URLs with tracking or session parameters (like ?utm_source= or ?sessionid=) can generate countless technically unique URLs for what’s really the same underlying page, which search engines may crawl and index separately unless explicit rules tell them how those parameters should be treated.
Query string & parameter handling rules
Parameter-based URL variations given consistent rules instead of crawling as separate pages.
- Full backup taken before we start
- If we can’t fix it, you get your money back
- We never ask for your own password
What we need from you
- Confirmation of every parameter type currently in use on your site (tracking, filtering, session-based, pagination)
- Access to Search Console for parameter handling configuration where applicable
- Access to implement canonical or crawl rules at the appropriate level
This or something else?
| Your site generates many parameter-based URL variations that need consistent handling rules | This fix covers it |
| The specific parameter issue is faceted navigation filters, a related but more specific scenario | Faceted navigation crawl control |
| You want a broader canonical strategy, not specifically parameter handling | Duplicate content & canonical strategy implementation |
| Pagination parameters specifically, not other parameter types | Pagination rel & indexation rules |
What we do
- Identify every type of parameter your site generates and its actual purpose
- Determine appropriate handling for each — canonicalizing to the parameter-free version, or allowing independent indexing where genuinely warranted
- Implement canonical tags or crawl rules reflecting that determination
- Configure Search Console parameter handling where applicable
- Test the resulting behaviour across a representative sample of parameter combinations
- Document the approach for future reference
What is included
- Consistent parameter handling rules implemented across identified parameter types
- Search Console configuration where applicable
- Testing across representative parameter combinations
- A written note on the approach taken
Not included
- Faceted navigation-specific crawl control, a separate, related fix
- Pagination-specific rules, a separate, related fix
- Removing or redesigning how parameters are generated in the first place, a separate, front-end concern
- Ongoing adjustment as new parameter types are introduced
Questions about this fix
Do all parameters need the same treatment?
No — a tracking parameter added purely for analytics purposes generally should canonicalize to the clean URL, while a parameter that genuinely changes the content shown (like a real product filter) might deserve different handling, which we determine case by case.
Will this affect my analytics tracking that relies on these parameters?
No, this addresses how search engines crawl and index the resulting URLs, not whether your analytics tools can still read and use the parameters themselves for tracking purposes.
How would I know if this is actually a problem on my site?
Search Console's coverage report or a crawl budget diagnosis can reveal whether parameter-based URLs are being crawled and indexed in a way that's genuinely wasteful, which is worth checking if you're unsure.
Is this the same as the faceted navigation fix?
Related — faceted navigation is often the source of many parameter-based URLs specifically from filtering; this fix addresses parameter handling more broadly, including tracking and other non-filter parameter types.
Can I tell you to just block all parameters from being crawled?
We can configure that if it's genuinely the right approach for your site, though it's worth confirming first that no parameter combination has genuine, distinct value worth preserving before blocking everything indiscriminately.
Related fixes
If this is the second time this year
A bad update breaking the site is a symptom of updates not being tested first. Care plans run every update on a staging clone before it reaches your live site, which is the actual fix for this happening again.
Your access, your rules
Create a separate admin account for us and delete it when we are done. For anything else, we get in touch and agree a method — never a form field on this site, never by reply to an email.
We back up first, always
Before anything is touched we take a full backup and keep it for 30 days. If a fix goes wrong, we put the site back exactly as it was.
If it is not what you bought
If the problem turns out smaller than what you ordered, we refund the difference. If it is bigger, we stop and send a quote before doing any extra work.
If we cannot fix it
You get back what we received. Diagnosis is on us — you only pay when the problem is actually solved. The payment processor takes its fee before the money reaches us, so we never hold it and it is not ours to return. That is true here as everywhere else.
If it comes back
Reply within seven days of delivery and we put it back on the bench at no cost. The fix is not finished until it holds.
What we are responsible for
If something goes wrong with a fix, our responsibility is limited to what you paid for it. We take a full backup first so mistakes can be undone, and we tell you before doing anything outside what you bought.