Do you know how many broken links are on your site right now?
It only takes one small error to turn buyer interest into frustration or apathy. 24% of online shoppers abandon a purchase because they don’t want to create an account, 17% because of a long checkout process, and 13% because of website errors.
Focusing on website errors, we wanted to discover how common broken links are on the top Shopify stores. An analysis is useful so ecommerce owners can benchmark themselves against the industry and find ways to improve.
As you’ll see, the biggest brands don’t always have the cleanest websites– there are a few surprises in store.
Broken links in the top 1,000 Shopify stores
We analyzed the top 1,000 Shopify stores to find out how many broken links each one has on average and where the errors appeared on their websites. We also broke down the top 10 Shopify stores one by one to find out which have the most error-free sites.
Our methodology
In April 2024, we identified the top 1,000 Shopify stores as reported by Store Leads, which ranks stores by revenue, website traffic, and more. Next, we crawled internal links on the first 1,000 pages of each store to find which returned a 404-page response. Here’s what we found.
The results
Overall, even the best Shopify stores struggle with link management. Our analysis uncovered:
- 152,884 broken links across the top 1,000 stores
- The store average has 152 broken links
- Less than a third (297 of the top 1,000) have no internal broken links
While the store average is 152 broken links, the distribution is far from even. Most stores have fewer than 100 broken links, but a few have more than 500. The store with the highest number had a whopping 8,045 broken links.
Types of broken links in Shopify stores
Next, we analyzed where the broken links were found on their websites. As you can see, the top culprit for broken links was product pages. But that isn’t the only place we found them.
Broken links are everywhere, but they’re most common on the pages that change often– products, collections, and blogs. To minimize broken links, check your site for link issues in these four prime spots.
1. Product pages
Product pages are the heart of ecommerce sites, so linking errors here can be costly. In some cases, links between products can break. Double-check internal product links, like recommended products or variant swatches to separate products. Linking to a PDF from a product page is another common spot for link issues, as many stores link PDFs for information like spec sheets or size charts.
2. Collections
Since collections change often with holidays and promotions, this is a common spot for linking errors. For example, if you end a seasonal sale but forget to remove the collection from your navigation, you will have a broken link in the top navigation menu.
Another reason for errors is that collections often contain hard-coded links to other collections or products. When those are removed, the links will break.
3. Footers and top-level navigation
Your website’s footer and menu navigation appear across many pages, from the home page to product pages and collections. It’s easy to forget this content, but a broken link here can harm your credibility and search engine rankings.
Pay particular attention if your site has a “mega menu” beyond a simple drop-down, with many different links and images. We’ve seen broken links for footer items like “Privacy Policy,” or “Gift Cards”. Check both your desktop and mobile versions, as the coding is different for each.
4. Blog posts
When you remove a product from your online store, you most likely aren’t thinking about links in blog posts to update. Blog posts can be one of your site’s best organic traffic sources, so any broken link is a missed opportunity to earn a new customer. Setting up redirects is a great way to ensure updated links across your site without manual updates, where it’s easy to forget a product link in a blog post.
Top 10 Shopify stores
To dive even deeper, we analyzed the top 10 Shopify stores to give each a link scorecard.
Stanley 1913
Links grade: B
Number of broken links: 28
Broken links per 100 pages: 1.6
Top location: Blogs
Number of employees: 100-500
Seeing Stanley cups everywhere you turn? Stanley’s online store is powered by Shopify. Stanley 1913 is known for their high-quality, durable drinkware and food storage products, particularly catering to outdoor enthusiasts, adventurers, and women who take hydration seriously. Their Adventure Quencher Travel Tumbler now has a cult following that collects limited edition colors and accessories.
Fashion Nova
Links grade: C
Number of broken links: 311
Broken links per 100 pages: 17.52
Top location: Products
Number of employees: 1,000+
Fashion Nova is a leading global fashion brand known for its trendsetting, affordable styles and rapid turnaround from design to consumer. Since 2006, the brand has gained popularity through social media and collaborations with high-profile influencer campaigns.
Sanrio
Links grade: A
Number of broken links: 13
Broken links per 100 pages: 0.7
Top location: Collections
Number of employees: 100-500
Founded in 1960 in Japan, Sanrio features a diverse portfolio of endearing characters, the most notable of which is Hello Kitty. The brand follows a “small gift, big smile” philosophy, emphasizing the joy and emotional connection that their products bring to people. Sanrio’s extensive range includes stationery, accessories, toys, and fashion items, all infused with a unique charm and whimsical aesthetic.
Steve Madden
Links grade: D
Number of broken links: 751
Broken links per 100 pages: 42.4
Top location: Products
Number of employees: 1,000+
Steve Madden is a renowned American fashion brand known for its innovative and trendsetting footwear, accessories, and apparel. The brand has become a staple in the fashion industry, celebrated for its edgy, urban-inspired designs that blend boldness with sophistication. Whether you’re looking for handbag, top, or shoes, you can find something to celebrate your individuality in their store.
Windsor
Links grade: A
Number of broken links: 1
Broken links per 100 pages: 0.05
Top location: Products
Number of employees: 1,000+
Windsor, established in 1937, is a renowned fashion retailer offering chic, trendy, and affordable women’s clothing. Specializing in occasion wear like prom and evening dresses, Windsor also provides a wide range of casual wear, accessories, shoes, and jewelry. Known for blending quality with affordability, Windsor caters to fashion-conscious customers of all ages.
KICKS CREW
Links grade: A+
Number of broken links: 0
Broken links per 100 pages: 0
Number of employees: 50-100
Looking for some new kicks? KICKS CREW is a fast-growing sneaker marketplace that connects enthusiasts with a vast array of authentic footwear from top global brands. The store is a trusted platform for both casual buyers and collectors, with an extensive selection of limited-edition releases, exclusive collaborations, and classic styles. With a user-friendly interface, competitive pricing, and a commitment to exceptional customer service, KICKS CREW has become the go-to destination for sneakerheads.
European Wax Center
Links grade: A+
Number of broken links: 0
Broken links per 100 pages: 0
Number of employees: 1,000+
European Wax Center proves that you can run a successful services brand on the Shopify platform. This brand is a market leader for hair removal, boasting over 800 US locations since 2004. Known for its proprietary Comfort Wax™, the brand targets a less painful waxing experience. They offer body and facial waxing, plus brow shaping, and sell exclusive skincare products.
Fenty Beauty + Fenty Skin
Links grade: D
Number of broken links: 406
Broken links per 100 pages: 31.5
Top location: Collections
Number of employees: 1-50
Ready to shine bright like a diamond? Fenty Beauty was founded in 2017 by Rihanna, selling 40 foundation shades which set a new standard for diversity and representation in makeup. Today you can buy cruelty-free, vegan formulations of foundations, concealers, highlighters, lipsticks, and eyeshadows, all designed to cater to a broad spectrum of skin tones and types.
Vera Bradley
Links grade: A+
Number of broken links: 0
Broken links per 100 pages: 0
Number of employees: 1,000+
When you see a vibrant quilted bag, you know you’re looking at the work of Vera Bradley. Founded in 1982, Vera Bradley offers handbags, travel bags, backpacks, and home goods with unique prints and practical elegance. Vera Bradley’s dedication to quality and philanthropy, especially through the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer, has earned the brand a loyal following.
Alo Yoga
Links grade: A+
Number of broken links: 0
Broken links per 100 pages: 0
Number of employees: 1,000+
Have you embraced athleisure? Alo Yoga is a leading activewear brand selling luxe, high-performance yoga wear. Beloved by yoga and fitness fans, it offers sleek, innovative designs and trademarked fabrics for top-notch comfort and performance. Their product catalog includes leggings, sports bras, tops, and accessories, all crafted for quality and sustainability.
How to fix broken links in Shopify
Broken links and errors plague even the best Shopify stores. But you don’t need a developer to manage your links and provide an error-free browsing experience for customers. Even a small operation can manage links across a large store.
Take KICKS CREW, for instance. The brand operates with less than 100 employees and still manages to keep a 2,000-page website clear of broken links (as of analysis time).
To keep your website free of pesky 404 errors, you need to:
- Regularly scan your site for broken links and
- Manage broken links through manual fixes or redirects.
The easiest way to check your Shopify store for broken links is to run a free report on Shopify Broken Link Checker. This report emails you a list of all broken links found on your site. While tools like Google Search Console or Ahrefs can run a check as well, the benefit of this Shopify-specific one is that it lists the page type for each broken link plus a link to the page’s Shopify Admin URL so you can fix it right away.
Once you find broken links, you can manually fix them in Shopify or use an app design for link management.
If you want a quick way to fix errors and automatic link scans, try Ablestar Link Manager/Redirect. This Shopify app links with your store to run regular reports and enable URL redirects from within the app.
You can even set wildcard redirects, the best way to bring your broken link count down to the coveted zero. This lets you set redirects for URLs that follow a pattern. For instance, you could specify that any link with “/products/” in the URL redirect to your bestsellers page if broken.
Knowing your broken links, fixing them, and even anticipating them is key to keeping your store running smoothly and error-free. By taking these steps, you’ll keep your Shopify store in top shape and ensure a seamless browsing experience for your customers.
Compare yourself to the top brands by checking your broken link count with Shopify Broken Link Checker. Schedule scans, fix links, and set wildcard redirects with Ablestar Link Manager/Redirect.
