Redirect Riddle: Should You Push Google or Play the Waiting Game After a Shopify Migration?

Hey Shopify merchants and store operators! Let's talk about a situation that can feel like watching paint dry, but with higher stakes: dealing with those stubborn old URLs that just won't seem to drop out of Google's index, even after you've set up perfect 301 redirects.

It's a common scenario, especially after a site replatforming or a major URL structure change. You've done everything right: mapped every old URL to its new home, implemented clean 301s, flattened any redirect chains. Most of your site updates in Search Console within a couple of weeks, rankings hold steady, and you breathe a sigh of relief. But then, you spot it: a handful of lower-traffic pages are still showing the old URL as indexed and canonical, weeks later. No coverage errors, no red flags from Google, just… persistence from the past.

This exact dilemma recently popped up in a community discussion, where the original poster shared their frustration: three weeks after a 60-page replatform, a dozen pages were clinging to their old URLs. Their question was simple yet critical: Do you keep the old sitemap submitted to force recrawl, request indexing on the new URLs by hand, or just wait it out?

The Community's Consensus: Patience is a Virtue

The responses from experienced community members were remarkably consistent. One respondent offered direct advice: "just leave it alone, I've seen it take a month or more to move over." They also wisely prompted the original poster to check which page was actually ranking in search results – the new or the old one – which is a great indicator of Google's current preference.

Another expert echoed this sentiment: "I would just let it go. If the redirects are working correctly, it's not really hurting anything. Google will find them eventually."

The clear takeaway? If your 301 redirects are correctly implemented and resolving cleanly to the new URLs, and you're not seeing any errors in Google Search Console, patience is often the best strategy. Google's indexing process isn't instant, especially for pages that might not have a high crawl priority or receive frequent visits.

Why Google Takes Its Sweet Time

Think of Google's crawlers like busy librarians. They have a massive library (the internet) to organize, and while they're incredibly efficient, they can't re-catalog everything instantly. Pages with lower traffic or less frequent updates might simply be lower on their priority list for re-evaluation. Your 301 redirect acts as a clear signpost, telling Google, "Hey, this content moved here!" But it still takes time for the librarian to physically update their records and replace the old card with the new one.

During this transition, as long as the 301 is working, visitors and Google are being correctly routed to the new page. The old URL still showing in the index isn't necessarily 'hurting' your SEO in a significant way, provided the new URL is the one that's eventually going to rank.

What You Should Do While You Wait

While the community advises patience, 'waiting it out' doesn't mean doing nothing. Here's a proactive approach to ensure everything is on track:

1. Double-Check Your 301s: Even if you're confident, give a few of those stubborn old URLs a manual check in your browser. Do they redirect instantly and correctly to the new URL? Are there any redirect chains (e.g., old URL > intermediate URL > new URL)? Clean, direct 301s are crucial for maintaining your Shopify domain trust score.
2. Verify Sitemap & Canonical Tags: Ensure your current sitemap submitted to Google Search Console only contains the new URLs. Also, check the new pages themselves to confirm they have a self-referencing canonical tag ().
3. Monitor Search Console: Keep an eye on the 'Pages' report in Google Search Console. Look for any new 'Excluded' or 'Error' statuses that might indicate a problem.
4. Track Rankings: As one community member suggested, perform searches for keywords you expect these pages to rank for. Is the new URL showing up? If the old URL is still ranking, Google might be taking longer to fully pass the 'link equity' to the new page.
5. Resubmitting New URLs (Cautiously): While not explicitly recommended by the community for these specific cases, you can use the URL Inspection tool in Search Console to 'Request Indexing' for the new URLs. This can sometimes nudge Google, but it's not a magic bullet and shouldn't be overused. Avoid resubmitting old sitemaps, as that can confuse Google.

EShopSet Team Comment

We completely agree with the community's expert advice: patience is key when 301 redirects are correctly in place. However, 'waiting it out' doesn't mean being blind. Our SEO Performance Monitor app for Shopify is designed precisely for this kind of situation, allowing merchants to track indexed pages, canonical tags, and keyword rankings. It provides the visibility you need to confidently monitor those stubborn URLs without constantly manually checking, ensuring you maintain a healthy Shopify domain trust score and can act quickly if a real issue arises.

Ultimately, a successful site migration or URL restructure is about meticulous planning and consistent monitoring. While Google's indexing process can be slow, especially for less trafficked pages, by ensuring your redirects are perfect and keeping a close eye on your SEO performance, you can navigate these transitions smoothly. Focus on providing the best experience for your customers and Google will eventually catch up, reinforcing your site's authority and visibility.