Shopify SEO checklist
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Shopify is a sound base for search. Themes ship with title, description and canonical code, and the platform takes care of hosting and security. What it cannot do is decide your page titles, write your collection text or keep your app list short. This checklist goes through the Shopify-specific issues in the order we would check them, and finishes with when to bring in help. For a store-wide view of the work, see our ecommerce SEO services.
The checklist at a glance
| # | Check | Where to look | Done when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canonical tags on products and collections | View source, search for rel="canonical" | Each page points to one clean URL |
| 2 | Product URL paths | Collection pages and sitemap | Internal links go to /products/ URLs |
| 3 | Tag and filter URLs | Search Console page indexing report | No stray tag or filter pages indexed |
| 4 | robots.txt | yourstore.com/robots.txt | Only intentional rules, edited via Liquid |
| 5 | Sitemap | Search Console sitemaps report | Submitted, no errors |
| 6 | Titles and meta descriptions | Each page's search listing fields | Unique, titles within 60 characters |
| 7 | Headings | Page source | One H1 per page |
| 8 | Collection text | Collection pages | A useful intro, not an empty grid |
| 9 | Structured data | Rich Results Test | Valid Product markup |
| 10 | Image names, alt text and size | Product media | Descriptive, compressed |
| 11 | Speed and apps | PageSpeed Insights | Core Web Vitals in the good range |
| 12 | Out-of-stock handling | Sold-out product pages | Page stays live and says so |
1. Canonical tags
A canonical tag tells Google which URL is the main version of a page. Shopify's developer docs say themes set it with the canonical_url object in the head of the theme layout (Shopify), and the theme store requires that snippet. Check it anyway. Customised or old themes sometimes lose it. Google recommends absolute URLs in the tag and a self-referencing canonical on the main page (Google).
2. The /collections/x/products/y problem
A Shopify product can be reached at /products/handle and also at /collections/collection-handle/products/handle. Community reports and Ahrefs' documentation say the collection path canonicalizes back to the /products/ version, so Google indexes the clean one (Ahrefs). The side effect: if your collection pages link to the longer path, the canonical URL can end up with few internal links. Google uses internal links to judge which pages matter (Google). Ask a developer to link collection cards to the /products/ path in the theme, or check that your theme already does.
3. Tags and filters
Collection filters add parameters to the URL. Shopify's docs show an example of /collections/all?filter.p.product_type=shoes&filter.v.option.color=red (Shopify). Google warns that filter parameters can create a near-endless number of URLs and waste crawling, and says robots.txt rules for filter parameters, plus a crawlable unfiltered listing, are the way to keep them out (Google).
Tag pages are a related case. Auto-generated tag URLs such as /collections/all/red are reported in the Shopify community to canonicalize to themselves by default, with no built-in setting to change it (Shopify Community). That is a community report, so confirm it on your own theme with view-source. If tags are not part of your navigation, consider noindexing them or removing the tag links.
4. robots.txt.liquid
Shopify's help page says the default robots.txt works for most stores, and that you can change it through a robots.txt.liquid template (Shopify). It advises using Liquid to add or remove rules, so Shopify can keep updating the rest, and suggests working with someone who has code and SEO expertise. One wrong line can hide your store from Google. Do not use robots.txt to choose canonicals; Google says not to.
5. Sitemap
Shopify has a help page on finding and submitting your sitemap, and its FAQ says submitting it to Search Console can speed up indexing for new stores (Shopify). Google notes a sitemap helps discovery but does not guarantee crawling (Google).
6 and 7. Titles, descriptions and headings
Shopify advises unique titles with the main keyword near the start, kept to 60 characters or fewer, and unique descriptions of about 160 characters. It also generates the H1 from the page title (Shopify). Google may rewrite titles that are vague or repeated (Google). Fill in the search listing fields on every product, collection and page instead of leaving the defaults.
8. Collection text
Category pages often rank before single products. Write two or three useful lines at the top: who the range is for, how to choose, what sizes or materials exist. Add links to subcollections. This is the first thing we do on a store.
9. Structured data
Google's ecommerce guidance points to Product markup, and ProductGroup for variants (Google). Many themes include some product markup, but it can be incomplete, so test a product URL in the Rich Results Test and fix what it flags.
10. Images
Shopify accepts uploads up to 20 megapixels or 20 MB, in formats including JPEG, PNG and WebP, and says to describe images with keywords from the page in the alt text (Shopify). It also notes that uploaded files cannot be renamed, so name them well before upload (Shopify). Google asks for specific alt text, not keyword lists, and short descriptive filenames (Google).
11. Speed and apps
Google's Core Web Vitals targets are an LCP of 2.5 seconds or less, an INP of 200 milliseconds or less and a CLS of 0.1 or less, measured at the 75th percentile (web.dev). Apps add scripts, and Shopify's FAQ notes that an SEO app can add Liquid files that generate title tags, so review them if titles go wrong. Remove apps you do not use, and compare speed before and after each install.
12. Out-of-stock products
For items that will return, keep the page live, say when, and mark availability in the markup. Google's John Mueller has said this is a valid approach (Search Engine Journal). For products gone for good, redirect to the closest replacement or return a 404.
When to hire a Shopify SEO expert
You can do checks 5, 6, 7, 10 and 12 yourself in a weekend. Bring in an expert when:
- Search Console shows thousands of indexed URLs and you sell a few hundred products.
- Your theme was customised and you do not know what it outputs.
- You want to edit
robots.txt.liquidor canonicals and cannot risk a mistake. - Organic traffic is flat while ad spend rises.
- You are moving from another platform and need a redirect map.
Ask any expert to start with an audit, show findings for your store and give a scope in writing. Our free website check gives a first read on the basics in 30 seconds.
FAQ
Does Shopify have good SEO out of the box?
It covers the basics, including a theme with canonical and metadata code. Your titles, collection text, images and app choices are still yours to manage.
Should I use an SEO app?
Only if it solves a specific problem. Every app adds code. Check what it adds to your pages and test speed afterwards.
How do I fix duplicate content on Shopify?
Check canonicals first, link to the clean /products/ URLs, and keep filter and tag pages out of the index. Confirm in Search Console's page indexing report.
Do I need to edit robots.txt?
Most stores do not. Shopify says the default works for most. Edit only for a clear reason, through Liquid.
How long does Shopify SEO take?
Fixes can be crawled in days, but rankings move over months and depend on your category. We do not promise a date.
How OnePDA helps
Our ecommerce SEO services start at €490 a month with a 3-month minimum, with extra guide articles at €59. If you need a store first, a Shopify store build is €3,200 for up to 30 products, plus the Shopify plan of about €27 a month paid by you. Care Store is €199 a month for updates and a monthly speed and SEO check. Prices exclude VAT where it applies. We make no promise of rankings.