When migrating from WordPress to Shopify, your URLs change. Smart Redirections automatically creates 301 redirects to preserve your SEO rankings and ensure visitors find your content.
Available on Business and Enterprise plans.
Why Redirects Matter
SEO Impact
When URLs change without redirects:
- Search engines see the old URLs as broken (404 errors)
- Link equity from backlinks is lost
- Rankings can drop significantly
- Indexed pages are removed from search results
User Experience
- Bookmarked links stop working
- Social media shares lead to 404 pages
- Email newsletter links break
How Smart Redirections Works
Automatic Detection
When you sync a post, Wash:
- Records the original WordPress URL
- Detects the new Shopify URL
- Creates a 301 redirect automatically
URL Mapping Examples
| WordPress URL | Shopify URL |
|---|---|
| /2024/01/my-post/ | /blogs/news/my-post |
| /category/news/my-post/ | /blogs/news/my-post |
| /my-post/ | /blogs/news/my-post |
Configuration
Enabling Smart Redirections
- In Shopify, go to Wash → Settings
- Enable Smart Redirections
- Configure your WordPress base URL
- Select redirect type (301 permanent recommended)
WordPress URL Patterns
Wash supports common WordPress permalink structures:
/%postname%/— /my-post//%year%/%monthnum%/%day%/%postname%/— /2024/01/15/my-post//%category%/%postname%/— /news/my-post/- Custom structures with post ID
Managing Redirects
Viewing Redirects
Go to Wash → Redirects to see all created redirects:
- Source URL (WordPress)
- Target URL (Shopify)
- Date created
- Hit count
Editing Redirects
Click any redirect to:
- Modify the target URL
- Change redirect type (301/302)
- Delete the redirect
Bulk Operations
- Export redirects as CSV
- Import custom redirects
- Delete all redirects
Shopify Integration
Where Redirects Are Stored
Wash creates redirects in Shopify's native redirect system:
- Go to Online Store → Navigation → URL Redirects
- All Wash redirects are visible here
- They work exactly like manually created redirects
Redirect Limits
Shopify has a limit of 100,000 redirects per store. Wash tracks your usage and warns you when approaching the limit.
Best Practices
Before Migration
- Document your WordPress URL structure
- Test with a few posts first
- Verify redirects work correctly
After Migration
- Test old URLs to confirm redirects
- Check Google Search Console for crawl errors
- Monitor traffic to ensure no drop-off
- Submit updated sitemap to search engines
Common Pitfalls
- Don't delete WordPress too soon — Keep it running until redirects are verified
- Check for redirect chains — Avoid A → B → C redirects
- Handle special characters — Non-ASCII URLs may need manual attention
Troubleshooting
Redirect Not Working
- Verify the redirect exists in Shopify's URL Redirects
- Check for conflicting redirects
- Clear browser cache and try again
404 Errors Still Appearing
- The redirect may not have been created — check Wash logs
- The source URL pattern may not match — verify WordPress permalink structure