01 / DiscoveryMake the right URLs discoverable
Shopify can expose alternate product paths, filters and search pages. Decide which URL family deserves crawl attention.
01Robots rules preserve valuable assets
Confirm robots.txt does not block CSS, JavaScript, product media or routes needed for rendering.
02XML sitemap contains canonical, live URLs only
Sample products, collections, articles and localized pages; remove redirects, errors and duplicate parameters.
03Navigation reaches commercial pages
Important collections and guides should not depend on search, filters or JavaScript-only discovery.
Give Google one clear version
Every page should state whether it belongs in search and which URL represents the content.
04Canonical tags are self-consistent
Check products in collections, pagination and tagged content. Canonicals must resolve directly to a 200 page.
05Indexable pages return indexable responses
Avoid accidental noindex, soft 404 copy, redirect chains and canonical targets that disagree with sitemaps.
06Facets do not create an infinite crawl space
Inventory parameters for sort, filter, currency and tracking; retain only pages with independent demand.
Make every template explain itself
Titles, headings, copy and structured data should agree on what a product, collection or guide is for.
07One descriptive title and one visible H1
Use unique, concise language. Do not turn every close keyword variation into another page.
08Product schema matches visible facts
Validate offers, price, availability, brand, variants and reviews against the rendered page.
09Thin collection pages gain decision value
Add useful selection logic, compatibility notes and original merchandising context—not filler paragraphs.
Protect the buying journey
Performance work should reduce delay and instability on real storefront templates, not chase a lab score alone.
10LCP media is sized and prioritized
Serve responsive formats, reserve dimensions and avoid lazy-loading the main product or hero image.
11Apps justify their JavaScript cost
Measure third-party scripts by template and remove dormant features before optimizing around them.
12Tap targets and type remain usable
Use 16px mobile body text, 44px controls and stable layouts across phones, tablets and older browsers.
Connect languages, data and decisions
International versions must be real equivalents. Measurement must tell you what to fix next.
13Hreflang clusters are reciprocal
Each localized page references itself and every true alternate, using valid language and region codes.
14Search Console data maps to page intent
Review queries, landing pages and indexation together. Impressions without clicks may signal a weak snippet or intent mismatch.
15Every recommendation has evidence
Record the affected URLs, source data, expected impact, owner and validation date.
Completion rule:A checked box needs a URL, screenshot, crawl sample or Search Console record. “Looks fine” is not evidence.
