Google’s Gary Illyes is raising the alarm again about URL parameters causing trouble for websites. This issue isn’t new, but it’s something that keeps coming up, especially for big websites and online stores.
So, what’s the problem?
When websites add different parameters to a URL, it can create tons of unique web addresses that all lead to the same content. This can be really confusing for search engines like Google when they’re trying to crawl and index your site.
The URL Parameter Conundrum
In both a podcast and a LinkedIn post, Gary Illyes explained that URLs can accommodate infinite parameters, each creating a distinct URL even if they all point to the same content.
He writes:
“An interesting quirk of URLs is that you can add an infinite (I call BS) number of URL parameters to the URL path, and by that essentially forming new resources. The new URLs don’t have to map to different content on the server; even each new URL might just serve the same content as the parameterless URL, yet they’re all distinct URLs. A good example for this is the cache-busting URL parameter on JavaScript references: it doesn’t change the content, but it will force caches to refresh.”
To give you an example, a simple URL like “/path/file” can quickly turn into “/path/file?param1=a” and “/path/file?param1=a¶m2=b,” all pointing to the exact same page. This means that search engines have to work harder, crawling multiple URLs that don’t really lead anywhere new.
Why It’s a Big Deal
Sometimes, search engines end up trying to crawl pages that don’t actually exist on your site. Illyes calls these “fake URLs,” and they can pop up due to things like poorly coded links. What might start as a site with 1,000 pages can suddenly balloon into a million fake URLs.
This can lead to some pretty serious problems. Your server might get overwhelmed as search engines try to crawl all these unnecessary pages. This wastes your server’s resources and might even crash your site. Plus, it means that search engines might miss the important pages you actually want them to crawl, which could hurt your search rankings.
E-commerce Sites Are Especially Affected
While Illyes didn’t specifically call out e-commerce sites in his LinkedIn post, the podcast discussion made it clear that these sites are particularly at risk. E-commerce websites often use URL parameters to handle things like product tracking, filtering, and sorting. This can result in several different URLs leading to the same product page, each representing different choices like color or size.
How to Tackle the Problem
So, what can you do? Illyes recommends using robots.txt to manage this issue. This file helps guide search engine bots, telling them which parts of your site they should ignore.
In addition to using robots.txt, Illyes suggests setting up systems to detect duplicate URLs and providing better ways for search engines to understand your site’s URL structure.
Why This Should Matter to You
Google’s ongoing focus on URL parameter issues highlights how important it is for site owners to pay attention to these technical details. For large websites, especially e-commerce sites, managing URL parameters can help make sure that important pages are crawled and indexed, saving your crawl budget for the pages that matter most.
By being proactive about URL management and guiding search engine crawlers effectively, you can help ensure your site stays healthy and visible in search results.
