How to Archive Products in Shopify: A Comprehensive Guide for E-commerce Success

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Why Archiving is Essential for Shopify Merchants
3. Understanding the Archiving Process in Shopify
4. When Should We Archive Products Instead of Deleting Them?
5. Does Archiving a Product Affect My Store’s SEO?
6. Can I Archive Products in Bulk?
7. Should I Back Up Products Before Archiving Them?
8. Is Archiving Permanent?
9. Benefits of Archiving for E-commerce Success
10. How Tevello Empowers Shopify Merchants
11. Conclusion

Introduction

Did you know that around 70% of e-commerce businesses experience challenges managing their product inventory? As Shopify merchants, we face the constant dilemma of how to effectively manage our online stores while keeping our catalogs organized and efficient. Imagine you have seasonal items or products that you no longer wish to sell but might want to offer again in the future. What should you do with them? The answer often lies in archiving.

In the dynamic world of e-commerce, where trends shift rapidly and inventory management can make or break our success, understanding how to archive products in Shopify is crucial. Not only does archiving help maintain an organized storefront, but it also preserves vital product data and sales history.

In this blog post, we will explore the intricacies of archiving products in Shopify. We’ll cover when and why to archive, how it impacts SEO, and the potential benefits for your store. Moreover, we will demonstrate how Tevello can empower us to manage our digital products and online courses seamlessly within the Shopify ecosystem.

Are you ready to transform your Shopify store and streamline your inventory management? Let's dive in!

Why Archiving is Essential for Shopify Merchants

As Shopify merchants, we understand that maintaining an organized product catalog is essential for a smooth customer experience. Archiving products that are out of stock or discontinued helps declutter our inventory, improve navigation, and prevent potential broken links that could impact our SEO. Here are some key reasons why archiving is essential:

1. Maintain Organization: Archiving allows us to keep our active product list manageable. By hiding products that are no longer available for sale, we can focus on those that are currently in stock.
2. Preserve Data: Unlike deleting a product, archiving keeps all product details intact, including descriptions, images, and sales history. This is invaluable when we want to reintroduce a product later.
3. SEO Benefits: Keeping our storefront clean and organized can enhance our store’s SEO. Archived products can be redirected to relevant active items or collections, preventing broken links that could frustrate customers.
4. Flexibility: Archiving is a reversible action. If we decide to restock a product or reintroduce it to our catalog, unarchiving is a straightforward process.
5. Enhance Customer Experience: By removing outdated products from our active listings, we enhance the shopping experience for our customers. They can easily find what they’re looking for without being confronted with items that are currently unavailable.

Understanding the Archiving Process in Shopify

Archiving products in Shopify is a straightforward process that can be accomplished in just a few clicks. Here’s how to do it:

Step-by-Step Guide to Archiving Products

1. Log into Your Shopify Admin: Start by logging into your Shopify account and navigating to the Products section.
2. Select the Product: Locate the product you wish to archive. You can use the search bar or scroll through your product list to find it.
3. Open Product Details: Click on the product name to open the product details page.
4. Archive the Product: At the bottom of the product details page, look for the option to "Archive product." Click on it and confirm your choice in the dialog box that appears.
5. Access Archived Products: To view archived products, navigate back to the Products page and click on the "Archived" tab.
6. Unarchive if Needed: If you wish to reinstate an archived product, simply click on it, and select the "Unarchive product" option.

This simple process ensures our catalog stays organized while giving us flexibility in product management.

When Should We Archive Products Instead of Deleting Them?

Understanding the right time to archive versus delete products is essential for effective inventory management. Here are some scenarios where archiving is the better choice:

1. Seasonal Products: If you have items that are only relevant during certain times of the year, such as holiday-themed merchandise, archiving allows you to temporarily remove them without losing their data.
2. Out-of-Stock Items: If a product is currently out of stock but you plan to restock it in the future, archiving is the ideal option. It keeps the product’s details intact for easy reinstatement later.
3. Discontinued Lines: For products you don’t plan to sell again but might want to reference in the future, archiving preserves historical data without cluttering your active listings.
4. Limited-Time Offers: If you have items that were part of a special promotion or limited-time sale, archiving prevents confusion for customers while keeping the product information accessible.
5. Inventory Management: When managing a large inventory, archiving can help us streamline our offerings, making it easier to manage and update active products.

Does Archiving a Product Affect My Store’s SEO?

One of the most common concerns Shopify merchants have when it comes to archiving products is its impact on SEO. The good news is that archiving does not negatively affect our store’s SEO. In fact, it can help improve it.

Key SEO Considerations

• No Impact on URL or SEO: When we archive a product, it is hidden from all sales channels, but the URL remains intact. This means that it won’t lead to 404 errors, which can harm our SEO.
• Redirect Options: We can set up URL redirects for archived products to point to related active items or collections, ensuring our customers have a seamless shopping experience. This can preserve search engine traffic and maintain user engagement.
• Preventing Broken Links: By archiving products instead of deleting them, we reduce the chance of broken links on our site, which can negatively impact user experience and SEO rankings.

Can I Archive Products in Bulk?

Yes! Shopify allows us to archive products in bulk, which can save time, especially for larger inventories. Here’s how we can do it:

Bulk Archiving Process

1. Navigate to the Products Page: Log into Shopify and go to the Products section.
2. Select Products: Check the boxes next to the products we want to archive.
3. Bulk Actions Menu: Click on the "Actions" button at the top of the page.
4. Choose Archive: From the dropdown menu, select "Archive selected products" and confirm the action.

Bulk archiving is an efficient way to manage our inventory and keep our store organized without having to archive products one at a time.

Should I Back Up Products Before Archiving Them?

Backing up product data before archiving is a wise decision, especially if we have concerns about losing important information. While archiving preserves product details, creating a backup offers an extra layer of security.

How to Back Up Your Products

1. Use Shopify’s Export Feature: We can export our product data in CSV format directly from the Shopify admin. This allows us to keep a record of all product information, including descriptions, prices, and inventory levels.
2. Automated Backup Solutions: Consider using specialized tools like the Import & Export Tool by Firebear. This tool allows us to automate backups, store them in various formats, and even update them in Google Sheets for easy access.
3. Regular Backup Schedule: Setting up a regular backup schedule ensures that we always have the latest product data saved, making it easy to recover if needed in the future.

Is Archiving Permanent?

No, archiving is not a permanent action. We can unarchive products at any time, making it a flexible and convenient option for managing our inventory. If we decide to bring back an archived product:

1. Access the Archived Products Tab: Navigate to the Archived tab in the Products section.
2. Select the Product: Click on the product we want to unarchive.
3. Unarchive: Click the "Unarchive product" button and confirm.

This simple process allows us to quickly reinstate products when needed, saving us the hassle of recreating product pages from scratch.

Benefits of Archiving for E-commerce Success

By incorporating archiving into our inventory management strategy, we can unlock several benefits that contribute to our overall e-commerce success:

1. Streamlined Navigation: A cleaner product catalog enhances the shopping experience for customers, making it easier for them to find what they’re looking for.
2. Data Preservation: Archiving keeps historical sales data intact, providing insights into which products performed well and informing future marketing strategies.
3. Easier Inventory Management: By decluttering our active listings, we can focus on optimizing our current offerings and making informed decisions about restocking or launching new products.
4. Improved Customer Trust: A well-organized storefront fosters trust and credibility, encouraging customers to return and make purchases.
5. Enhanced Marketing Opportunities: By retaining product data, we can easily identify trends and opportunities for targeted marketing campaigns based on past performance.

How Tevello Empowers Shopify Merchants

At Tevello, we believe in empowering Shopify merchants to unlock new revenue streams through the seamless integration of online courses and digital products. Our all-in-one solution not only simplifies course creation but also enhances community engagement, making it easy for us to connect with our audience.

Key Features of Tevello

• Course Creation and Management: With Tevello, we can create and manage online courses effortlessly, providing valuable content to our customers while generating additional revenue.
• Community Building: Our community features allow us to foster meaningful connections with our audience, enhancing customer loyalty and engagement.
• Robust Support: We offer industry-leading developer support to ensure our merchants have the resources they need to succeed.
• Transparent Pricing: Our simple, flat-rate pricing model ensures there are no hidden fees, making it easy for us to budget and plan our e-commerce strategies.

Ready to take your Shopify store to the next level? Start your 14-day free trial of Tevello today and explore how we can transform your online business.

Conclusion

In summary, understanding how to archive products in Shopify is crucial for maintaining an organized inventory, preserving valuable data, and enhancing the customer experience. By archiving instead of deleting, we retain flexibility and control over our product catalog while reaping the SEO benefits of a clean storefront.

With the right strategies in place, we can streamline our inventory management and focus on what truly matters—growing our e-commerce business.

Embrace the power of archiving and take charge of your Shopify store today. Don't hesitate to install the all-in-one course platform for Shopify and start unlocking new revenue streams with Tevello.

FAQ

1. What happens to my product data when I archive a product in Shopify?

When you archive a product in Shopify, all product details, including descriptions, images, and sales history, are preserved. The product is hidden from your active listings but can be unarchived at any time.

2. Can I still access sales reports for archived products?

Yes, historical sales data for archived products remains accessible in your reports. Archiving does not affect your ability to analyze past performance.

3. How do I know when to delete a product instead of archiving it?

You should consider deleting a product only if you are certain that you will not sell it again in the future. Deleting is a permanent action that removes all associated data.

4. Is there a limit to how many products I can archive in Shopify?

No, there is no limit to the number of products you can archive in Shopify. You can archive as many products as needed to keep your inventory organized.

5. How can archiving improve my store’s SEO?

Archiving products helps prevent broken links by ensuring that unavailable products are no longer visible to customers. This maintains a clean and user-friendly shopping experience, which is beneficial for SEO.

6. Can I bulk archive products in Shopify?

Yes, Shopify allows you to bulk archive products. You can select multiple products and use the bulk actions menu to archive them all at once.

7. Should I back up my products before archiving them?

While archiving preserves product data, it's a good practice to back up your products before archiving to ensure you have a copy of all information in case of accidental deletion.

8. How do I reinstate an archived product?

To reinstate an archived product, navigate to the Archived tab in the Products section, select the product, and click the "Unarchive product" option.

9. What types of products should I consider archiving?

Consider archiving seasonal products, out-of-stock items that will be restocked later, discontinued lines, and limited-time offers to keep your active catalog organized.

10. How does Tevello help with product management?

Tevello provides an all-in-one solution for creating and managing online courses and digital products, enhancing community engagement, and simplifying inventory management within the Shopify ecosystem.

If you're ready to streamline your Shopify store and explore the benefits of archiving, start your free trial with Tevello today!