The URL redirect system error,please someone help me

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

A user encountered Shopify’s built-in restriction that prevents URL redirects to the root path (/) through the standard admin redirect settings, resulting in a system error.

Solution provided:
Implement redirects directly in the theme code by modifying the theme.liquid file:

  • Option 1: Redirect a specific URL to homepage using Liquid code with {% if request.path == '/old-page' %} condition
  • Option 2: Handle multiple redirects using an array of paths
  • Option 3: Force all traffic to homepage (useful for temporary closures)

Key notes:

  • Theme-level modifications are more reliable than Shopify’s native redirect system for homepage redirects
  • JavaScript redirects work but aren’t ideal for SEO
  • Testing in incognito mode recommended to avoid cache issues

Status: Issue resolved. The original poster confirmed the solution worked and thanked the helper.

Summarized with AI on October 27. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

The URL redirect system in Shopify has certain restrictions for the root path, which is why i am seeing this error. The theme-level approach or modification on the theme would be more reliable for homepage redirects.

i cant make it,can someone help me to do it?

1 Like
2

Hello @IrakliRogava Problem Summary:
You’re trying to set up a URL redirect to the homepage (root path /) in Shopify, but it’s not working due to Shopify’s built-in restriction:

Shopify doesn’t allow URL redirects to the root URL (/) via the standard URL redirect settings in the admin.

So, you’re seeing the “URL redirect system error.” The proper way to handle this is to modify your theme code to implement a redirect directly via Liquid or JavaScript.

Solution: Redirect using Theme Code (Reliable Method)
This will be done inside your theme files, usually in the theme.liquid layout file.

Option 1: Redirect a specific URL to the homepage using Liquid
Use this method if you want to redirect users visiting a specific path (e.g., /old-page) to the homepage.

Steps:

  1. Go to Online Store > Themes.

  2. Click “Actions > Edit Code” on your live/published theme.

  3. In the Layout folder, open theme.liquid.

  4. Add this before the tag or anywhere near the top of the file:

{% if request.path == '/old-page' %}
  
{% endif %}

Replace /old-page with the actual path you want to redirect from.

Option 2: Handle multiple or more complex redirects
You can make it smarter with an array of paths:

{% assign redirects = "/old-page1,/old-page2,/outdated" | split: "," %}
{% if redirects contains request.path %}
  
{% endif %}

Option 3: Redirect everything except homepage (less common)
If you’re trying to force all traffic to the homepage (e.g., temporary store closure or landing-only site), this would work:

{% unless request.path == '/' %}
  
{% endunless %}

Notes:
. Shopify’s redirect system is meant for SEO-safe permanent redirects except for /.

. JavaScript redirects happen client-side and aren’t ideal for SEO, but they work when you hit platform limitations like this.

. You should test the behavior in incognito mode to ensure no cache is interfering.

Thank you :blush:

3

Thank you so much man :heart:

1 Like
4

Thank you if you need any help plz let me know

Thank you :blush: