URL Too Long

This error appears when a page's URL exceeds the recommended 115 characters. Here's what it means and how to shorten it.

What this error means

The URL is the address that identifies a page on the internet. When it exceeds 115 characters, it starts causing problems on several fronts. It's harder to share, can get cut off in some browsers or platforms, and becomes more complicated to read and interpret. A well-built URL should be short, descriptive, and easy to understand at a glance. When it accumulates unnecessary segments, leftover parameters, or repeated words, it loses clarity and effectiveness for both users and Google. Google doesn't have a strict technical limit for URL length, but it does prefer ones that are concise and descriptive. A long URL doesn't directly penalize rankings, but it does affect how it appears in search results and the user's trust before clicking. This error usually appears when URLs are automatically generated from long titles, when unnecessary nested categories pile up, or when tracking parameters are included in URLs that shouldn't have them.

Why shortening the URL matters

A long URL isn't the end of the world, but it is a signal that the site's structure may be more complicated than it needs to be. And what's complicated for the user is also complicated for Google. Shortening it is a technical adjustment that improves clarity, usability, and the overall perception of your site.

Impact on SEO rankings

Google prefers short, descriptive URLs because they're easier for users to read, understand, and share. A long URL doesn't directly penalize, but it does lose effectiveness in search results: it gets cut off with an ellipsis, conveys less trust, and gets shared less. And that ends up being reflected in CTR and, indirectly, in how the page ranks.

Impact on user experience

A long URL is harder to read, remember, and share. When pasted into a message, an email, or a social network, it can get cut off or look unprofessional, which reduces user trust before clicking.

Negative signals for site quality

Long URLs are usually the result of a poorly planned structure or parameters accumulated without any criteria. They signal that the URL architecture isn't being managed carefully, and that has consequences for how Google perceives your site's organization.

How to fix it step by step

If this error showed up in your audit, here are the steps to leave it behind.

Step 1

Identify which URLs exceed 115 characters

Ruk Audit shows you exactly which URLs are too long and how many characters each one has. Review them before touching anything and prioritize the most important ones.

Step 2

Analyze which parts of the URL are unnecessary

Before modifying anything, understand why the URL is so long. It could be nested categories that add nothing, repeated words, tracking parameters that shouldn't be there, or simply a long title that was automatically converted into a URL.

Step 3

Shorten the URL from the CMS

Rewrite the URL in the slug or permalink field of your CMS, removing unnecessary segments and keeping only what describes the content in a short and understandable way. Use hyphens to separate words and avoid articles, prepositions, and words that don't add information.

Step 4

Set up a 301 redirect to the new URL

Once the new URL is defined, set up a 301 redirect from the old URL using your CMS's redirect plugin or server configuration. That way Google and users reach the page correctly without losing the accumulated authority.

Step 5

Update internal links pointing to the old URL

Locate all internal links that were pointing to the previous URL and update them to point directly to the new one, without going through the redirect. You can do this from the content editor in your CMS.

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