A dynamic URL contains parameters that the server evaluates before it returns the page, for example /product?id=12&color=red. In SEO the term describes only the shape of the address: parameters follow a ? as key-value pairs separated by &.
Are dynamic URLs a problem?
Google’s URL structure documentation does not say that they are, although some agency pages claim that dynamic URLs rank worse than static ones. The documentation recommends = between a key and its value and & between parameters, and advises trimming parameters that do not change the content. The documentation also warns that complex URLs can produce a very large number of addresses that point to identical or similar content, which can use up crawling bandwidth and keep new content from being found.
Filters and sort options make this likely. Google’s faceted navigation guidance covers how to control the crawling of such combinations.
Example
/shoes?color=red&size=42&sort=price
/shoes?sort=price&color=red&size=42
Both addresses show the same filtered list but look like two URLs. A fixed parameter order avoids that.
Common mistakes
- Session IDs and tracking parameters in internal links.
- Combinable filters without any control over crawling.
- Empty filter results that return status 200 instead of 404.
Sources
- URL structure – Google Search Centraldevelopers.google.com
- Managing crawling of faceted navigation – Google Search Centraldevelopers.google.com
- Dynamic URL – Ahrefs glossary (supplementary)ahrefs.com
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