Guides ยท Shopify redirects
URLs Shopify cannot redirect
Some rows in a redirect file can never work, however well they are written. Shopify keeps certain addresses for itself and will not redirect from them.
Only broken URLs
Shopify's help centre puts the first rule plainly: you can redirect only from broken URLs. If the address still loads a valid page, the redirect will not work. This is the most common reason a row does nothing, and it has its own guide.
Paths Shopify keeps for itself
Shopify also lists addresses that cannot be redirected at all. As of November 2026 the help centre names these.
| Kind | Paths |
|---|---|
| Prefixes | /apps, /application, /cart, /carts, /orders, /services, /shop |
| Fixed paths | /products, /collections, /collections/all |
| Reserved paths | /collections/vendors, /collections/types, /apps/, /a/, /community/, /tools/ |
| Filtered collections | Collection URLs filtered by tag, such as /collections/shirts/red |
These matter in a migration because old sites often used the same words. A store that kept its catalogue under /shop/, or its help pages under /services/, will have dozens of rows that Shopify will not act on.
Other things the help centre warns about
- Query strings. URLs that contain them might not work as expected with redirects. If your old site used addresses like
/product.php?id=42, test a few after import. - The .html ending. A URL ending in
.htmlcannot be redirected to the same URL without it. - Markets. A redirect applies to every international market subfolder unless you create separate redirects for each one.
- Caching. Browsers and search engines cache 301 redirects. If you remove one, some visitors keep being redirected until their cache expires.
How many redirects a store can have
A store can hold up to 100,000 URL redirects. Shopify Plus stores can hold up to 20,000,000. A large catalogue with several old URL patterns per product can reach the first limit, so count your rows before you import.
What to do with rows that cannot work
- Find them before import. Filter the "Redirect from" column for the prefixes in the table above.
- Decide whether the address matters. Check analytics and backlinks. Many of these rows cover addresses nobody visits.
- For the ones that matter, give visitors something at that address. A page at the path, or a link in the theme, does what the redirect cannot.
- Remove the rest from the file. Rows that will never fire make the redirect list harder to check later.
Source: Shopify Help Center, "URL redirects". Shopify changes this list from time to time, so check the current page before a large migration.
Check your own file
Rowmill Redirect Check runs these checks on a Shopify redirect CSV or a Matrixify Redirects sheet. It is free, it runs in your browser, and your file is never uploaded.
Open the checker