Handling 404s for Deleted Products on Shopify Stores

Retail & Point of Sale
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I’m curious to know how you handle 404 errors for discontinued or out-of-stock products. Do you redirect them, create a custom page, or simply delete them? I’d love to hear your strategies for managing these links and keeping your store organized. Thanks for sharing your insights!

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You don’t need an app. Creating and managing URL redirects

1. Redirect to a Relevant Page (Best for SEO & UX)- If the product has a direct replacement or similar item, set up a 301 redirect to that product.

  • If there’s no direct alternative, consider redirecting to a category page or a personalized “Recently Discontinued” page with suggestions.

2. Create a Custom 404 Page (Better UX)- Instead of a generic 404, create a branded “Product Unavailable” page with:

  • A message explaining the product is no longer available.
  • Links to similar products or categories.
  • A search bar to help users find alternatives.

3. Keep the Page but Mark as “Out of Stock”- If a product is only temporarily unavailable, keep the page live but disable purchasing.

  • Add a “Notify Me When Available” button to capture interest.

4. Simply Delete (Not Recommended)- Deleting products without redirects leads to broken links, hurting SEO and user experience.

  • If deleting is necessary, at least set up a custom 404 or redirect to guide users.

Hope that helps :rocket:

1 Like
3

Hi @fatemeh

Here are some ways you can try to handle 404s

  • 301 Redirects – If a product is discontinued, redirect the old URL to a similar product or a relevant collection page. This helps retain SEO value and guides customers to alternatives.
  • Custom 404 Page – Create a friendly 404 page with recommendations for other products, a search bar, or a discount code to keep visitors engaged.
  • Keep the Page, but Update It – If the product is out of stock temporarily, keep the page live with an “Out of Stock” notice and an option to be notified when it’s back.
  • Use a ‘Discontinued’ Message – Instead of deleting, update the page to say the product is no longer available and suggest similar items.
  • Monitor 404 Errors – Use Google Search Console or Shopify apps to track broken links and fix them before they impact SEO.

Hope this helps :slightly_smiling_face:

1 Like
4

Thanks for your help
I have a lot of 404 links related to products that I have already removed and I was not aware that this could be a problem
I tried to remove some with automatic redirects and some from Google Console so that they are not indexed and even created a custom 404 page but my Google Console reports 404 every day and I am frustrated. There are 966 (404 )links and it is difficult to organize them.

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Thanks for your help

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Thanks for your help.
I created a custom 404 page and yet the 404 links are still there in my Google Search Console. What should I do to fix it in the console?