Mastering Shopify: How to Archive a Product in Shopify Like a Pro

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Understanding Product Archiving in Shopify
  3. How to Archive a Product in Shopify: A Step-by-Step Guide
  4. SEO and Archiving: Best Practices
  5. Conclusion
  6. FAQ

Introduction

Have you ever stumbled upon a stunning statistic that 93% of online experiences start with a search engine? This fact holds especially true for e-commerce platforms like Shopify, where visibility and product management play crucial roles in business success. With the sprawling inventory that most Shopify store owners manage, it's not surprising that some products need to be temporarily removed or hidden from the store without permanently deleting them. This is where the concept of archiving products comes into play, serving as a pivotal strategy for maintaining a clean, organized, and SEO-friendly online store. This blog post aims to dive deep into the "how to archive a product in Shopify" process, shedding light on not just the how-to but also the why and when you should consider archiving products. By the end, you'll not only become proficient in product archiving but also understand its significant impact on your store's operational efficiency and search engine optimization (SEO).

Understanding Product Archiving in Shopify

Archiving a product in Shopify is akin to tucking away your seasonal clothes; they're out of sight but still accessible when needed. This feature is particularly beneficial for products that are out of stock, seasonal, or currently not for sale but may make a comeback. The beauty of archiving lies in its simplicity and the control it offers store owners over their inventory without affecting their website's SEO negatively.

The Significance of Archiving

  1. SEO Preservation: Unlike deleting, archiving keeps the product URL intact, preventing any 404 errors which can harm your site's SEO ranking.
  2. Inventory Management: It helps in decluttering the storefront while keeping the items in the backend for future reference or unarchiving.
  3. Seasonal Strategy: Perfect for seasonal items which are relevant only at certain times of the year but you plan to sell again.

When to Archive a Product

  • Out of Stock: When products are temporarily unavailable but expected in the future.
  • Seasonal Products: Items that are relevant for specific seasons or holidays.
  • Discontinued but Possible Comeback: Products that are discontinued but might return due to customer demand or stock availability.

How to Archive a Product in Shopify: A Step-by-Step Guide

Individual Product Archiving

  1. Access the Products Page: Log in to your Shopify admin and navigate to the Products page.
  2. Select the Product: Choose the product you wish to archive and click on its title to go to the editing page.
  3. Archive: Scroll down and click on the Archive button located at the bottom right. Confirm the action in the pop-up window.
  4. Confirmation: You'll see a success message, and the product will move to the Archived tab.

Bulk Archiving

  1. Select Multiple Products: From the Products page, tick the checkboxes beside the products' titles you want to archive.
  2. Bulk Action: Click the Bulk actions button, then Archive products from the dropdown menu.
  3. Confirm Bulk Archiving: A popup will ask for your confirmation. Click Archive products to proceed.
  4. Success Notification: A message will indicate the successful archiving of the selected products.

Viewing Archived Products

  • Navigate to the Products page and click on the Archived tab to view all archived items.

Unarchiving Products

Currently, Shopify doesn't offer a bulk unarchive option, so products must be unarchived individually by selecting them from the Archived tab and clicking Unarchive.

SEO and Archiving: Best Practices

While archiving is a powerful tool for managing your Shopify inventory, it's also essential to consider its impact on your store's SEO. Here are a few tips to retain your SEO benefits:

  • Avoid Frequent Status Changes: Frequently changing a product's status from active to archived and back can confuse search engines and visitors. Plan your archiving strategy wisely.
  • Use Redirects Wisely: For permanently removed products, consider creating URL redirects to related products or categories to maintain link equity and a seamless user experience.

Conclusion

Archiving products in Shopify offers a strategic way to manage your e-commerce store's inventory efficiently while keeping your SEO intact. Whether you're dealing with seasonal products, planning inventory cleanup, or simply want to hide products without deleting them, understanding how to archive and unarchive products is an invaluable skill for any Shopify store owner. By following the steps and best practices outlined in this guide, you can ensure your store remains organized, SEO-friendly, and primed for success throughout the year.

FAQ

  1. Does archiving a product in Shopify delete its SEO data?

    • No, archiving preserves the product's SEO data and URL, preventing any negative impact on your store's SEO.

  2. Can customers see archived products?

    • Archived products are hidden from the storefront and cannot be seen by customers.

  3. Is it possible to bulk unarchive products?

    • As of now, Shopify doesn't support bulk unarchiving. Products need to be unarchived individually.

  4. How does archiving affect product variants?

    • Archiving a product also archives all its variants, removing them from the storefront while retaining their data in the admin.

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