URL length... is >115 now >255?
-
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
-
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.
-
Google can index URLs up to 2047 characters in length. You will receive a 414 error if you exceed 2047 character limit.
-
Ha, no it isn't Drupal.
It is a proprietary CMS that is a bolt on to a stock management system... oh joy.
-
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
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Making Shopify URL's Simpler - Losing the words 'collection', 'product' and 'page' in a Shopify store URL. Any advice?
Hi Mozers! I have a Shopify store (of which there are many advantages) however one big SEO disadvantage, is that my URL structures contravene all Moz advice on dynamic URL structure and whats more I am reminded about this every week when I have a Moz site crawl and I have a batch of URL's that are longe than the 75 characters. A Shopify URL will run www.domain name.com/collections/collection-name/product/product-name. According to advice a it should be www.domain name.com/collection-name/product-name - Don't even get started on sub-collections! I sell portfolio books, album etc and keepsake memory boxes (so long keywords) AND, I have a long(ish) business name. So, For user experience and keyword length, do I just ignore trying to achieve a dynamic URL under 75 characters? When I have asked Shopify, the say their URL's are an integral part of the "Ruby on Rails" system, so nothing can be done Or can it ??? I can't be the only Moz member with this issue can I ??
On-Page Optimization | | nick_HandCo0 -
Need advice on the better URL structure to go with
I am rebuilding our existing website on a new platform and need advice on which URL structure would be the most ideal. The following examples are of a product that we have with a very long page title. Not all of our products have titles this long, but enough of them do to cause some concern. I was also wondering if I should end the url with file type .html or if leaving it out is better. Thanks in advance! OPTION 1. this example just uses the root domain and the entire product title separated by dashes http://ewheels.nextmp.net/staggered-full-set-br-2-20x9-ace-alloy-aff01-metallic-silver-machined-face-flow-formed-br-2-20x10-5-ace-alloy-aff01-metallic-silver-machined-face-flow-formed OPTION 2. this example uses the crawl path as well as the entire product title http://ewheels.nextmp.net/wheels/ace-alloy-wheels/ace-alloy-aff01-metallic-silver-machined-face-flow-formed/staggered-full-set-br-2-20x9-ace-alloy-aff01-metallic-silver-machined-face-flow-formed-br-2-20x10-5-ace-alloy-aff01-metallic-silver-machined-face-flow-formed OPTION 3. this example uses the crawl path and just the part number at the end since the folders already contain all the keywords necessary http://ewheels.nextmp.net/wheels/ace-alloy-wheels/ace-alloy-aff01-metallic-silver-machined-face-flow-formed/ace-2090aff01silace-20105aff01sil
On-Page Optimization | | elementmotor0 -
Potential new URL structure for my ecommerce site
At the moment my site suffers from a flat product category structure where over 600 items fall into one category alone. This category is then filtered using a faceted search which appends query strings to the category URL and changes the products displayed on the page. At the moment our product category URL is as follows, www.domain.com/category/greeting-cards and this holds all cards including occasions such as anniversary, birthdays etc and also themes such as animal cards, contemporary cards etc I have proposed changes to my developer to change this structure to include subcategories. I can now go two subcategories deep. For example, "greeting cards > occasions > birthday cards" or "greeting cards > themes > animals". This is reflected in the new URL structure, which has been proposed, www.domain.com/greeting-cards/occasions/birthday-cards. In this URL do I need "occasions" in the URL as I don't think it adds much value to the user? Would I be better of having www.domain.com/greeting-cards/birthday-cards. If a user searches for "birthday cards" then I think this would be more relevant?
On-Page Optimization | | joe-ainswoth0 -
How can i block the below URLs
Google indexed plugins pages for my website. Please check below. How can stop them to be indexed on google.? http://www.ayurjeewan.com/wp-content/plugins/LayerSlider/static/skins/glass/ http://www.ayurjeewan.com/wp-content/plugins/LayerSlider/static/skins/borderlesslight3d/ http://www.ayurjeewan.com/wp-content/plugins/LayerSlider/static/skins/defaultskin/ My robots.txt file is - User-agent: * Disallow: /wp-admin/
On-Page Optimization | | MasonBaker0 -
URL SEO: Better directory structure vs. exact keyword phrase
I am trying to understand how to best optimise a url for a page to rank high for specific keywords. Example: a top keyword search is "rental properties in new york". Question is does this keyword need to appear as this exact phrase in the url or should it be broken up into different directories for a better structure e.g.: www.abc.com/en/properties/new-york/rental OR www.abc.com/en/rental-properties-in-new-york Which will help the page rank higher (given all other things on the page are exactly the same)? Thanks!
On-Page Optimization | | MH190 -
How to exclude URL filter searches in robots.txt
When I look through my MOZ reports I can see it's included 'pages' which it shouldn't have included i.e. adding filtering rules such as this one http://www.mydomain.com/brands?color=364&manufacturer=505 How can I exclude all of these filters in the robots.txt? I think it'll be: Disallow: /*?color=$ Is that the correct syntax with the $ sign in it? Thanks!
On-Page Optimization | | neenor0 -
Title Tag Length
Is there a search engine that reads a title tag longer than 70 characters? What is the harm in writing a title tag longer than 70 characters?
On-Page Optimization | | rarbel0 -
What is the recommended length for meta description?
Hello, I am sure this newbie question has been sent millions of times, but I couldn't find it with the new Q&A forum search... So, how many characters should I use in my description meta tag ? Thanks for sharing Loïc
On-Page Optimization | | mandinga0