I’ve been with Shopify for over 4 years now and I’m still waiting for this feature to come out. We need control over our URLs.
Topic summary
Store owners are frustrated by Shopify’s mandatory URL structure that includes /pages, /collections, and /products in URLs. Users want cleaner URLs (e.g., site.com/about-us instead of site.com/pages/about-us) for SEO benefits and professional appearance.
Key SEO concerns:
- Forced URL paths make pages appear as subcategories to Google, reducing ranking potential
- Competitors on other platforms with cleaner URLs rank higher
- URL structure affects keyword relevance and click-through rates
- Makes site migrations from other platforms extremely difficult
Shopify’s response:
- Feature request logged but no timeline provided (repeatedly stated over 3+ years)
- Staff claim feedback is being collected and forwarded to developers
- No concrete updates or commitment to implementation
- Redirects can mask URLs when sharing but don’t change actual structure
Community reaction:
- Thread spans 5+ years (2018-2023+) with 43k+ views and 170+ replies
- Multiple users threatening to switch platforms (BigCommerce, WordPress, Magento)
- Growing frustration over lack of transparency and progress
- Some note Shopify’s own website doesn’t use
/pagesstructure - Users feel dismissed and question platform’s commitment to professional SEO needs
Status: Unresolved. No workaround exists to actually remove these URL segments, only redirects to mask them.
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