Shopify tools
Free SEO tools for Shopify stores
The free tools that cover most of what a Shopify store needs for SEO: Google's own reports, free versions of paid tools, and what's already built into Shopify. Our own Shopify store audit app runs 40 checks from inside Shopify, with a free plan.
Last checked: October 2026 · No affiliate links or paid placements
How we chose
Tools we actually use
We use Google Search Console, GA4, Merchant Center, Bing Webmaster Tools, Screaming Frog, Ahrefs and Semrush on our own stores and client work, and we've just added Microsoft Clarity. For the rest, we read each tool's own help pages for what's free and what isn't, as of October 2026. Nobody paid to be included and none of the links earn us anything. The tools at the end are ours.
In short
Set up Google Search Console, GA4 and Merchant Center first: they're free and connect to Shopify in minutes. Add Bing Webmaster Tools (it imports your Search Console sites in one step) and Microsoft Clarity to see how people use your store. For technical checks, Ahrefs Free and Screaming Frog's free crawler cover most small stores.
At a glance
The free tools compared
| Tool | Best for | Free limit |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search ConsoleWe use | Searches, indexing and errors | Free, no limit stated |
| Google Analytics 4We use | Visitors, sources and sales | Detailed data kept up to 14 months |
| Google Merchant CenterWe use | Free product listings on Google | Free listings; ads cost extra |
| PageSpeed Insights | Page speed and Core Web Vitals | Free, no sign-in |
| Rich Results Test | Checking schema for rich results | Free, no sign-in |
| Keyword Planner | Keyword ideas and volumes | Needs a Google Ads account; ranges without ad spend |
| Free versions of paid tools | ||
| Bing Webmaster ToolsWe use | Bing and Copilot visibility | Free; imports from Search Console |
| Microsoft Clarity | Recordings and heatmaps | 100,000 sessions a day; 30-day recordings |
| Ahrefs FreeWe use Ahrefs | Site audit and backlinks | 5,000 crawl credits a month; top 1,000 links |
| Screaming FrogWe use | Crawling your whole store | 500 URLs per crawl |
| Semrush free accountWe use Semrush | Spot-check keyword research | 10 reports a day, 1 project |
| Detailed SEO Extension | One-page checks in Chrome | Free |
| Built into Shopify | ||
| Shopify SEO settings | Titles, sitemap, redirects | Included; 100,000 redirects |
| Search & Discovery | On-site search and filters | Free app by Shopify |
Free limits as stated on each tool's own site, checked on 21 October 2026.
Start here
Google's free tools
Free, built by Google, and the most direct view of how Google sees your store.
Free · we use it
Google Search Console
Which searches find your store, which pages Google has indexed and what needs fixing, plus a report on AI Overviews and AI Mode.
Shopify setup: verify with the HTML tag in your theme (turn off private mode first), or a Domain property through DNS.
Watch out for: the tag lives in your theme, so check verification after changing themes.
Free · we use it
Google Analytics 4
Where visitors come from, what they do and whether they buy, including visits from AI assistants such as ChatGPT.
Shopify setup: through Google's Google & YouTube app.
Watch out for: the free version keeps detailed data for up to 14 months, and nothing is tracked while your store is in private mode.
Free · we use it
Google Merchant Center
Shows your products in free listings across Google Search, Shopping, Images and YouTube, and flags problems with your product data.
Shopify setup: the Google & YouTube app syncs your products.
Watch out for: shipping and returns set here take priority over markup on your site.
Free
PageSpeed Insights
Measures how fast a page loads on mobile and desktop, with suggestions for fixing it.
Watch out for: real-visitor data needs enough Chrome traffic. Small stores often only get the lab test, which is a simulation.
Free
Rich Results Test
Shows which Google rich results a page's schema qualifies for. Use the Schema Markup Validator to check other schema.org markup.
Watch out for: it checks eligibility, not whether Google will show the result. More on Shopify schema.
Free
Keyword Planner and Trends
Keyword Planner suggests keywords and search volumes. Google Trends compares interest over time and by region.
Watch out for: Keyword Planner needs a Google Ads account with billing set up, and without ad spend it shows broad ranges such as 1K to 10K. Trends shows relative interest, not volumes.
Free versions
Free versions of paid tools
Enough for most small stores. Know the limits before you rely on them.
Free · we use it
Bing Webmaster Tools
Bing's version of Search Console, with backlinks, keyword research, a site scan and an AI Performance report for Copilot.
Shopify setup: import your sites from Google Search Console in one step; they're verified automatically.
Watch out for: Bing's audience is smaller, but it also feeds Copilot.
Free · on our stores
Microsoft Clarity
Session recordings and heatmaps, so you can see where shoppers get stuck. There's a free Shopify app.
Limits: up to 100,000 sessions a day per project, with recordings kept for 30 days.
Watch out for: in the UK it should wait for cookie consent, so check your banner settings.
Free · we use Ahrefs
Ahrefs Free
Ahrefs' free plan, formerly Ahrefs Webmaster Tools: a site audit covering 170+ issues, plus backlinks and keywords for sites you verify.
Limits: 5,000 crawl credits per project a month, and the top 1,000 backlinks and keywords.
Watch out for: only for sites you own. Connecting Search Console verifies them.
Free version · we use it
Screaming Frog SEO Spider
A desktop crawler that finds broken links, redirects, duplicate titles and missing tags.
Free limit: 500 URLs per crawl. Saving crawls and JavaScript rendering need a licence (£199 a year).
Watch out for: Shopify now limits crawlers. Create a crawler signature under Online Store › Preferences, or you may hit rate-limit errors.
Free account · we use Semrush
Semrush free account
Keyword, competitor and backlink research, with no card needed.
Limits: 10 reports a day and 1 project.
Watch out for: fine for spot checks. Paid plans start at £113 a month.
Free
Detailed SEO Extension
A Chrome extension that shows a page's title, description, headings, schema and links in one click.
Watch out for: it checks one page at a time. Use a crawler for the whole store.
Already in Shopify
What Shopify gives you free
Every Shopify store includes the SEO basics. It doesn't check your SEO for you, which is where the tools above come in.
- Editable page titles and meta descriptions for products, collections and pages
- An automatic sitemap at /sitemap.xml
- Automatic canonical tags, and hreflang when you sell in several markets
- URL redirects, up to 100,000
- An editable robots.txt, which Shopify warns can cost you traffic if done wrong
Free · by Shopify
Search & Discovery
Shopify's own app for search filters, product boosts and recommendations.
Rating: 2.6 (511 reviews).
Watch out for: reviews from October 2026 say its synonyms feature has gone, and Shopify's help pages no longer mention it.
Built by us
Our free tools
Made from our own client work. They run in your browser with no sign-up, and nothing you type is sent to us.
Image Optimiser
Compress, resize and convert images to WebP before uploading.
12-Point Health Check
Twelve yes/no checks across your store in about 15 minutes.
Meta Title Checker
See whether your titles and descriptions get cut off in Google.
Product Description Checker
Check length, readability, missing details and vague claims.
Schema Generator
Build JSON-LD for products, your organisation and articles.
AI Visibility Checker
Check whether ChatGPT and Google AI Mode recommend you.
Google Review Link Generator
Your review link, a QR code and printable cards.
Google Business Profile Checklist
Twenty checks for your profile, sent as a PDF.
Revenue Calculator
See what more traffic and conversions are worth each year.
FAQ
Free SEO tool questions
What are the best free SEO tools for Shopify?
Start with Google Search Console, GA4 and Merchant Center, all free and quick to connect to Shopify. Add Bing Webmaster Tools, and a free crawler such as Screaming Frog or Ahrefs Free for technical checks.
Does Shopify have built-in SEO tools?
Yes, the basics: editable titles and meta descriptions, an automatic sitemap, canonical tags and URL redirects. It doesn't audit your SEO for you, which is where the free tools come in.
Do I need a paid SEO tool?
Not to start with. The free tools cover tracking, technical checks and basic research. Paid tools earn their place for competitor and keyword research at scale.
Why does my crawler get blocked on Shopify?
Shopify limits automated crawling. Create a crawler signature in your Shopify admin under Online Store › Preferences › Crawler access, and add it to your crawler's settings. Signatures last up to 3 months.
Are your tools really free?
Yes. They run in your browser with no sign-up, and nothing you type is sent to us. The Google Business Profile Checklist is a PDF, so that one asks for an email address.
Want a full check?
Audit your store step by step
Our DIY Self-Audit Kit walks you through a full Shopify audit with the free tools on this page, in plain English. £49.