Foundation · 2 min
What you need to know
How deep should products be?
There is no required number of clicks. Make each product reachable through its category, so a buyer can find it without knowing its name or using search. Check whether someone can find a product by browsing the store.
Use normal, crawlable links to connect pages. A sitemap helps discovery but does not replace paths shoppers can use.
What makes a useful URL?
A URL is a page’s web address. An address such as /products/product-name/ gives you and your customers a clue about its destination. Avoid changing URLs just to add another keyword when the existing address works.
A category name does not have to appear in every product URL. If you move a product from one category to another, a product address without the category may be easier to keep stable. Check the platform’s behavior before choosing a format.
What happens when an address changes?
Old links in search results, emails, and other sites may still point to the former address. A permanent redirect sends someone who opens the old address to the new one. It also tells Google the page moved. Check that the old product link leads to the new product page, not to the homepage.
Test the redirect and links after launch. A broken link to a product loses both a customer path and a route for search discovery.
When should you use a 301 redirect?
A 301 is a permanent redirect: someone opening an old address is sent to its replacement. Use it when the replacement is genuinely the same item or a close successor. If you rename a product page but still sell the same item, the old address should lead to the new one.
If the item is permanently gone and there is no meaningful replacement, do not redirect every removed product to the homepage. Choose a response that matches what the visitor should genuinely see.
Foundation · 2 min
Frequently asked questions
Should I change old URLs to make them shorter?
Usually only when there is a real reason. A URL change requires redirects, internal-link updates and testing; shortness alone may not justify that work.
Will a redirect preserve every search result exactly?
No. It tells search engines where the content moved, but indexing and visibility can change while systems process the move. Monitor the new and old URLs.