How to setup 301 redirects for BigCommerce store?

If you are looking for the answer to enhance your website’s performance and provide your customers with a better shopping experience, then you have come to the right place.

There are reasons explaining the popularity of 301 redirects among eCommerce retailers. And all of them will be discovered in today’s article. We will inform you about the definition plus functions of them and more importantly, a tutorial on How to set up BigCommerce 301 redirects.

No more beating around the bush, let’s get started!

What are BigCommerce 301 redirects?

According to BigCommerce, 301 redirects is a critical feature of any Web-based enterprise. Up to the present, it is considered as one of the most effective and SEO-friendly strategies where ole URL links will be replaced by new and more efficient ones.

More specifically, referring users who have already typed in an outdated domain name (or URL link) will be redirected to a new position of the same site using BigCommerce 301 redirects. This little technique helps customers continue to search for an online store even it has been re-positioned on the Web.

Here is an example, in the past, your store was located on the page of http://mystore.com/my-old-page but now has been transferred to a new link http://mystore.com/my-new-page and BigCommerce 301 redirects will ensure that all the customers entering to your previous address will automatically be redirected to the current page. In this way, you will no longer have to be afraid of losing your consumers!

Advantages of using BigCommerce 301 redirects

Below is the list of benefits that BigCommerce 301 redirects will bring to your online business. And for sure, you do not want to miss out on it!

• Better customer experience: it is stated that website operators who use 301 redirects can have the ability to ensure their users enjoy a good experience while shopping at their stores because this feature makes it easier to approach the front page.
• Evaluate SEO results: BigCommerce 301 redirects also work as a notification telling search engines that your website has not been altered in the short term. Moreover, good usage of 301 redirects helps your store’s rankings and user satisfaction increase on search engine tools.

On the basis mentioned above, acknowledge the utility of BigCommerce 301 redirects will let both businesses and webmasters keep their sites relevant, especially when it comes to the long-term goals.

Requirements for setting up 301 redirects for BigCommerce

To effectively implement 301 redirects for your BigCommerce store, certain prerequisites must be met to ensure seamless traffic redirection. Below are the essential requirements that your store must fulfill:

• Multi-Storefront Usage: Your store must utilize the Multi-Storefront feature offered by BigCommerce. This feature enables you to manage multiple stores from a single account, facilitating centralized control over your online presence.
• Paid Store Plan: To access the functionality of setting up 301 redirects, you need to upgrade your trial account to a paid store plan. This ensures you have access to advanced features and tools vital for optimizing your store’s performance and user experience.
• 301 Redirects Permission Enabled: Ensure that the permission for managing 301 redirects is enabled within your user account settings. This permission grants you the authority to create, modify, and manage the redirection of URLs effectively.

How to set up 301 redirects for your BigCommerce store? (Updated)

If you have made up your mind and decided to update BigCommerce 301 redirects setting for your store, this section was born for you. We have divided the guidance of How to set up 301 redirects for your BigCommerce business into small and simple steps so that everyone can follow:

Step 1: Adding 301 redirects

Once you've ensured that your BigCommerce store meets the requirements for setting up 301 redirects, you can proceed by following these steps.

• Navigate to Settings → 301 Redirect: Access the 301 Redirect settings by navigating your BigCommerce dashboard and selecting 301 Redirect from the dropdown menu.
• Select Storefront and Create Redirect: From the dropdown menu, choose the storefront you want to manage redirects. After selecting the appropriate storefront, click the "Create Redirect" button to initiate the redirect creation process.

Step 2: Fill in Redirect Details

Now you are required to fill in the redirect information, including:

• Domain: This field displays the domain of the selected storefront and is grayed out as it cannot be modified within this interface.
• Old URL: Specify the URL you are redirecting from. For example, if you want to redirect from "/old-url", input it in this field.

• Redirect Type:
  • Manual Link (URL): Enter the new URL that the old URL should redirect to. For instance, "/new-url". Note that manual updates are required if the new URL changes.
  • Dynamic Link (Page or Object): Specify a product, brand, category, webpage, or blog post to which the old URL should redirect. You can search by name or SKU if linking to a product. This option ensures that the redirect remains functional even if the URL of the selected object or page changes.
• Link to: It’s the destination where you want your link to redirect to.

Step 3: Finish the process

• Click Create: Once you've filled in the necessary details for the redirect, click the "Create" button to finalize the process.

• Confirm Redirect (if applicable): In case you are redirecting from a reserved URL, you'll receive a prompt to confirm your awareness of potential risks. Tick the acknowledgment box and proceed by clicking "Create redirect" to implement the redirection or click "Cancel" to abort the redirect.

Additional set up relating to BigCommerce 301 redirects

Besides setting up BigCommerce 301 redirects for your online business, there are few other additional settings you might need to know when it comes to this feature.

Managing 301 Redirects

Once you've set up 301 redirects for your BigCommerce store, managing them efficiently is essential to maintain accurate redirection and optimize your website's performance. Here's how you can manage your store's 301 redirects effectively:

• Select Storefront and View Redirects: Select the desired storefront from the drop-down menu. This action will display all redirects associated with the selected storefront's domain. You can easily switch between different store domains if you manage multiple storefronts.

• Utilize Search Functionality: Use the search bar at the top to filter the displayed redirects based on specific criteria. This functionality lets you quickly locate redirects by entering relevant keywords or phrases.
• Actions Menu: Navigate to the Actions menu (represented by ⋯) next to each redirect entry. This menu provides various options for managing individual redirects, including:
  • Edit: Modify the details of a redirect, such as the old URL, new URL, or redirect type.
  • Copy: Duplicate an existing redirect, which can be useful for creating similar redirects with minor modifications.
  • Test: Verify the functionality of a redirect by testing it within the context of your store's navigation.
  • Delete: Remove a redirect that is no longer needed or relevant.
• Bulk Deletion: Select the checkbox next to each redirect you wish to remove to delete multiple redirects simultaneously. You can also select all redirects on the current page by clicking the checkbox in the top left corner of the redirect list. Once the desired redirects are selected, click the "Delete" button to initiate the deletion process.

Deleting BigCommerce 301 redirects

At your BigCommerce > 301 Redirects site, you will see a blue Trash can icon next to the “Add Redirect…” button. Click on it and then tick on the checkbox next to the link you want to delete:

Be careful, there is no pop-up site asking for your confirmation before getting rid of any redirected link!

Bulk importing through BigCommerce 301 redirects

BigCommerce 301 redirects are only feasible when you import a bulk of products. If you can use the 301 redirects importing function to add new URLs, it is impossible to use with the aim to update or edit available URL links in place. If you have a lot of redirection rules in your BigCommerce store at the moment, please export and uninstall them before taking the following measures.

Bulk importing using BigCommerce 301 redirects involves two CSV files: one with the original URL and another with the modified URLs. Feel free to copy the sample CSV below for your own personal use:

Also, at your Server Settings > 301 Redirects, click on the “Bulk import” button:

Then drag the CSV file from your device to the box. If this file includes headers for either your old or new URL links, select “This file contains headers”.

The final step is to “Import” your products using BigCommerce 301 Redirects. When the import has finished, BigCommerce 301 Redirects will reopen your website with the most recent updates.

Exporting BigCommerce 301 redirects

If you want to export any of those customized links, check on the checkboxes next to them and then choose “Export these redirects”.

After that, click on the “Default” button written in the box and “Continue” as below:

Now, you will receive a pop-up site on your screen requiring the confirmation, just select “Export my redirects to a CSV file”. BigCommerce will begin to generate your links into the file, if they are finished, please click “Download my Redirects file”, and you are good to go!

Final thoughts

BigCommerce 301 redirects might contribute a great deal to your customer experience as well as boosting your store’s total profits. Knowing the best ways to use them would fasten the process even more.

We hope that this article has successfully cleared your thoughts on How to set up BigCommerce 301 redirects for online businesses and helped you to enjoy the journey!

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