Hello, please can someone help me understand why the URLs are different when accessing via my website vs via Google? Two screenshots below…
Topic summary
A Shopify store owner noticed their product URLs appear differently when accessed through their website versus through Google. The screenshots show two URL formats for the same product.
Two URL types identified:
- Clean URL (from site navigation): Includes the full path
/collections/bbqs/products/[product-name]- this is the standard, SEO-friendly Shopify format - URL with parameters (from Google): Shows
/products/[product-name]?sr...with tracking parameters added by Google Shopping, Performance Max campaigns, or referral sources
Key explanations:
- The tracking parameters (like
?srsltid=) are automatically generated for attribution and session tracking - These parameter-based URLs are normal and won’t harm SEO if canonical tags are properly configured
- The path difference (
/collections/bbqs/products/vs/products/) reflects different navigation routes to the same product - Search bar queries also generate URLs with tracking parameters like
?_pos=1&_sid=...&_ss=r
Consensus: This is expected behavior. The clean URL is preferable for SEO clarity, but tracking URLs serve legitimate marketing attribution purposes and shouldn’t cause concern.
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Hi @joe-h-95 . You’re seeing two different URLs because one is the canonical product URL (as you’d expect from internal navigation), and the other is a URL with tracking parameters added, usually by Google Shopping or another paid ad/referral source. Here’s the breakdown:
1. Clean URL (via your site navigation) or SERPs: Tower Sphere Fire Pit and BBQ Grill | Small Electricals
- This is the standard Shopify product URL.
- Comes from your site’s internal linking (menus, category pages, etc.).
- Clean and SEO-friendly.
2. URL with parameters: Tower Sphere Fire Pit and BBQ Grill | Small Electricals… (with UTM-style params).
- This come with tracking parameters like ?srsltid=…, used to track the session or source (likely from Google Shopping, Performance Max campaigns, or Another Website).
- These URLs are auto-generated by Google or affiliate/referral systems for attribution.
TL;DR: Don’t panic about the tracking URLs. They’re normal and won’t hurt SEO if canonicalization is correct.
That’s all. If you find it helpful, please like and mark Solved.
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Just to add on to this point: If you read the URL closely, the “pathways” are a bit different.
So for the first one, the “search pathway” is something like collections → bbqs → products → tower sphere fire pit and bbq grill.
For the second one, the “search pathway” is something like products → tower sphere fire pit and bbq grill.
This is the URL I got after typing “tower sphere fire pit and bbq grill” in the search bar in the middle of the screen:
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Hi @joe-h-95
The first URL you shared in the screenshot means the original one with a clean and standard format from the Shopify end. Search engines like Google can read what this page is about, and visitors can know what you sell very clearly.
The second URL shared in the screenshot includes additional content from other platforms, and though it can still be accessed, it will make Google feel harder to identify what it is about, and it is not good for SEO, honestly to say.
The first URL is better than the second one when it comes to SEO, but it also depends here according to your own needs. Therefore, it is up to you, in fact, and you can make your own decisions and select what you like here. Thank you!
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