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canonical URLs: a field note from a print shop
14 Dec 2024
How a print shop deals with canonical URLs — and what usually goes wrong.
The problem: query-string copies of the same page. This breaks canonical URLs for a print shop.
A form that collects data for a print shop should say where the message goes. Nine fields and a captcha on a quiet Tuesday will cost you the person who actually wanted to pay.
We found query-string copies of the same page during a routine check of canonical URLs. The site had been leaking referrer data for six weeks before anyone noticed.
A static site for a print shop does not need a CDN, a build pipeline, or a container. It needs correct canonical URLs and a host that stays online.
We checked the WHOIS for a print shop and found the domain was registered under a former employee. Transferring it took more time than fixing canonical URLs.
We underestimated how long canonical URLs migration would take for a print shop. The estimate was two hours; the reality was a full day because query-string copies of the same page had never been documented.
We hand over a one-page document after every canonical URLs job. It says what was changed, what the login is, and what to check if something feels wrong. a print shop keeps it in a drawer they actually open.
The vendor portal had silently rotated the key for canonical URLs, but a print shop was still using the old one. Every outbound message bounced quietly.
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