Should you still optimize rel=next/prev tags for pagination?

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Official statement

Google no longer uses rel=next/prev tags for pagination. There is no specific signal to send. All paginated pages can be indexed normally. The XML sitemap should contain important pages, not necessarily all paginated pages.

67:27

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Extracted from a Google Search Central video

⏱ 1h14 💬 EN 📅 04/06/2020 ✂ 44 statements

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Official statement from June 4, 2020 (5 years ago)

⚠ A more recent statement exists on this topic Should you still use rel=next and rel=prev for pagination? Martin Splitt · January 13, 2022 View statement →

TL;DR

Google has officially abandoned the use of rel=next/prev tags to understand pagination. Essentially, each paginated page is now indexed and assessed independently, without a specific signal to relay. For SEO practitioners, this means completely rethinking the indexing strategy for pagination pages and deciding between blocking, canonicalizing, or full indexing.

What you need to understand

What exactly does the abandonment of rel=next/prev tags mean?

For years, Google recommended using rel="next" and rel="prev" tags in the <head> to indicate the sequential structure of a paginated series. The aim was to signal to the engine that a page was part of a larger set, with a previous and/or next page.

Google's statement confirms that these tags have had no technical effect for several years now. The engine no longer uses them to consolidate signals, group content, or influence indexing. Each paginated page is treated as an independent URL, with its own crawl, budget, and qualitative evaluation.

How does Google now treat paginated pages?

Without a dedicated signal, Google crawls and indexes each paginated page according to its own content detection algorithms. If a page /products/?page=5 contains unique content (different products, titles, descriptions), it can potentially be indexed. If it features redundant content or low added value, it may be filtered or deprioritized.

The engine relies on contextual signals: crawl depth, the popularity of internal links, perceived content quality, user behavior. There is no longer automatic grouping of paginated pages under a single logical entity. Each URL fights for its own positioning in the index.

Why did Google abandon these tags?

The official reason is not detailed, but we can make a few solid hypotheses. On one hand, the technical complexity: many sites implemented these tags poorly, creating infinite loops, inconsistent chains, or contradictions with canonical tags. On the other hand, the evolution of the web: infinite scrolling, Ajax filters, and JavaScript architectures have made the notion of sequential pagination less universal.

Google likely concluded that maintaining a signal whose use was marginal and often erroneous was no longer worth the technical cost. The engine now prefers to treat each page based on its intrinsic merits, without relying on potentially misleading declarative annotations.

The rel=next/prev tags no longer have any effect on crawling, indexing, or grouping of paginated pages.
Each paginated page is treated as an independent entity by Google.
There is no specific signal to send to indicate a pagination structure.
XML sitemaps should contain important pages, not necessarily all paginated pages.
The indexing of paginated pages now depends on their intrinsic quality and their depth within the architecture.

SEO Expert opinion

Is this statement consistent with field observations?

Yes, and it is even a relief to see Google officialize what many of us suspected. As early as 2018-2019, tests on heavily paginated sites showed that removing rel=next/prev tags had no measurable impact on organic traffic or the distribution of indexed pages. The engine simply did not seem to consider them anymore.

What is frustrating is the gap between the technical reality and the official communication. For years, Google's guidelines continued to mention these tags even though they were already inoperative. [To be verified]: it is still unclear exactly when these tags ceased to be used. Google remains vague about the precise timeline.

What risks does this approach pose for highly paginated sites?

The main danger is the inflation of the index. Without a signal to group paginated pages, Google may massively index low-value pages: page 42 of a category, deep pages with two products in low stock, etc. The result: dilution of crawl budget, cannibalization between similar pages, and a perceived drop in average site quality.

Conversely, blocking all paginated pages (robots.txt, noindex) may deprive Google of relevant content and cut crawl paths to deep products or articles. The balance is delicate. Decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, depending on volume, content quality, and site architecture.

In what cases does this rule deserve nuance?

On e-commerce sites with thousands of products spread across dozens of category pages, total indexing of pagination is often counterproductive. Conversely, on an editorial blog with 5-6 archive pages per category, allowing these pages to be indexed may enhance the discoverability of older content.

Be cautious with sites having combinable filters: each combination of filters generates a new paginated URL. Without rigorous management (URL parameters, dynamic canonicals, selective noindex), you may end up with hundreds of thousands of indexed pages, 95% of which are noise. [To be verified]: Google has never published a quantified recommendation on the acceptable ratio of indexed pages to valuable pages, but observations suggest that a ratio > 10:1 begins to pose problems.

Attention: On sites automatically generating thousands of paginated pages (marketplaces, directories, aggregators), lack of a dedicated signal can lead to uncontrolled massive indexing. Regularly audit indexed pages via Search Console and adjust your canonicalization or noindex strategy accordingly.

Practical impact and recommendations

What should you concretely do with existing paginated pages?

First step: remove rel=next/prev tags from your templates. They serve no purpose and unnecessarily bloat the code. Take the opportunity to clean the <head> of any obsolete tags (rel=author, G+ Publisher, etc.). It’s a matter of technical hygiene.

Second step: define a clear indexing strategy for each type of pagination. For deep e-commerce categories, consider a noindex on pages > 3-5. For blog archives or high-value listings, allow indexing. Document these rules in a decision table shared with dev and product teams.

How to manage paginated pages in the XML sitemap?

Google explicitly recommends submitting only important pages. Specifically: include page 1 of each category or section, but not necessarily pages 2, 3, 4... unless they contain unique and strategic content (e.g., an author’s archive page with high authority).

Use sitemaps to manage the crawl budget. If you have 10,000 products spread across 200 category pages, it’s better to submit 200 category page 1 URLs + 10,000 product URLs, than 200 + 2000 paginated pages. The signal sent to Google will be clearer, and you will avoid dilution.

What mistakes to avoid in managing pagination?

Classic error: blocking pagination in robots.txt without considering the consequences. If your products or articles are ONLY accessible via pagination, you cut Google off from this content. Prefer a noindex meta robots or X-Robots-Tag, which allows crawling but prevents indexing.

Another pitfall: using misconfigured canonicals. Pointing all paginated pages to page 1 may seem logical, but if each page contains unique content (different products), you deprive Google of this content. The canonical must point to itself (self-referencing) if the page is worth indexing, or to a real consolidation page if it is redundant.

Remove all rel=next/prev tags from the source code (templates, plugins, CMS).
Audit currently indexed paginated pages via Search Console (filter site:yourdomain.com inurl:page=).
Define an indexing policy by pagination type: noindex beyond page X, or full indexing if unique content.
Exclude non-strategic paginated pages from the XML sitemap.
Check that canonicals are correctly configured (self-referencing or intentional consolidation).
Monitor monthly the evolution of the number of indexed pages and the crawl budget consumed by pagination.

Removing rel=next/prev tags requires a complete rethink of pagination management. There is no longer a universal solution: each site must decide between indexing, consolidation, and exclusion based on its architecture and objectives. A thorough technical audit is often necessary to avoid side effects. If this optimization seems complex or risky to manage alone, consulting a specialized SEO agency can provide you with tailored diagnostics and recommendations suited to your specific context, without risking degrading your current performance.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Dois-je supprimer immédiatement les balises rel=next/prev de mon site ?

Oui, elles n'ont aucun effet technique et alourdissent le code inutilement. Profitez-en pour nettoyer le <head> de toute balise obsolète.

Que faire si mon CMS génère automatiquement ces balises ?

Désactivez l'option dans les réglages du CMS ou du plugin SEO. Si ce n'est pas possible, modifiez le template pour les retirer du rendu HTML.

Faut-il bloquer toutes les pages de pagination en noindex ?

Pas nécessairement. Si les pages paginées contiennent du contenu unique et stratégique, elles peuvent être indexées. Arbitrez au cas par cas selon la valeur ajoutée et la profondeur.

Les pages de pagination doivent-elles figurer dans le sitemap XML ?

Google recommande de ne soumettre que les pages importantes. En général, incluez la page 1 de chaque section, mais pas les pages profondes sauf cas particulier.

Comment vérifier quelles pages de pagination sont actuellement indexées ?

Utilisez Search Console avec un filtre sur les paramètres d'URL de pagination (ex: site:votredomaine.com inurl:page=) ou analysez les rapports de couverture d'index.

🏷 Related Topics

pagination indexation crawl budget rel next prev sitemap XML canonical architecture site gestion URL

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Pagination & Structure PDF & Files Search Console

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