?variant pages

For example, both domain.com/product/boots and domain.com/product/boots?variant=12411 have started getting indexed. How would you solve this issue?

onedaydayone said:

For example, both domain.com/product/boots and domain.com/product/boots?variant=12411 have started getting indexed. How would you solve this issue?

Click to expand...

That’s a duplicate issue, use canonical to point variants back to the main URL.

Also block or noindex those parameter URLs if possible.

Block means Google can't reach them at all.

The number of ?variant pages that started getting indexed has increased.

For backlinks, I'm only using the main product page. All variant pages are canonicalized to the main product page.

Where could the issue be?

Check one of the variant URLs in URL Inspection and see which canonical Google picked. If Google picked the variant URL, check if those URLs are in the sitemap or linked anywhere on the site. Also make sure the canonical on the page is still pointing to the main product URL.

onedaydayone said:

For example, both domain.com/product/boots and domain.com/product/boots?variant=12411 have started getting indexed. How would you solve this issue?

Click to expand...

By default Google will choose one of the URLs, you need to check inspections to see which one it chose. Then ensure canonical points to the main products URL and not the other one

If the variants are already canonicalized to the main product URL, you can check where Google is finding those variant URLs. You can check the internal links, product filters, XML sitemap, and any structured data that may be generating those URLs.

Also check the indexed variant URLs in GSC to see what Google has selected as the canonical. If the number keeps increasing, there’s probably something on the site still linking to or generating those URLs.