Pagination
TL;DR
Pagination is splitting long lists (search results, category pages, archives) across multiple URLs with navigation between them.
Pagination helps UX and crawl efficiency but is tricky for SEO. Google deprecated rel=next/rel=prev as signal in 2019. Best practice 2026: ensure every pagination URL is crawlable and indexable (no noindex), use self-referencing canonicals, and avoid infinite scroll without pagination fallback.
Example
A blog with 400 articles shows 20 per page. URLs /blog/, /blog/page/2/, .../page/20/. All pages indexable, each self-canonical, first page gets internal links from main menu.
Frequently asked questions
Should I noindex pages 2+?
No. Google needs to paginate through to find content. Noindex signals 'stop following' — counterproductive.
Related terms
Further reading
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