How to [FIX] Page URL is Longer Than 200 Characters: Step-by-Step Guide

Having a URL longer than 200 characters can be detrimental to both user experience and search engine optimization (SEO). Long URLs are hard to read, may get truncated in search results, and can confuse search engine crawlers, which negatively impacts your rankings. If your page URLs are too long, you might also want to check if there are too many parameters affecting your site’s structure, as this can further complicate your site’s performance and SEO. In this post, we will guide you through how to fix page URLs that are too long, streamline your site’s structure, and improve your overall SEO.

Why Are Long URLs a Problem?

• SEO Impact: Long URLs are not as SEO-friendly. Search engines prefer short, clean URLs that clearly define the page’s content.
• Truncation: URLs longer than 200 characters may get truncated in search results, making them less attractive to users.
• User Experience: Complicated URLs filled with unnecessary characters or parameters look spammy and can reduce trust among visitors.
• Crawlability: Search engines may struggle to crawl excessively long URLs, making it harder for your site to be fully indexed.

How to Identify If Your URL is Too Long

The first step is to audit your site’s URLs to detect which ones exceed the 200-character limit. You can use SEO audit tools like Google Search Console, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to identify these problematic URLs. These tools will highlight pages where URL length may be causing issues for your site’s ranking and user experience.

Steps to Fix Page URLs Longer Than 200 Characters

1. Simplify Your URL Structure

A clean URL structure is essential for both SEO and users. Here’s how to simplify long URLs:

• Remove unnecessary words: Articles like “a,” “the,” “of,” and other filler words can be removed to shorten the URL without losing meaning.
• Use meaningful keywords: Ensure that your URLs contain keywords relevant to the page content. However, avoid keyword stuffing.
• Replace spaces with hyphens: Use hyphens (-) to separate words in URLs instead of underscores or other special characters.

Example:

• Bad URL: www.example.com/category/subcategory/page-title-this-is-a-very-long-title-with-unnecessary-words
• Good URL: www.example.com/category/subcategory/page-title

2. Reduce Parameters in URLs

Long URLs often contain unnecessary parameters, especially in dynamic URLs for e-commerce websites. Parameters such as tracking codes or session IDs can quickly bloat a URL.

• Consolidate parameters, if possible, or move them into cookies or session storage to keep URLs clean.
• For dynamic content, consider using static, SEO-friendly URLs instead of URL parameters.

Example:

• Bad URL: www.example.com/products?id=12345&category=clothing&color=red&size=large&sort=asc
• Good URL: www.example.com/products/red-large

3. Use Canonical URLs

If you have multiple URLs that point to the same content, use a canonical tag to indicate the primary URL you want search engines to index. This prevents duplicate content issues and helps avoid confusion between long and short URL versions.

4. Utilize 301 Redirects

If you’re updating URLs to shorter versions, make sure to set up 301 redirects from the old URLs to the new ones. This ensures that visitors and search engines are directed to the updated URL without losing any existing SEO value from the old link.

5. Keep URLs Short and Descriptive

Aim to keep your URLs between 50 and 100 characters. Anything longer than 200 characters should be reviewed. Descriptive, keyword-rich URLs perform better in search results and make it easier for users to remember them.

Tip: Prioritize essential keywords and avoid stuffing irrelevant words into the URL.

6. Use URL Rewriting Tools

Most content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, Shopify, or custom platforms allow for URL rewriting. These tools can help you convert long, parameter-heavy URLs into clean, static ones. You can also use plugins or modules to automate the process of shortening URLs without breaking functionality.

What to Do with Old URLs That Are Too Long?

If your old URLs have been indexed and are ranking well, you don’t necessarily need to update them immediately. However, moving forward, it’s important to establish a practice of using shorter, SEO-optimized URLs. For older URLs that are underperforming, shortening them and implementing 301 redirects can help improve their visibility.

Final Thoughts

URLs longer than 200 characters not only hurt your SEO but also impact user trust and click-through rates. By simplifying your URL structure, reducing parameters, and making them descriptive and user-friendly, you’ll boost your site’s performance in search engine rankings. Always remember to use proper redirects and canonical tags when making any changes to your URLs to preserve your SEO equity.

If you need help optimizing your URLs, feel free to contact our SEO experts for a detailed audit of your site.