Shopify gives every store a sitemap, a default robots.txt, canonical tags, basic structured data and SSL. That's a good start. But it can't write your titles, describe your products or tell Google your store exists. Those jobs are yours. This guide lists the 10 jobs Shopify leaves to you, in the order to do them. It also shows you how to check that AI search tools can read your store.
Sources: Shopify Help Center (SEO); Google Search Central (AI features); OpenAI crawler documentation. Checked October 2026. Store and brand names are made up.
Where to start
Work through the 10 jobs in order
The order matters. The first job lets you see what Google sees. The next jobs fix what each page says. The last ones help shoppers and crawlers move around your store. Do one job at a time and tick it off below.
1. Connect Google Search Console. Add a URL-prefix property for your store address. Paste the verification meta tag into the head of theme.liquid. Then submit yourstore.com/sitemap.xml. If your store still has a password, remove it first. Google can't index a locked store.
2. Write titles and descriptions. Put the phrase a buyer searches first. More on this in Step 2. Set your homepage title under Online Store > Preferences.
3. Treat collections as category pages. Give each one a clear name and a short description. "Merino hiking socks" beats "Collection 4".
4. Write product pages in your own words. Don't paste the supplier's text. Aim for 250 words or more. Cover size, material, care and who it's for.
5. Redirect removed products. When you delete a product, send its old URL to the closest live page. Go to Content > Menus > View URL Redirects.
6. Rename images before upload. Shopify won't let you rename an image file later. Use "northline-merino-sock-grey.jpg", not "IMG_2041.jpg". Add alt text that says what the image shows.
7. Speed up your store. Check the performance report under Online Store > Themes. Compress big images. Remove apps you no longer use, because many add code to every page.
8. Link your pages together. Every product should be reachable within 3 clicks of the homepage. Use link text that says where it goes, like "waterproof hiking boots", not "click here".
9. Use your blog to answer buying questions. Write posts of 500 words or more that answer what shoppers ask, like "how should hiking socks fit?". Link to the products that solve it.
10. Check AI access. Open yourstore.com/robots.txt and make sure AI search crawlers aren't blocked. Step 3 shows you how.
10-job checklist
Runs in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere. Your ticks are saved on this device only.
Write titles and descriptions buyers search for
Your page title is the blue link in Google. Aim for about 60 characters. Shopify allows 70, but Google often cuts long titles. Start with the phrase a buyer types, then add one detail that helps them choose. Put your brand name last.
Your meta description is the grey text under the link. Aim for about 160 characters. Say what it is, the key detail and who it's for. Google may rewrite it, but a clear one still helps. Edit both in the "Search engine listing" box at the bottom of each product and collection.
Title & meta writer Example numbers
Runs in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere. Fill in the boxes, then copy the result into Shopify.
Check that AI search can reach your store
AI answers work like search. They can only show pages they can reach. OpenAI says sites that opt out of OAI-SearchBot are not shown in ChatGPT search answers. GPTBot is a separate crawler used for training. Blocking GPTBot does not remove you from ChatGPT search.
Google says there are no special files or tags needed for AI Overviews or AI Mode. A page just has to be indexed and allowed to show a snippet. For products, keep your Merchant Center feed up to date. Merchant listings need a product name, an image and an offer with a price and currency.
Shopify's default robots.txt allows these crawlers. Problems come from edits. Changes go in a robots.txt.liquid theme template. Be careful there: one wrong line can hide your whole store. Paste your file below to test it.
robots.txt AI access checker Example numbers
Runs in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere. Open yourstore.com/robots.txt, copy all of it, and paste it here.
Doesn't Shopify already do SEO for me?
It does the technical basics: sitemap, robots.txt, canonical tags, basic structured data and SSL. It doesn't write your titles, product text or blog posts, or connect Search Console.
Should I block GPTBot?
That's your choice. GPTBot is for training. OAI-SearchBot is for ChatGPT search. If you want to appear in ChatGPT search answers, keep OAI-SearchBot allowed.
Do I need a special file for AI Overviews?
No. Google says no special AI files or markup are needed. Pages must be indexed and allowed to show a snippet.
Can I rename an image after uploading it?
No. Shopify keeps the original file name. Rename the file on your computer, then upload it again.
Sources: Shopify Help Center (SEO, URL redirects, robots.txt.liquid); Google Search Central (AI features, merchant listings); OpenAI crawler documentation (OAI-SearchBot, GPTBot). Checked October 2026. Example brands and numbers are made up.