Checks
URL length
Checks that each page's full URL stays under 115 characters, short enough to display cleanly in search results and to type or share without truncation.
What this check looks for
This check measures the character length of the page's URL. Over 115 characters warns, reporting the exact length. 115 characters or fewer passes.
Why it matters
Long URLs get truncated in search-result displays, browser tabs, and when shared in chat or email, which makes them harder to read, remember, and trust at a glance — a URL that runs on for 150+ characters with nested parameters and IDs looks more like a database dump than a page a person deliberately created. Shorter, cleaner URLs also tend to attract more clicks in search results simply because they look more intentional and readable. AI answer engines quoting a source URL in a chat response benefit from the same readability — a short, descriptive URL is something a person can actually parse and trust at a glance, while a long parameter-heavy one reads as opaque.
How to fix it
Shorten slugs and drop unnecessary path segments or parameters:
# 142 characters
https://www.acme.com/shop/category/audio/headphones/product/wireless-noise-cancelling-headphones-black-40-hour-battery?ref=nav&session=abc123
# 52 characters
https://www.acme.com/audio/headphones/wireless-ncKeep slugs to a few meaningful words and move tracking or session data into parameters that don't need to appear in the canonical, shareable URL at all.
See how your site scores on this check