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name: trailing-slash description: "Use when applies to all static and dynamic websites. Use when auditing a site for duplicate content, setting up a new site, or after migrating platforms that changed URL conventions." metadata: category: seo priority: medium difficulty: beginner estimatedTime: "10" source: frontendchecklist.io url: https://frontendchecklist.io/rules/seo/trailing-slash

Use trailing slashes consistently

Inconsistent trailing slashes create duplicate content — Google sees /page and /page/ as two separate URLs competing for the same ranking, splitting PageRank between them.

Quick Reference

• Pick one convention — trailing slash or no trailing slash — and enforce it site-wide with 301 redirects
• Both /page/ and /page must not return HTTP 200; one must redirect to the other
• Set rel="canonical" to the preferred version on all pages
• Ensure all internal links, sitemaps, and canonical tags use the same convention

Check

For a sample of URLs, test both the trailing-slash and non-trailing-slash versions. Both should NOT return HTTP 200 — one must 301-redirect to the other. Check that internal links, sitemap <loc> values, and canonical tags all use the same convention consistently.

Fix

Choose a canonical URL convention. Add server or framework redirect rules so the non-preferred variant permanently redirects (301) to the preferred one. Update all internal links, canonical tags, and sitemap entries to use the preferred format.

Explain

Explain why /page and /page/ are treated as distinct URLs by default, how this creates duplicate content, and how 301 redirects and canonical tags resolve the ambiguity.

Code Review

Review metadata generation, rendered HTML, structured data, and response headers related to Use trailing slashes consistently. Flag exact routes or templates where search-facing output violates the rule, and describe how to verify the final page output.

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For full implementation details, code examples, and framework-specific guidance, see references/rule.md.

Rule page: https://frontendchecklist.io/rules/seo/trailing-slash