Porduct Anchor Errors when creating product

Porduct Anchor Errors when creating product

MDO
Visitor
1 0 0

Hey!

So ive never had any issues with my anchor on products but out of the blue today it just decided to mess with me... so basically when I create multiple products with same title example Pants the anchor will do Pants-1 Pants-2 Pants-3 etc etc automatically and today I continued creating my products and it gave me Anchor not available and when I checked it just left the Pants without any numbers when it use to do it automatically and when i try to save again it says Anchor already exists which is normal but I dont know why all of a sudden it stopped creating the numbers on its own I didn't touch anything just another day. 

Appreciate all the help!

P.S. I contacted support and advised me to try here with the developers or community cause they dont know why I have this issue so thats awesome. 

Reply 1 (1)

CodingFifty
Shopify Partner
562 84 105

Hi @MDO,

It sounds like Shopify's automatic URL handle generation (also called an anchor) has stopped working properly for duplicate product titles. Normally, Shopify should automatically append -1, -2, -3, etc., when a product with the same title exists.

Possible Causes & Fixes

1. Try Manual Entry

Since Shopify isn't auto-generating the anchor, try manually adding -1, -2, etc., in the URL handle field under Search engine listing preview when creating a product.

2. Check for Hidden Duplicates

Even if you don't see duplicate products, Shopify might have hidden duplicate slugs.
Go to Products → Search for "Pants" and look for any unpublished, archived, or duplicate products.
Delete or rename any old slugs that might be blocking the new one.

3. Test in Another Browser or Device

This could be a browser cache issue.
Try using Incognito Mode
Clear your browser cache or try a different browser

4. Check Your Shopify Theme or Custom Scripts

If you have custom scripts, apps, or Liquid code modifying product URLs, they may be interfering.
Try disabling third-party apps (like SEO or URL redirect apps)
Check Online Store → Themes → Edit Code → theme.liquid for custom URL handling

5. Check Shopify's API Limitations (If Using Imports or Automation)

If you're bulk-importing products via CSV or using an automation tool, there may be an API rate limit issue preventing Shopify from processing slugs correctly.
Try adding products manually instead of via bulk import.

Last Resort: Duplicate a Working Product

If none of the above works:
Find a product that has a correct anchor (e.g., Pants-1)
Click Duplicate in Shopify and edit it as needed.

Coding Fifty || Shopify Partner
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For additional discussions, reach out via: Email ID: codingfifty@gmail.com