TS38URLs and canonicals
URLs and canonicalsDo address variants converge without detours?
Host, case and trailing-slash variants converge on one rule.
Prepare evidence
- In the app
- Evidence import
- You provide
- Host, case and trailing-slash variants
- Allow for
- Depends on evidence needed
In the app
Allow forUnderstand
Several variants. One preferred address.
Host, case and trailing-slash variants converge on one rule.
According to Google
Converging methods strengthen a canonical preference. The allowed redirect count between your variants remains an explicit expectation in your plan.
Check
HTTPS, www, slash. The actual matrix.
In TSEP Control
You import evidence for this control. The engine assesses it within the declared scope; missing items remain visible.
Your contribution
Define the scope and expectations before collection. Gather the items below and supply the requested reviews.
With your own tools
With your own toolsBuild a matrix of variants actually in use. For each, record redirects and the final destination with a GET request; also compare internal links and canonicals.
Evidence to retain
One stable final URL per resource, no chain and consistent internal signals.
What this result covers
Case can be significant depending on the server and application; the rule must be tested, not assumed.
Act
Make variants converge. Without excess detours.
Apply a shared rule to equivalent resources and align internal links.
Recheck
The rules change. Rerun the matrix.
After correction, gather new evidence with the same scope and expectations. Retain both dated observations to compare what changed.
To go further.
Statuses, sources and method.
Understand the statusesC · NC · NT · NA
The same legend in guides, analysis and demo. Each status depends on the control’s evidence and rules.
- C · Verified
- The criterion is met within the assessed scope. Keep dated evidence for the next comparison.
- NC · To correct
- Apply a shared rule to equivalent resources and align internal links.
- NT · Not established
- Evidence or confirmations are insufficient to conclude. Supply what is missing; this status does not establish an SEO error.
- NA · Not applicable
- The control does not apply to the scope under its rules, with a retained justification. Missing evidence alone does not make it non-applicable.
Sources and references1 reference
Detailed method and rules2 rules
Control method and criteria
Method
Replay www/non-www, HTTP/HTTPS, relevant case and trailing-slash variants on sample routes; compare redirect, canonical, sitemap and links.
Acceptance criteria
Every tested variant follows the declared rule; redirects, canonicals, sitemaps and links agree without merging distinct resources.
Non-applicability
No relevant variant after an explicit inventory.
Detailed rules
TS38-A01 · Trajectories and canonicals of equivalent variants
Protocol assessment mode : assisted, with supplied evidence and declarations. App availability is shown on the control card.
Scope
Explicitly selected TS38 items; url-policy-v1 profile defined in docs/url-policy-evidence.md.
Evidence
Prior plan, original bytes and SHA-256, dates/context, atomic observations, reasoned human review bound to the entire dossier. Kinds: http, html, content, intent.
Method
Require reviewed equivalence and read every native trajectory: one hop from each variant, direct200 preferred response, HTTP/HTML canonical pointing to it.
Acceptance criteria
Every variant converges in one hop and every qualified canonical agrees. Declared merging of distinct resources or native disagreement fails.
When the result remains inconclusive
Missing trace/canonical, undecided equivalence or necessary rendering: inconclusive.
Non-applicability
No atomic exemption in this profile. Empty population or absent evidence: NT, never automatic NA.
Assumptions
Supplied population and provenance; review assumes scope sufficiency and business judgment. Content, imported verdicts or hashes never prove authenticity.
Limitations
Bounded offline reading, without collection, browser execution, generated human judgment or real audit. Reviewed source scope only; no site completeness, indexing, ranking or causality inferred.
TS38-A02 · Internal signals for variants
Protocol assessment mode : assisted, with supplied evidence and declarations. App availability is shown on the control card.
Scope
Explicitly selected TS38 items; url-policy-v1 profile defined in docs/url-policy-evidence.md.
Evidence
Prior plan, original bytes and SHA-256, dates/context, atomic observations, reasoned human review bound to the entire dossier. Kinds: sitemap, html, crawl, content, intent.
Method
Read the selected complete native urlset and every planned link source. Require the preference in that sitemap, no nonpreferred variant in sitemap/links, and equivalence/scope review.
Acceptance criteria
Sitemap and scoped links agree with the preference; disagreement or merging distinct pages fails. Zero links remains an observation of the complete supplied corpus.
When the result remains inconclusive
XML index, truncated file, missing link source, ambiguous population/review: inconclusive; no global absence inferred.
Non-applicability
No atomic exemption in this profile. Empty population or absent evidence: NT, never automatic NA.
Assumptions
Supplied population and provenance; review assumes scope sufficiency and business judgment. Content, imported verdicts or hashes never prove authenticity.
Limitations
Bounded offline reading, without collection, browser execution, generated human judgment or real audit. Reviewed source scope only; no site completeness, indexing, ranking or causality inferred.
Rule version 0.3.0-draft.2 · Public protocol reference · Versioned source
Put it into practice
Host, case and trailing-slash variants.