Should We Keep or Remove the Slash After .Com When Linking to a Root Domain?


Trailing slashes look trivial, but they can quietly split link equity if you get them wrong. At the root domain level, Google will usually treat example.com and example.com/ as the same only if the server is configured correctly. The real rule is not about the slash at all—it’s about identifying the site’s preferred version and making sure every link, citation, and asset points to it consistently. This guide shows how to check the setup, what to fix before link building, and how to avoid wasting signals over something that’s easy to standardize.

Table of Contents

What actually happens when you visit both versions

There are two common versions of a root domain URL:

  • https://example.com
  • https://example.com/

How these two behave depends on server settings. Sometimes one version will automatically redirect to the other. Sometimes both will load and look identical but are treated as separate URLs. That split can cause duplicate content and confuse crawlers.

How to check which version is the right one

  1. Open the URL with the slash and the URL without the slash in a browser.
  2. See if one version redirects to the other. If it does, use the version that is the final destination.
  3. Look at the page source for a canonical tag. If a canonical points to one version, use that version when building links.

If one version redirects to the other, that is your default. If a canonical tag points to one version, that is the preferred version. If both load without redirect and without a proper canonical, contact the host or developer to fix the setup.

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Redirects vs canonical tags

We prefer a 301 redirect to a canonical tag. A redirect tells browsers and search engines which URL to treat as the real one. It also consolidates link signals cleanly.

A canonical tag tells search engines which version is preferred. It can pass some trust or “flow” signals. But it is not as strong as a redirect in practice. In our tests, redirects have given more consistent results than relying only on canonicals.

If both versions are live and links point to the non-preferred version, a proper 301 redirect will move link equity to the right URL. Each redirect hop can lose a tiny bit of value, but that loss is small. Canonical-only setups may pass trust but can be weaker for ranking impact.

  • Check which version the server or host treats as default.
  • If one version redirects, build links to the version that receives the redirect target.
  • If both resolve and there is no redirect, ask the host or developer to set a 301 redirect so only one version is active.
  • If you cannot get a redirect, make sure a canonical tag points to the preferred version and then build to that preferred URL.

Examples we see in the field

We often find URLs that resolve both ways. For example, sometimes an asset is published without the www prefix while the site canonicalizes to www. Links are built to the non-www version. In that case the canonical can still push trust to the preferred www version. It works to some degree. But redirects give cleaner results.

When vendors or teams deliver lists of URLs, we check each one. If a link was built to the non-preferred version and the site only uses a canonical, we may change the URL in our workbooks so future links point to the preferred version. That small change helps consolidate signals over time.

Practical rules to follow

  • Rule 1: Always discover the site's default URL first.
  • Rule 2: If a redirect exists, use the final URL that the redirect points to.
  • Rule 3: If there is no redirect but a canonical exists, use the canonical URL for new links.
  • Rule 4: If neither redirect nor canonical is set, get the host to fix it. Duplicate root URLs create crawl noise.
  • Rule 5: Standardize citations, internal links, and branded assets to the chosen version.

Why consistency matters more than the slash

The slash itself is not magical. What matters is that all signals point to one version. If link profiles, citations, and internal links are consistent, search engines will have a clear signal. Mixed signals split authority. That can slow ranking improvements and make audits harder.

Common questions we get

If both URLs resolve but there is a canonical, will links to the wrong version still help?

Yes, a canonical can pass some trust or link flow to the preferred URL. It will help but often not as much as a proper 301 redirect. Redirects generally produce stronger results.

Is there a big penalty for building links to the wrong version?

There is no penalty, but you can lose efficiency. Links may not consolidate as well. Over time this can reduce the clear signal you want to give search engines.

What if the host says the server is fine and both versions should resolve?

Push for at least one of these fixes: set a 301 redirect from the non-preferred version to the preferred one, or add a canonical tag that points to the preferred URL. Redirects are better when possible.

If a redirect exists, should we still try to build links to the preferred version?

Yes. If a redirect is in place, building links to the preferred version reduces hops and keeps link equity cleaner. But if a redirect is already redirecting, links to the non-preferred version will still usually flow through the redirect.

  1. Open both the URL with and without slash.
  2. Confirm if one redirects to the other.
  3. Check the page source for a canonical tag.
  4. If neither redirect nor canonical exist, ask the host to set a 301 redirect.
  5. Standardize all future links and assets to the chosen version.

Final take

We do not care about the slash itself. We care about using the version the site treats as canonical. Check both versions. Prefer a 301 redirect. If you must rely on a canonical, be aware it may not be as strong as a redirect. Once you know the right URL, be consistent across links, citations, and internal navigation.

Keep things one way. Consistency trumps picky URL formatting.