Merchant Center says "landing page not working" on Shopify: what to check

When Google cannot load a product's landing page it disables the product, because, in Google's words, "users have a bad experience" (Google: product page unavailable). The error names the cause. These are the ones Google lists, and where each comes from on a Shopify store.

1. Page not found (404)

Google: "The landing page was not found on the server." On Shopify this is usually a product that was deleted, unpublished from the Online Store channel, or renamed after the feed was sent — the old handle is still in Merchant Center. Open the exact URL from the item in Merchant Center, logged out, and see what loads.

2. Too many redirects

Google: "Your landing page redirects too many times" — keep it to two redirects or fewer. Markets/region redirects, an app that forces a language path, or a chain from an old domain to a new one can add up.

3. Server errors and DNS

Google: "the server couldn't process the request", or "we weren't able to resolve the hostname". Check that your custom domain's DNS still points at Shopify and that nothing you added in front of the store is failing.

4. robots.txt

Google lists "the product page was unavailable for Google to check because your online store's robots.txt file couldn't be reached." A custom robots.txt.liquid that disallows product URLs blocks Google just as effectively. See the robots.txt guide.

5. The store password page is still on

A password-protected storefront shows Google the password page instead of every product. Shopify (desktop): in the admin go to Online Store, click Private, select Public, then click Update. Shopify notes that in its app, a store on a trial plan or without a business address is prompted to complete that step before the password can be removed (Shopify help).

After you fix it

Google says a website review can take up to 12 hours and products typically reappear "within a couple of days" once it confirms the page loads (source).

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