Excessive Query Parameter Links
Having 10+ homepage links with query strings can create duplicate content issues and waste search engine crawl budget.
What It Measures
Detects too many homepage links with query parameters - potential index bloat
Detection Method
Counts homepage links containing "?" character
Why This Matters to You
Shopify Agencies
Technical SEO issue requiring parameter management and canonicalization.
SEO App Builders
Advanced technical SEO opportunity for sophisticated tools.
General App Builders
May indicate over-reliance on tracking parameters or filters.
Theme Developers
Some themes generate excessive filtered URLs - configuration needed.
Scoring Breakdown
Excessive
10+ links with query parameters on homepage
Real-World Examples
Good Example
Total homepage links: 87
Links with query parameters: 3
✓ Minimal query parameter usage
✓ Clean URL structure
✓ No crawl budget waste
Bad Example
Total homepage links: 142
Links with query parameters: 28
Example URLs:
/collections/all?filter=blue
/products/shirt?variant=123
✗ Excessive query parameters (-5 points)
✗ Potential duplicate content issues
✗ Wastes search engine crawl budget
Related SEO Factors
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Why are query parameter links a problem?
Query parameters (URLs with '?') often create duplicate or near-duplicate content. For example, '/collections/all' and '/collections/all?sort=price' show similar content but are technically different URLs. This can confuse search engines and waste crawl budget.
What counts as 'excessive' - why 10+ links?
Some query parameters are legitimate (variant selection, necessary filters). We set the threshold at 10+ to flag stores that are excessively using parameterized links on their homepage, which suggests poor URL architecture.
How do I fix this issue?
Use canonical tags to tell search engines which URL version is preferred. Avoid linking to filtered/sorted versions from the homepage. Consider using clean URLs without parameters for main navigation. Some themes generate these automatically and may need configuration.