Shopify URL Structure

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Topic summary

A Shopify store owner observed that products can be accessed through two URL patterns:

  • Collection-based URL: /collections/white-roses/products/product-name
  • Direct product URL: /products/product-name

Both URLs are valid, but the collection-based URL includes a canonical tag pointing to the direct product URL.

Key clarification provided:

This is Shopify’s standard and correct behavior. The canonical tag consolidates SEO ranking signals to a single product URL, preventing duplicate content issues when the same product appears in multiple collections.

No redirects are needed—the canonical tag approach is the proper SEO solution for this structure.

Summarized with AI on October 28. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hi everyone,

I’ve noticed something regarding the URL structure on our Shopify store and would appreciate some insights.

When browsing products through collections, the URLs follow this structure:

Collection page: https://blossomshop.ca/collections/white-roses

Product within a collection: https://blossomshop.ca/collections/white-roses/products/36-long-stem-white-roses

However, the following URL also exists and is valid:

Direct product URL: https://blossomshop.ca/products/36-long-stem-white-roses

What I’ve observed is that the canonical tag on the collection-based URL (/collections/…/products/…) points to the product page (/products/…).

Is this the correct behavior?
From an SEO perspective, is it ideal to have this structure? Would it be better to implement redirects?

Screenshot 2025-05-07 at 11.56.43.png
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2

hi @Salome123_1

Great observation—this is a common point of confusion when it comes to Shopify’s URL structure and SEO best practices.

Canonical Tag Behavior
Yes, what you’re seeing is expected and correct behavior in Shopify. When a product is accessed via a collection URL (e.g., /collections/white-roses/products/36-long-stem-white-roses), Shopify automatically includes a canonical tag pointing to the base product URL (/products/36-long-stem-white-roses).

This helps avoid duplicate content issues across multiple collection paths and consolidates ranking signals to a single canonical version of the product page.