The Moz Q&A Forum

    • Forum
    • Questions
    • Users
    • Ask the Community

    Welcome to the Q&A Forum

    Browse the forum for helpful insights and fresh discussions about all things SEO.

    1. SEO and Digital Marketing Forum
    2. Categories
    3. SEO Tactics
    4. On-Page Optimization
    5. URL length... is >115 now >255?

    Moz Q&A is closed.

    After more than 13 years, and tens of thousands of questions, Moz Q&A closed on 12th December 2024. Whilst we’re not completely removing the content - many posts will still be possible to view - we have locked both new posts and new replies. More details here.

    URL length... is >115 now >255?

    On-Page Optimization
    5 3 2.7k
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as question
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • Switch_Digital
      Switch_Digital last edited by

      I've been having detailed discussions with a CMS provider on behalf of a client.

      Long URLs are the least of their problems however, the developer is arguing that Google has amended their algorithm and will now read URLs that are up to 255 characters long. I have stated that as far as I am aware, Google will still not read URLs over 115 characters... Before I stamp my feet, can someone confirm what is actually happening?

      SEOmoz still classes URLs >115 characters long as an amber issue.

      Thanks

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • jim_cetin
        jim_cetin @Switch_Digital last edited by

        Although the specification of the HTTP protocol does not specify any maximum length, practical limits are imposed by web browser and server software.

        Extremely long URLs are usually a mistake. URLs over 2,000 characters will not work in the most popular web browser. Don't use them if you intend your site to work for the majority of Internet users.

        If you must have long URI's ask your CMS provider if there's a way they can set clean url's instead of the long versions.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • OptimizeSmart
          OptimizeSmart last edited by

          Google can index URLs up to 2047 characters in length. You will receive a 414 error if you exceed 2047 character limit.

          http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/webmasters/crawling-indexing--ranking/h0aeO2_kpac

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
          • Switch_Digital
            Switch_Digital @jim_cetin last edited by

            Ha, no it isn't Drupal.

            It is a proprietary CMS that is a bolt on to a stock management system... oh joy.

            jim_cetin 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • jim_cetin
              jim_cetin last edited by

              hi

              You are correct with 115,less is better though.

              The CMS provider surely can't be Drupal.

              Might be worth exploring if you have to discuss the web basics with them!

              Regards,

              Jim Cetin

              Switch_Digital 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • 1 / 1
              • First post
                Last post

              Got a burning SEO question?

              Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.


              Start my free trial


              Explore more categories

              • Moz Tools

                Chat with the community about the Moz tools.

                Getting Started
                Moz Pro
                Moz Local
                Moz Bar
                API
                What's New

              • SEO Tactics

                Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers

                Content Development
                Competitive Research
                Keyword Research
                Link Building
                On-Page Optimization
                Technical SEO
                Reporting & Analytics
                Intermediate & Advanced SEO
                Image & Video Optimization
                International SEO
                Local SEO

              • Community

                Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!

                Moz Blog
                Moz News
                Industry News
                Jobs and Opportunities
                SEO Learn Center
                Whiteboard Friday

              • Digital Marketing

                Chat about tactics outside of SEO

                Affiliate Marketing
                Branding
                Conversion Rate Optimization
                Web Design
                Paid Search Marketing
                Social Media

              • Research & Trends

                Dive into research and trends in the search industry.

                SERP Trends
                Search Behavior
                Algorithm Updates
                White Hat / Black Hat SEO
                Other SEO Tools

              • Support

                Connect on product support and feature requests.

                Product Support
                Feature Requests
                Participate in User Research

              • See all categories

              • How long is too long for domain URL length?
                JesseCWalker
                JesseCWalker
                2
                12
                18.3k

              Get started with Moz Pro!

              Unlock the power of advanced SEO tools and data-driven insights.

              Start my free trial
              Products
              • Moz Pro
              • Moz Local
              • Moz API
              • Moz Data
              • STAT
              • Product Updates
              Moz Solutions
              • SMB Solutions
              • Agency Solutions
              • Enterprise Solutions
              • Digital Marketers
              Free SEO Tools
              • Domain Authority Checker
              • Link Explorer
              • Keyword Explorer
              • Competitive Research
              • Brand Authority Checker
              • Local Citation Checker
              • MozBar Extension
              • MozCast
              Resources
              • Blog
              • SEO Learning Center
              • Help Hub
              • Beginner's Guide to SEO
              • How-to Guides
              • Moz Academy
              • API Docs
              About Moz
              • About
              • Team
              • Careers
              • Contact
              Why Moz
              • Case Studies
              • Testimonials
              Get Involved
              • Become an Affiliate
              • MozCon
              • Webinars
              • Practical Marketer Series
              • MozPod
              Connect with us

              Contact the Help team

              Join our newsletter
              Moz logo
              © 2021 - 2026 SEOMoz, Inc., a Ziff Davis company. All rights reserved. Moz is a registered trademark of SEOMoz, Inc.
              • Accessibility
              • Terms of Use
              • Privacy

              Looks like your connection to Moz was lost, please wait while we try to reconnect.