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You don't have to lose SEO when you move from Wix to Shopify. Rankings drop when old Wix links break, because Shopify uses different URL paths. If you redirect every old URL that gets traffic to its matching Shopify page, keep the same content and domain, and expect a few weeks of normal ups and downs, most stores keep their rankings.
Last updated: October 2026
Key takeaways
- Your URLs will change. Wix products live at /product-page/ and Shopify products live at /products/, so every product link needs a redirect.
- Google says permanent (301) redirects don't lose ranking credit. Missing or wrong redirects are what cost you traffic.
- Redirect each old page to its closest new page. Don't send everything to your homepage.
- Expect rankings to move around for a few weeks while Google recrawls your store. That's normal.
- Keep your domain, page titles and content the same during the move. Change the design and copy later.
Why do stores lose SEO when they leave Wix?
Because the web addresses change and nobody tells Google where the pages went. When Google or a shopper follows an old link and lands on an error page, that page's ranking fades.
The usual causes are:
- No redirects. The new store goes live and every old product, category and blog link returns a "page not found" error.
- Everything redirected to the homepage. Google's site move guide warns against this, because it can be treated as a broken page rather than a move.
- Content dropped or rewritten. Product descriptions, blog posts or FAQ text that ranked on Wix didn't come across, or were rewritten during the move.
- Too many changes at once. New platform, new domain, new design and new copy all on the same day, which makes problems hard to spot.
- The store left locked. Shopify's password page stays on after launch, so search engines can't read the store.
The good news: each of these is avoidable. Google states that 301 and other permanent redirects don't cause a loss in PageRank, its measure of link value.
Which Wix URLs change when you move to Shopify?
Almost all of them. Shopify uses fixed folders for each type of page, and they don't match Wix's. Use this table to plan your redirects.
| Page type | Typical Wix URL | Typical Shopify URL |
|---|---|---|
| Product | /product-page/blue-mug | /products/blue-mug |
| Category or collection | /category/mugs | /collections/mugs |
| Blog post | /post/how-to-care-for-ceramics | /blogs/news/how-to-care-for-ceramics |
| Static page (About, FAQ) | /about | /pages/about |
| Shop page | /shop | /collections/all |
| Homepage | / | / (no redirect needed) |
Wix lets you customize the URL structure for products and blog posts, so check your own links rather than assuming these defaults. Shopify's blog folder depends on your blog's name: the default blog is called News, but you can create others.
How do you keep your SEO when moving from Wix to Shopify?
Follow these steps in order. Steps 1 to 5 happen while your Wix site is still live.
- List every URL that matters. Open your Wix sitemap at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml and export your pages from Google Search Console's Performance report. Mark the pages that get clicks or have links from other sites. These are the ones you can't afford to lose.
- Save your SEO details. For each important page, copy the page title, meta description, main heading and body text into a spreadsheet. You'll paste them into Shopify unchanged.
- Keep product handles the same. When you import products, keep the last part of each URL identical to Wix where you can. /product-page/blue-mug becomes /products/blue-mug, which makes the redirect simple and keeps the address familiar.
- Build your redirect map. Add a column next to each old URL with its new Shopify URL. If a page has no equivalent, point it to the closest relevant page, such as the collection it belonged to.
- Import your redirects into Shopify. In your Shopify admin, go to Content > Menus, open URL Redirects, and either create them one by one or import them all with a CSV file. Shopify's redirect guide explains the CSV format.
- Move the domain and go live. Disconnect the domain from Wix, connect it to Shopify and set it as your primary domain. Remove the store password straight away.
- Test your redirects. Click through your top 20 old URLs and check each one lands on the right page, not an error or the homepage.
- Submit your new sitemap. In Google Search Console, submit yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml. Shopify creates and updates it automatically.
For the full move, including products, customers and the domain switch, follow our step-by-step Wix to Shopify migration guide.
Do I need Google's Change of Address tool?
Not if you keep the same domain. Google's guidance says the Change of Address tool is only for moves from one domain or subdomain to another. Moving paths within the same domain, such as /product-page/ to /products/, only needs redirects and a new sitemap.
If you are changing domains at the same time, verify both domains in Search Console and submit the change of address from the old one. Google recommends changing one thing at a time where you can, so consider moving platforms first and changing the domain later.
How long until my rankings recover after the move?
For most small stores, a few weeks. Google says rankings can fluctuate while it recrawls a moved site, and that a small to medium-sized site can take a few weeks for most pages to move across. Larger sites take longer.
What to watch in Search Console during that time:
- Pages report: new Shopify URLs being indexed while old Wix URLs drop out.
- Not found (404) errors: any old URL you missed. Add a redirect for each one that had traffic.
- Performance report: clicks and impressions shifting to your new URLs.
Keep your redirects in place for at least a year, which is Google's general advice. In Shopify, redirects stay active until you delete them, so the simplest rule is to leave them alone.
Things that can still cost you traffic
| Risk | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Images hosted by Wix | Your old images live on Wix's servers, and image search traffic to them stops when you leave | Upload original images to Shopify with descriptive file names and alt text |
| Redirect chains | Old URL to a temporary page to the final page slows things down | Point each old URL straight to its final address |
| Rewritten content | A new description can rank differently from the old one | Move content as it is, then improve it a few weeks after launch |
| Slower pages | A heavy theme or too many apps can make pages slower than on Wix | Check speed before launch. Our guide on why a Shopify store is slow shows how |
| Internal links | Links inside your blog posts and pages still point to old Wix paths | Update them to the new Shopify URLs rather than relying on redirects |
If you're in the UK, EU or Australia
If you sell in more than one country and plan to use Shopify Markets with separate domains or language folders, set that up after the migration has settled. Moving platform and adding international URLs at the same time is exactly the kind of double change Google advises against.
Do it yourself or have it done for you
Do it yourself: a small Wix store with a few dozen pages can be mapped and redirected in an afternoon using the steps above. Start a free Shopify trial and build your redirect list before you move the domain.
Have it done for you: if your Wix site brings in real search traffic, Komrex, a Shopify store design agency, can handle the migration, redirect map and launch checks for you. Our team has built 900+ Shopify stores. See our migration service, or check what a move would cost in our guide to Wix to Shopify migration costs.
Frequently asked questions
Is Shopify better than Wix for SEO?
Neither platform will rank your store on its own. Both let you edit page titles, meta descriptions, URLs and image alt text, and both create a sitemap automatically. Shopify's fixed URL folders such as /products/ and /pages/ can't be removed, but they don't stop pages ranking. Your content, links and page speed matter far more than the platform.
Will my Google rankings drop after moving to Shopify?
They may move around for a few weeks, which Google says is normal while it recrawls a moved site. If every important old URL redirects to the matching Shopify page and your content stays the same, rankings usually settle back. Big, lasting drops almost always come from missing redirects, lost content, or a store left password-protected.
How do I set up 301 redirects from Wix to Shopify?
Build a spreadsheet with each old Wix path in one column and its new Shopify path in the next. In Shopify, go to Content, then Menus, then URL Redirects, and import the list as a CSV file or add redirects one at a time. Set them up before you move the domain, then test your most-visited old URLs.
Can I keep my Wix URLs on Shopify?
Not exactly. Shopify always puts products under /products/, collections under /collections/, pages under /pages/ and posts under /blogs/. You can keep the last part of each URL the same, such as the product name, which makes redirects simpler. Redirects then send anyone using an old Wix link to the new address.
Do I need to redirect every single Wix page?
Redirect every page that gets traffic or has links from other websites, plus all products, categories and blog posts. Pages with no visits and no links, such as old test pages, can be left out. Never send large groups of old pages to your homepage. Point each one to its closest matching page instead.
Open your Wix sitemap today and count your URLs. That list is the start of your redirect map.
