Quick answer: If a product is temporarily out of stock, keep the page live, show a clear stock message with an expected date if you know it, offer a back in stock email alert and suggest alternatives. If it is discontinued for good, 301 redirect the page to the closest replacement or category when one exists, or keep it live as an information page if it still earns traffic and links. Use a 404 or 410 only for products with no value and no sensible replacement. Avoid redirecting everything to the homepage and avoid deleting pages the moment stock runs out.
Every shop runs out of things. How you handle those product pages affects both shoppers and search rankings. A page that has built up rankings and links over months can lose them overnight if it is deleted, while a page left live with no explanation frustrates visitors who cannot buy. The right approach depends on why the product is unavailable.
First, ask why it is out of stock
There are three situations, and each needs different treatment:
- Temporarily out of stock: you expect more soon.
- Permanently discontinued: you will not sell it again.
- Seasonal: it comes back at a particular time each year.
Temporarily out of stock: keep the page live
The page will be needed again soon, and it may already rank well. Removing it would throw that away, and recreating it later means starting over.
Make the status obvious
- Show “Out of stock” clearly near the price, not hidden below the description.
- If you know when stock is due, say so: “Back in stock around 14 June”.
- Disable or replace the Add to Basket button so shoppers are not surprised at checkout.
Capture the interest
- Back in stock alerts: let visitors leave their email address to be notified. WooCommerce extensions and Shopify apps both offer this, and it turns a lost sale into a future one. Our guide to Shopify apps covers some options.
- Pre-orders: if you are confident about restock dates, take orders in advance.
- Alternatives: show similar products that are in stock, ideally just below the stock message.
Keep structured data accurate
If your product pages use schema.org Product markup, update the availability property to OutOfStock. Search results can show stock status, and accurate information avoids clicks from people who will be disappointed.
Should it stay in category pages?
Shoppers browsing a category usually want things they can buy now. Many shops move out of stock items to the end of category listings or hide them, while keeping the product page itself live and accessible by direct link and search. In WooCommerce, the “Hide out of stock items from the catalogue” setting under the inventory options does this, though it applies to all products, so check it suits you.
Permanently discontinued: redirect, keep or remove
Here you have three choices. Make the decision product by product for anything that matters, and by rule for the long tail.
Option 1: 301 redirect to a replacement
If there is a newer model or a very close equivalent, a 301 redirect sends visitors and search engines to it. The new page benefits from links and signals the old page had built up. This is usually the best choice.
Make sure the replacement is genuinely relevant. Someone looking for a specific blue kettle should land on a similar kettle, not the homepage.
Option 2: Redirect to the category
If there is no direct replacement but the category still exists, redirecting to the most specific relevant category is a reasonable second choice. Do not overuse it, though. Search engines may treat large numbers of product pages redirecting to one category as soft 404s, which means the redirect passes little value.
Option 3: Keep the page as an information page
Some discontinued products still attract searches for months or years, from people who own them, want spare parts or are comparing models. If a page has strong traffic or links:
- Keep it live with a clear “This product has been discontinued” message.
- Link prominently to the replacement or to related products.
- Keep useful information such as manuals, specifications or compatible accessories.
This approach serves those visitors and keeps the page’s search value.
Option 4: Let it return 404 or 410
For products with no traffic, no links and no relevant replacement, it is fine to remove the page. A 404 says the page is not found; a 410 says it is gone for good, which search engines may act on slightly faster. Make sure your 404 page helps visitors find something else, with search and links to main categories.
What not to do
- Redirect everything to the homepage. It confuses shoppers and is treated much like a 404 by search engines.
- Leave dead pages with no explanation. A discontinued product with an empty Add to Basket button looks like a broken site.
- Delete without checking. Look at traffic and links in Google Analytics and Search Console before removing any page.
Seasonal products: keep a permanent URL
For products or ranges that return each year, such as Christmas gifts, garden furniture or school uniform, keep the same URLs year after year. Out of season, show a message such as “Back in September” with a sign-up option. Each season, the page starts with the history and links it has built up, rather than from scratch.
Avoid adding the year to URLs for seasonal pages. /christmas-gifts/ can be reused indefinitely; /christmas-gifts-2015/ cannot.
Product variations
When a single size or colour is out of stock, keep the product page live and mark that variation as unavailable. Grey it out in the selector rather than removing it, so shoppers know it exists and can sign up for an alert. Our article on ecommerce SEO covers wider issues with variations and duplicate content.
Making this manageable at scale
Large catalogues need rules rather than individual decisions:
- Set default behaviour for out of stock items in your platform settings.
- Tag products as discontinued or seasonal so templates can show the right message.
- Keep a redirect list for discontinued items, reviewed regularly.
- Monitor Search Console for rising 404 errors and soft 404 warnings.
- Review traffic to discontinued product pages every few months, and remove or redirect those that no longer earn visits.
For WooCommerce stores, our WooCommerce SEO guide covers related settings.
FAQ
Will an out of stock page hurt my rankings?
Not in itself. Keeping the page live with accurate information usually protects its rankings.
Should I noindex out of stock products?
Generally no for temporary gaps, because the page will need its rankings back. Noindex may suit discontinued items you keep only for existing customers.
Is it better to use 404 or 410 for discontinued products?
Both remove the page over time. A 410 signals intent more clearly, but a redirect to a relevant page is better when one exists.
Keep every product page working for you
Stock gaps are a normal part of retail. Handled well, they keep shoppers on your site and protect search visibility. We help stores plan product page rules that work at scale. See how we help businesses turn visitors into customers.
