Extra Characters at End of URL - Why?

chipj

I just moved my SmugMug gallery to a subdomain [URL]http://[/URL][mygallery].[mydomain].com. I'm closely monitoring Google Webmaster Tools and am noticing for the first time that I have a ton of Gallery URLs that contain special characters at the end like "/i-GFVCsfG". These are all public galleries.

The odd thing is that if I add a forward slash "/" to the end of the gallery URL, these characters don't show up. If the slash isn't there, then they do show up. The default SmugMug menu widget does not add a trailing slash on the end of the Gallery URL, so in essence all of the links contain these special characters.

Here's the real issue... Google sees the following URLs as two different pages, although they both contain the same content (images, etc..). This basically becomes a duplicate content situation:
1) [URL]http://[/URL][mygallery].[mydomain].com
2) [URL]http://[/URL][mygallery].[mydomain].com/i-GFVCsfG

Is there a way to prevent these special characters from being added onto the end of the Gallery URL, other than trying to add a trailing slash on the end of all galleries?

denisegoldberg

Galleries that have the extra characters at the end of the URL are unlisted galleries. If you change them to public there will be no extra characters.

See help page at http://legacyhelp.smugmug.com/customer/portal/articles/93309.

--- Denise

chipj

Denise, thanks for the reply, but I'm seeing the extra characters on all of my public galleries as well. Maybe not a big deal, but it's not a perfect SEO situation because of the duplicate content issue.

denisegoldberg wrote: »

Galleries that have the extra characters at the end of the URL are unlisted galleries. If you change them to public there will be no extra characters.

See help page at http://legacyhelp.smugmug.com/customer/portal/articles/93309.

--- Denise

denisegoldberg

chipj wrote: »

Denise, thanks for the reply, but I'm seeing the extra characters on all of my public galleries as well. Maybe not a big deal, but it's not a perfect SEO situation because of the duplicate content issue.

That's really odd - when I open any of your galleries I don't see the extra characters.

--- Denise

JohnHero

The string of numbers that you are seeing at the end of your url is the direct image key. This is a direct link to an image in your gallery. If you remove this key you will be taken to the gallery, but the first image in that gallery. As you click through different images, you will see this key change. There is not a way to turn off the image key.

If you need anything else, please email us directly by going to help.smugmug.com and clicking the "Email Us" link.

John
SmugMug Support Hero

chipj

Yeah, definitly odd. I just tried this out on another computer and can still see these characters. One distinction though. I don't see the characters if I'm in a folder or collection. I only see them when I reach the home page of each gallery.

I guess I'll take johnhero's advice and contact SM support. Thanks for checking this out though...

denisegoldberg wrote: »

That's really odd - when I open any of your galleries I don't see the extra characters.

--- Denise

denisegoldberg

chipj wrote: »

Yeah, definitly odd. I just tried this out on another computer and can still see these characters. One distinction though. I don't see the characters if I'm in a folder or collection. I only see them when I reach the home page of each gallery.

I guess I'll take johnhero's advice and contact SM support. Thanks for checking this out though...

Oh interesting, I see it now. I wonder if it's because you're using smugmug style for your galleries.

--- Denise

chipj

Possibly, are you using a different theme and NOT seeing this issue?

denisegoldberg wrote: »

Oh interesting, I see it now. I wonder if it's because you're using smugmug style for your galleries.

--- Denise

denisegoldberg

chipj wrote: »

Possibly, are you using a different theme and NOT seeing this issue?

I don't think it's the theme.

I'm using collage landscape for my galleries. Direct links to the galleries do not show the trailing characters. Direct links to a photo do, but I think that makes sense since the display is of something specific within the gallery.

To a gallery: http://www.denisegoldberg.com/GardensFlowersThings/On-the-wings-of-butterflies/
To a photo in that gallery: http://www.denisegoldberg.com/GardensFlowersThings/On-the-wings-of-butterflies/i-hbz9KTS/A

--- Denise

chipj

Maybe I misunderstood your previous comment then. What did you mean by "I wonder if it's because you're using smugmug style for your galleries". What's a "style"

denisegoldberg wrote: »

I don't think it's the theme.

I'm using collage landscape for my galleries. Direct links to the galleries do not show the trailing characters. Direct links to a photo do, but I think that makes sense since the display is of something specific within the gallery.

To a gallery: http://www.denisegoldberg.com/GardensFlowersThings/On-the-wings-of-butterflies/
To a photo in that gallery: http://www.denisegoldberg.com/GardensFlowersThings/On-the-wings-of-butterflies/i-hbz9KTS/A

--- Denise

denisegoldberg

chipj wrote: »

Maybe I misunderstood your previous comment then. What did you mean by "I wonder if it's because you're using smugmug style for your galleries". What's a "style"

Your galleries are locked into the viewing style "smugmug". That style shows one large photo on the right, seems like it may be picking up the key from that photo.

--- Denise

chipj

Okay, got it... I think you're onto something! I took a peek at your galleries (nice work by the way) and noticed that the home page of your gallery "a walk in Boston, 2013" doesn't contain any special characters, but your gallery "Top 13 images, 2013" does. They have different styles applied and so it does appear that the style is causing this.

Thanks for the help...

denisegoldberg wrote: »

Your galleries are locked into the viewing style "smugmug". That style shows one large photo on the right, seems like it may be picking up the key from that photo.

--- Denise

denisegoldberg

chipj wrote: »

Okay, got it... I think you're onto something! I took a peek at your galleries (nice work by the way) and noticed that the home page of your gallery "a walk in Boston, 2013" doesn't contain any special characters, but your gallery "Top 13 images, 2013" does. They have different styles applied and so it does appear that the style is causing this.

Thanks!

I think you're right - the gallery styles that show a specific photo first are pulling in the photo key. Doesn't seem like that should be happening, but it is for galleries set to both SmugMug and Journal styles.

--- Denise

ChancyRat

For me the photo ID at the end is sometimes useful and sometimes not. If I want someone to visit the gallery as a whole, I should back out the key. If I want them to visit photo #5 in the group, I want the ID.