Why does my app redirect lead to a 404 error after activation?

Shopify Apps

Topic summary

A developer is experiencing persistent 404 errors when redirecting users after app activation in Shopify. The issue occurs specifically when using embedded redirects after users click “Save” or “re-activate” on the app’s preference page.

Key Technical Details:

  • The redirect URL itself is not the problem
  • Opening the same URL in a new tab/pop-out window works correctly
  • Code using redirect.dispatch(Actions.Redirect.Action.REMOTE, json['url']) initially caused 404 errors
  • A workaround using redirect.dispatch(Actions.Redirect.Action.REMOTE, json['url'], { newContext: true }) (opening in new tab) functions properly

Current Status:

  • An app using the pop-out solution was submitted for review but got suspended
  • Another app with identical code was previously approved and worked with embedded redirects
  • The original non-working code has unexpectedly started functioning again, though the developer is unsure why or how
  • The developer reports significant revenue loss due to this ongoing issue and requests assistance, noting that Shopify Partner Support has been unhelpful
Summarized with AI on November 23. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hello

It’s been months and we still don’t have any fix for the redirect after activating the app.

I’ve tried the shopify partner support but like any other time I give them support since they don’t know how apps work apparently.

So again the issue is:

Whenever you install the app you will reach a preference page within shopify where you can fill in the API key so our system know what is going on. After that you must click on “Save” or for whatever reason after install “re-activate”. This moment Shopify expects us to embed this redirect to activate the app.. BUT if we do that shopify is returning a 404 page.. (see video)

After a long long time we’ve found out that it is not the redirect URL that is the problem.. no..

In the other video we use a new tab or “pop-out” to the same url.. This time if we use this than it works

We’ve put an app with this solution in review and it got suspended…

We’ve also have one app that had the exact same code but it is approved..

That approved had the embedded code working for a long time.. but one day it suddenly gave the 404 issue so we applied our pop-out solution (which is apparently not approve but it is live and works)

Please help us because we are missing out a lot now.

related posts:

@Shopify_77

https://community.shopify.com/post/1799248

https://community.shopify.com/post/1323252

Code that worked but sometimes gave the 404 and in the end permanently gave the 404 error:

redirect.dispatch(Actions.Redirect.Action.REMOTE, json['url']);

Code that works now.. but it does open a new tab.

redirect.dispatch(Actions.Redirect.Action.REMOTE, {
    url: json['url'],
    newContext: true,
});
1 Like
2

Appearantly the non-working code suddenly works again..

redirect.dispatch(Actions.Redirect.Action.REMOTE, json['url']);

I don’t know how or why but if anyone encounters this try to contact with shopify about 20 times than it might work with some time..