Is an issue commonly flagged in a site audit within Semrush. The warning appears when a webpage address exceeds recommended length limits.
Long URLs are harder for users to read and share. They can also make site structure less clear to search engines. While a long URL does not automatically damage rankings, it often signals an inefficient URL structure.
Understanding when to fix the issue and when to leave it alone prevents unnecessary SEO risk.
What is URLs Too Long?
URLs too long refers to webpage addresses that exceed the recommended length for clean and readable URLs.
Most SEO guidelines suggest keeping URLs under roughly 115 characters when possible. Longer URLs often happen when a website includes many folders, parameters, or unnecessary words in the address.
A long URL might look something like this:
The page may still work normally, but the structure becomes harder for both users and search engines to interpret.
Clean URLs tend to be shorter and easier to understand.
Why does URLs Too Long affect SEO?
URLs that are excessively long can reduce clarity for both users and search engines.
Search engines such as Google use URL structure as one signal to understand page content and site organization. Extremely long URLs can dilute keyword signals and make the structure harder to interpret.
Long URLs also reduce usability. Users are less likely to click, remember, or share complicated page addresses. In some cases, long URLs may also be truncated when displayed in browsers or shared across platforms.
The impact is usually indirect. A cleaner URL structure improves readability and crawl efficiency rather than guaranteeing ranking changes.
How do I fix URLs Too Long?
Fixing this issue involves shortening the URL while preserving the page’s meaning.
Follow these steps.
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Review the flagged URLs in the audit report.
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Check whether the page receives organic traffic.
Use Google Analytics and review landing pages with organic acquisition.
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Identify unnecessary words or folders in the URL.
Remove filler words, repeated phrases, or extra categories that do not clarify the topic.
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Create a shorter version of the URL.
Keep the core topic words only.
Example:
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Update the URL in your CMS.
In WordPress, this can be done by editing the page permalink.
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Create a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one.
Redirects preserve existing traffic and help search engines transfer signals from the old page to the new address.
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Test the redirect.
Visit the old URL and confirm that it automatically loads the new one.
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Run the site audit again in Semrush to confirm the issue is resolved.
