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Platform audit checklist

BigCommerce SEO audit checklist for agencies

What to check when you audit, launch or take over a BigCommerce site, and the platform-specific problems that come up most.

Scope an audit See a sample audit
audit areas
4
individual checks
12
common problems, with fixes
3
launch-day checks
4

Short answer

BigCommerce gives store owners control over URL formats, robots.txt and redirects, so an audit checks how those were configured. Review the product and category URL structure, how faceted filtering URLs are crawled, how product options and variants are handled, whether redirects were created when URLs changed, and whether theme and app scripts are slowing key pages. Store-generated pages such as cart and account areas should stay out of search.

Platform details reviewed October 30, 2026. BigCommerce changes its settings and menus regularly, so confirm specifics in its current documentation before acting.

What's different about SEO on BigCommerce

  • URL formats for products, categories and brands are chosen in the store's SEO settings, and changing them later needs redirects.
  • Product filtering creates parameter URLs that need deliberate crawl and index handling.
  • Redirects are managed inside the platform, which can create them when a product URL changes if that option is used.
  • Themes and apps inject scripts that can slow storefront pages, especially on mobile.

The BigCommerce audit checklist

URLs and redirects

  • The chosen URL structure for products and categories is consistent and readable.
  • Every changed product, category or page URL has a 301 redirect in the redirect manager.
  • Old platform URLs from a migration are mapped to their new equivalents.

Faceted filtering and options

  • Filtered category URLs are deliberately kept out of the index or canonicalised.
  • Product options don't create separate indexable URLs for each variant unless intended.
  • Brand pages are useful, or not indexed when they only duplicate category grids.

Crawl controls

  • Custom robots.txt rules are intentional and don't block products or categories.
  • Cart, checkout, account and search result pages stay out of the index.
  • The XML sitemap generated by the platform is submitted for the primary domain.

Content and speed

  • Category pages have introductory content that helps buyers choose.
  • Theme scripts and installed apps are reviewed for weight and necessity.
  • Product images are compressed and served at appropriate sizes.

Common BigCommerce problems and fixes

URL structure changed without redirects

Why it matters
Switching URL formats after launch breaks every old link to products and categories.
Fix
Export old URLs before any change, map them to new ones, and bulk-import 301 redirects.

Filter parameters indexed

Why it matters
Faceted filtering combinations multiply category pages that search engines treat as near-duplicates.
Fix
Keep filtered views out of the index and make sure internal links point at clean category URLs.

Heavy app scripts on every page

Why it matters
Review, upsell and chat apps often load site-wide, slowing pages where they aren't used.
Fix
Remove unused apps and limit the rest to the templates that need them where the app allows.
Diagram of an SEO audit: crawl and data, human review and a prioritised plan, with implementation shown separately as its own scope.
An audit is diagnosis. Implementation is a separate decision.

Launch-day checks for BigCommerce

  1. URL structure finalised before launch, not after.
  2. 301 redirects imported for the previous platform's URLs.
  3. Robots.txt reviewed and sitemap submitted for the primary domain.
  4. Rich results test run on a simple product, a product with options and a category.

Frequently asked questions

Should BigCommerce URLs include the category path?
Shorter, stable product URLs are usually easier to manage, because a product in several categories keeps one address. Whatever you choose, decide before launch.
Can BigCommerce's robots.txt be changed?
Yes, it can be edited in the store settings. Change it only for a clear reason and test that products and categories remain crawlable.

Need a BigCommerce site audited?

Send the site, the sections to include and any recent changes. You'll get a written scope and quote before any work starts.

  • You keep the client relationship
  • Unbranded deliverables
  • Written scope before work starts
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