Footer with few or no links
Shoppers look in the footer for policies, contact details and help; a sparse footer leaves them stuck.
Checked on: homepage · Zolvio’s check: “Missing footer navigation”
Why it costs you sales
When shoppers can’t find returns, shipping, contact or FAQ in the main menu, they scroll to the footer. A footer with little more than a copyright line gives them nowhere to go.
Footer links to your policies and contact page also reassure first-time buyers that the store is properly run.
How Zolvio detects it
Zolvio reads every footer region in your homepage’s code (footer elements, and the sections themes end the page with, such as Shopify’s footer section or footer group, or a custom theme’s footer block) and counts the different links in them, leaving out links that go nowhere (# or javascript:). Fewer than 5 links, or no footer at all, flags the homepage, and the finding lists the links it found (up to ten).
This finding is reported after AI review: on paid plans with AI turned on, the AI agent checks it against the audit’s evidence before it reaches your issue list. Audits without AI report only the 22 measured checks.
AI screenshot review also looks for this problem (“Footer missing expected links”) in desktop and mobile screenshots. When both find it, you get one issue.
How to fix it
- Create a footer menu in Content → Menus with your shop links, help pages (shipping, returns, FAQ, contact) and About page.
- In the theme editor, add a menu block to the Footer section and choose that menu.
- Link your policy pages (refund, shipping, privacy, terms); many themes can show policy links in the footer automatically.
- Check the footer on mobile, where the columns stack.
In Zolvio: on paid plans with AI turned on, the guided fix writes these steps for your own store and theme: where to click in Shopify admin or the theme editor, or which file to open, the line to find and the code to add. Each file opens in Shopify’s code editor. Zolvio never edits your theme: you make the change, then Verify fix checks your published theme for code changes (or you mark it fixed), and later audits confirm the problem is gone.
Common questions
Why does “Footer with few or no links” cost a Shopify store sales?
When shoppers can’t find returns, shipping, contact or FAQ in the main menu, they scroll to the footer. A footer with little more than a copyright line gives them nowhere to go. Footer links to your policies and contact page also reassure first-time buyers that the store is properly run.
How does Zolvio detect “Footer with few or no links”?
Zolvio reads every footer region in your homepage’s code (footer elements, and the sections themes end the page with, such as Shopify’s footer section or footer group, or a custom theme’s footer block) and counts the different links in them, leaving out links that go nowhere (# or javascript:). Fewer than 5 links, or no footer at all, flags the homepage, and the finding lists the links it found (up to ten).
How do I fix “Footer with few or no links” on Shopify?
Create a footer menu in Content → Menus with your shop links, help pages (shipping, returns, FAQ, contact) and About page. In the theme editor, add a menu block to the Footer section and choose that menu. Link your policy pages (refund, shipping, privacy, terms); many themes can show policy links in the footer automatically. Check the footer on mobile, where the columns stack.
Related
- HighTrustNo way to contact the store
- HighTrustProduct page says nothing about delivery or returns
- HighNavigationNo search on the store
- HighNavigationYour domain without www (or with it) shows an error page
Documentation
- How audits work — What an audit scans and how findings become issues.
- Guided fixes — Step-by-step fixes written for your theme, with links into the code editor.
- Session recordings — Watch how real shoppers move through your store.