How should we handle redundant tags for SEO in a Shopify 2 theme upgrade?

Technical Q&A
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Topic summary

Migrating from a Shopify 1 theme (tag-based filtering) to Shopify 2 (storefront filters + metafields), with concern over redundant product tags, including part-number tags added solely for “SEO.”

  • Scale: ~8,000 products with ~40 utility tags; ~20,000 more products expected over 18 months.
  • Key questions: Is it safe to remove tags? Does Shopify create tag-based URLs?
  • Answer: Shopify does generate tag URLs. To avoid duplicate content, either use meta robots noindex on tag pages or set canonical tags pointing to the parent page.
  • Update: Tag URL paths were checked; pages appear canonicalized to the product route. Google Search Console shows none of these tag pages indexed.

Outcome: Immediate duplicate-content indexing risk seems mitigated via canonicalization. Removing redundant tags likely safe from an SEO standpoint, but no explicit final decision recorded.

Action items:

  • Convert utility tags to appropriate metafields for filtering.
  • Maintain/verify canonical or noindex on any remaining tag URLs during the transition.

Definitions: Metafields = structured product data; canonical tag = signals preferred URL; noindex = directive to exclude from search indexing.

Summarized with AI on January 24. AI used: gpt-5.
1

We’re supporting a Shopify 1 themed site whose original devs used utility tags for filtering. Now we’re re-theming and upgrading to a Shopify 2 theme taking advantage of storefront filtering and metafields.

We can convert all of the utility tags (e.g. Item_Value1, Item_Value2 where the underscore is used by 1 themes for filtered collection pages) to appropriate metafields.

The client was also once advised to add a tag for each product with the part number of their product for no other reason than “better seo”. They get huge search volumes for product numbers, but these are all in both the product title and description (and a tag!)

There are about 8000 products filtered by about 40 different utility tags.

From an SEO perspective, what are your thoughts about handling soon-to-be-redundant tags?

Is it safe/best to remove them?

Does Shopify create URLs using these tags?

Over the next 18 months we estimate a further 20,000 products being added, so would like to get this right.

2

Hi,

Does Shopify create URLs using these tags?

Yes,

Either you noindex the tag using meta robots or use canonical tag(use parent URL in all related tag) to avoid the duplicate content issue

3

Thanks. I’ve found the url paths for tags and looking at the html of a small selection, seems all have been canonicalised to the route product. So, seems all ok on that front. AlsoGoogle Search Console isn’t showing any of these indexed, another bonus.