Search console reporting duplicate pages from wp-content/uploads directory

  • Hi all,

    Search console is reporting duplicate pages. These are not actual WordPress posts or pages but are pages from wp-content/uploads directory. Here are some example URLs being reported in search console:

    https://www.domain-name [dot] org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/?MA
    https://www.domain-name [dot] org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/?DA

    The above two URLs actually show the content that is present here:
    https://www.domain-name [dot] org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/

    You can see that URLs are very similar with the only exception of ?MA and ?DA at the end. I think google is considering these two URLs as two separate pages with same (duplicate) content. I am not sure how these URLs are created or who is linking my content using these URLs.

    This is just an example of the issue my site is facing. There are almost 260 URLs reported in search console. The reason I am worried is that these pages may heart my SEO efforts badly.

    I can’t redirect these pages to a single page using a plugin because these are not wordpress generated posts or pages. I tried to remove the ?MA and ?DA at the end of the URLs using .htaccess file so that they are automatically redirected to a common page (i.e., a page without ?MA and ?DA) but failed.

    Any help will be highly appreciated; Thanks in advance!

    Best
    Rashid

    • This topic was modified 3 years, 4 months ago by Yui. Reason: moved to fixing wordpress
Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • Moderator bcworkz

    (@bcworkz)

    There should be a way in Search Console to determine the referrer of duplicate URLs. If it’s from your site, there would be a way of correcting them to not have query strings. If from an external site, you can disavow links from that site. Using the web interface, you can only disavow one site at a time. There is also a way to bulk disavow by submitting a very specifically formatted data file.

    Do you really want uploads sub-folders indexed at all? Many sites disable directory listings altogether and return 403 for such requests. If you want directories accessible that’s your prerogative. It’s just a little unusual. In some cases it is seen a a security risk. Unlikely for uploads though.

    Thread Starter rashidjaved

    (@rashidjaved)

    @bcworkz Thanks for your reply and help.
    I have added “Options -Indexes” at the end of .htaccess file which I think now returns either a 403 or 404 server error (My theme shows this message: Oops! That page can’t be found) for all the URLs listed by search console as “duplicate without user-selected canonical”. Will search engines consider these pages as removed from site or the change is just effective for browsers and humans? Thanks once again.

    • This reply was modified 3 years, 4 months ago by rashidjaved.
    Moderator bcworkz

    (@bcworkz)

    Search bots will get a 403 status returned. Content that comes with it doesn’t matter. I’m not fully sure what they’d do with that, but I’d expect them to de-index the link. It will likely take a while, but I cannot imagine any other plausible action that they could take.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
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