO audit.

🔁 How to Fix 404 Errors on Shopify

✅ 1. Set Up 301 Redirects

If you deleted or renamed a page, create a redirect from the old URL to the new one.

Steps:

  • Go to Shopify Admin > Online Store > Navigation > URL Redirects

  • Click “Create URL Redirect”

  • Enter the old URL (without domain) and the new destination URL

👉 Example:
Redirect /products/red-shoes-old → /products/red-shoes

📌 RootSyntax Fix: We set up bulk redirects via CSV import for stores with hundreds of outdated URLs.

✅ 2. Fix Broken Links in Menus and Pages

  • Go to Navigation > Main Menu / Footer Menu

  • Update or remove any links that return a 404

  • Check product descriptions, blog posts, and banners for outdated links

✅ 3. Use a Custom 404 Page

Don’t leave users stuck on a plain “Page Not Found” screen.

Create a custom 404 page with:

  • A friendly message

  • Search bar or product categories

  • Popular product links

  • A button to return to the homepage

🎨 RootSyntax Add-On: We design conversion-optimized 404 pages that keep users engaged and guide them back into the shopping flow.

✅ 4. Regular SEO Audits

404s can pop up over time, especially in growing stores.

💡 Tip: Schedule a quarterly SEO audit to identify new issues early.

📈 RootSyntax offers ongoing SEO support plans that include monitoring broken links, redirects, and performance.

📊 Why Fixing 404 Errors Matters

  • ✅ Better User Experience

  • ✅ Higher SEO Rankings (Google penalizes crawl errors)

  • ✅ Retain Link Juice from External Backlinks

  • ✅ Improve Conversion Rates

🔧 Don’t Have Time to Fix Them All?

At RootSyntax, we handle the heavy lifting:

  • Full Shopify 404 Audit

  • Bulk Redirect Setup

  • Link Fixing in Menus, Content, and Code

  • Custom 404 Page Design

  • Ongoing Monitoring + SEO Growth Plan

🎁 Free Shopify SEO Health Check – Know exactly how many broken links are hurting your store.

👉 Schedule Your Free Audit with RootSyntax or Contact Us

✅ Final Takeaway

404 errors can sneak in silently — but they don’t have to hurt your business. With the right tools and expert help, you can keep your Shopify store error-free and Google-friendly.

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