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        4. Does Google crawl the pages which are generated via the site's search box queries?

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        Does Google crawl the pages which are generated via the site's search box queries?

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        • pulseseo
          pulseseo last edited by

          For example, if I search for an 'x' item in a site's search box and if the site displays a list of results based on the query, would that page be crawled? I am asking this question because this would be a URL that is non existent on the site and hence am confused as to whether Google bots would be able to find it.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • YannickVeys
            YannickVeys last edited by

            Google crawls the pages. Google sometimes even tries the search box by typing in a random word to see what happens.

            Have a look at this url: https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Agoogle.com%20inurl%3A%22search%3Fq%22 You'll see that search queries have been indexed. It happens if people link to it. It doesn't matter that the url is "non existent". It actually is, because it doesn't display a 404 error or any other error. It gives a 200 OK code, so search engines see it as a normal page. Google will probably not index a page it "makes" by filling in a random search term, but will index such a page when it is linked to.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • zeepartner
              zeepartner last edited by

              Google could crawl the dynamic URLs created by your searchbox - but it usually doesn't unless there is a link to such a dynamic url somewhere. Internal searches don't create much problems anymore, but if you want to be sure, you could always block your dynamic search results pages via robots.txt or Google Webmaster Tools (>Site configuration >URL parameters).

              So if the URL generated by internal searches is http://www.site.com/search/?searchword=search+query+here, you could add this to robots.txt:

              User-agent: *

              Disallow: /search/

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
              • pulseseo
                pulseseo @SuperlativB last edited by

                No I am not talking about the google search box incorporated in sites but the site's own search box. Answering your 2nd question, I meant that the URL won't be found via site navigation as it is a dynamic URL that is generated. Awaiting your response on the same.

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • SuperlativB
                  SuperlativB last edited by

                  "if I search for an 'x' item in a site's search box and if the site displays a list of results based on the query, would that page be crawled?"
                  Is it google search-box for sites your talking about?

                  " I am asking this question because this would be a URL that is non existent on the site"
                  **If it does'nt exist you wouldent find it? or do you mean that the page is not to find in the menu-navigation? **

                  pulseseo 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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