need to remove broken links permanently

Shopify Discussion
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Topic summary

A Shopify store owner wants to permanently delete broken links from their website rather than redirecting them or hiding them via search console.

Key responses:

  • One user asks for clarification about where these broken links appear (menus, text content, etc.)
  • Another explains that 404 errors likely cannot be permanently deleted from Shopify and suggests contacting Shopify support directly for confirmation

Alternative approach suggested:

Since 404 pages are difficult to avoid and may still appear in Google search results (causing lost organic traffic), the recommendation is to:

  • Redirect 404 product pages to popular/hot-selling products
  • Redirect 404 collection pages to popular collections
  • Use automated 404 management apps that can monitor errors in real-time, create bulk redirect patterns, and generate reports

Status: The question about permanent deletion remains unresolved, with the main advice being to manage 404s through redirects rather than attempting complete removal.

Summarized with AI on October 30. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hi There,

We have some broken links that we want to remove completely from Shopify website.

We don’t want to redirect or make temporary removals from search consoles.

How can we permanently remove such broken links?

Thank You,

2

@HiliproVA01 - have you used these broken links in menu or text on your website?

3

Hi,
It seems that 404 will not be deleted. But you can ask Shopify customer service to tell you the exact answer.

But for many Shopify stores, it is difficult to avoid 404, so I think you can change the angle and redirect the viewer to the popular page of the same type after clicking your 404 page on Google.

For example, if the product page is 404, you can set it to redirect to your hot-selling product

For example, if the collection page is 404, you can set it to redirect to your popular collection page

Because your page may appear in Google search results, when the viewer clicks it, it is a 404, and the natural traffic will be lost. I think it is important to pay attention to this impact. After all, every natural traffic is hard-earned.

You can use a 404 repair shopify app to manage your 404, so that you can get rid of the heavy 404 repair task. Recommended SEOAnt ‑ 404 Link Redirect, it can quickly help you repair and manage 404.
SEOAnt can：

  • Real-time automatically monitor and detect 404 errors
  • Create one auto 301 Link redirect pattern without manually fix
  • Save plentiful time of bulk editing 404 links redirect to correct link
  • Target URL is suggested in real-time once 404 error occurs
  • Generate daily/weekly 404 report to grasp 404 links situation on the website
    If you want to try it, You can install it from this link with discount for new users and start your 404 repair journey. It is very simple and fast.