Should you really abandon rel=prev/next and simplify your canonical URLs?

Why does Google emphasize the simplification of canonical URLs?

The canonical tag remains one of the most powerful signals to indicate to Google which version of a page to prioritize. The problem is that many sites multiply URL variations with sorting, filtering, or tracking parameters that create duplicate content without added value.

When you have a product page accessible via ten different URLs due to session parameters, UTM, or other complexities, Google has to crawl all these versions, analyze the content, detect duplication, and choose the canonical version. This is a waste of crawl budget that could be used elsewhere.

What has changed with the deprecation of rel=prev/next?

Until 2019, Google recommended using the rel=prev and rel=next tags to indicate the structure of paged pages. Then, John Mueller announced that Google had not been using them for several years already — without notifying anyone.

This statement created a strategic void for managing pagination. Now, Google treats each paginated page as an independent entity, which changes how you need to think about your pagination architecture and your canonicals.

How should we interpret this recommendation for simplicity?

Mueller does not suggest eliminating all pagination — he advises avoiding unnecessary parameters in this context. The difference is crucial. If your pagination uses clean URLs (/page/2/, /page/3/), it is acceptable.

What to avoid: URLs like ?page=2&sort=price&filter=red&session=xyz where pagination mixes with other parameters. Each paginated page should have a clear canonical URL pointing to itself, except in very specific cases.

• Simplifying URLs reduces the number of variations that Google needs to crawl and evaluate
• Self-referencing canonicals on paginated pages are generally best practice
• Avoid mixing pagination parameters with sorting/filtering parameters in the same URL
• The deprecation of rel=prev/next means that Google evaluates each paginated page independently
• Cleaning up unnecessary parameters can free up crawl budget for your strategic content

Is this minimalist approach still relevant in production?

Let's be honest: Mueller's recommendation is theoretically correct but terribly vague for a practitioner. Simplify, yes — but how far? When an e-commerce site has 50,000 products and ten filters per category, simplicity becomes relative.

In the field, many high-performing sites use strategic canonicals that do NOT point to the page itself. For example, canonizing all paginated pages to the category page 1 — a practice that Google tolerates but can dilute the indexing of deep pages. [To be verified] based on your sector and content volume.

What pitfalls are not mentioned in this statement?

Mueller does not address the case of navigation facets — these combinations of filters that generate thousands of URLs. Saying “simplify” does not resolve anything when your CMS automatically generates /category/red/cotton/long-sleeves/. In these cases, the canonical strategy must be considered based on the ranking potential of each combination.

Another blind spot: news sites or blogs with reverse chronological pagination. Canonizing to page 1 means articles on pages 2-3 lose their direct visibility — but not canonizing creates dilution. It’s a trade-off that Google does not document clearly.

Has the deprecation of rel=prev/next really changed the game?

Yes and no. Google continues to discover and index paginated pages via the classic crawl of internal links. What has changed is the consolidation of signals — Google no longer treats a paginated series as a single entity but as distinct pages.

In practical terms? If your pagination page 3 contains unique and relevant content (rich product descriptions, for example), it can now rank independently. But if it’s just a list of links, it will be treated as weak content. Mueller's recommendation aligns with this logic: fewer parameters = cleaner URLs = better qualitative assessment by Google.

How to audit and clean your current canonical URLs?

First step: extract all your indexed URLs via the Search Console and spot duplication patterns. Look for recurring parameters (?sort=, &ref=, &utm_) that add no real value to the actual content of the page.

Next, check your canonical tags in bulk with a crawler (Screaming Frog, Oncrawl). The goal: identify pages that point to a canonical different from themselves and ask if it’s justified. In 70% of cases, it’s a historical error or a default CMS configuration.

What strategy to adopt for pagination post-rel=prev/next?

The most robust strategy in 2025: each paginated page bears a self-referencing canonical and sufficiently distinct content to justify its indexing. If your pages 2+ offer no added value, consider using a JavaScript “load more” system or infinite scroll that loads everything on a single URL.

For large e-commerce sites, consider a hybrid pagination: the first 3-4 pages are indexable with self-referencing canonical, the following ones are noindex. This limits the explosion of the number of URLs while keeping the essential catalog accessible. And this is where it gets tricky — such trade-offs require a deep understanding of your information architecture and your SEO priorities.

Should you really remove all URL parameters?

No. Removing unnecessary parameters is different. A sorting parameter (?sort=price) can be legitimate if each sorting version offers a distinct user experience — but in this case, it should have its own canonical, not be a parasitic variant.

The pragmatic rule: if a parameter changes the visible content (filter, sort), it may deserve a clean URL with canonical. If it's pure tracking (UTM, session ID), it should be managed through URL rewriting or via the Search Console (URL parameters to ignore). Mueller encourages this basic hygiene, but many sites accumulate these parameters due to a lack of regular auditing.

• Audit your indexed URLs to identify unnecessary parameters and duplication patterns
• Ensure that each important paginated page has a self-referencing canonical unless justified by strategy
• Clean tracking parameters (UTM, session) through URL rewriting or Search Console configuration
• Document your pagination strategy: which pages should be indexed, which ones are noindex
• Test the impact on crawl budget via Search Console exploration reports after deployment
• Reevaluate your canonicals every 6 months — architecture evolves, strategy must follow