Technical SEO2 min

Trailing Slash Drama: Does /page/ vs /page Actually Matter?

The trailing slash debate has raged for years. Here is the definitive answer (it is simpler than you think).

/page and /page/ Are Different URLs

Technically, `example.com/about` and `example.com/about/` are two different URLs. They can serve different content.

In practice, most servers treat them the same. But "most" is not "all."

What to Do

Pick one. Redirect the other. Either trailing slash or no trailing slash. It does not matter which you choose. What matters is consistency.

If both versions return 200, you have duplicate content. Every page on your site has two URLs.

Set up a server-level redirect so one version always redirects to the other. Then make sure all your internal links, canonical tags, and sitemap entries use the chosen version. This is also covered in our URL structure best practices post. Google's SEO documentation treats trailing and non-trailing slash URLs as separate pages.

That Is It

This is not complicated. But it is frequently overlooked. And it is on our 113-task checklist for exactly that reason. Free. 30 seconds.

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