Salesforce B2C Commerce 24.7 > Merchandising Your Site > Search Engine Optimization > Hostname Aliases

Avoid Duplicate Home Page URLs

Duplicate content is content that appears on a site for two (or more) URLs without a redirect. Even though the way search engines determine the search rating of a page changes frequently, most search engines decrease the search rating for such content. To have the best search ratings for your page, avoid duplicate content.

Salesforce B2C Commerce automatically handles most out-dated (duplicate) URL mappings without a configuration change. For mappings in the aliases file (host only rules and site paths), however, you can add mappings to enable automatic redirects. B2C Commerce will also use these duplicate resource rules to create your URLs as defined, using the B2C Commerce Script API.

Configuring Rules to Avoid Duplicates

You can configure rules in the Business Manager aliases module to define pipelines that have duplicate URL entry points or are contextual equals for a hostname. You can also define the preferred destination. B2C Commerce generates URLs using the first applicable mapping.

Duplicate URL Rule

The following example shows how you can mark a pipeline (PiplineA-StartNode) to be checked for duplicate URLs (defined within the aliases file as host-only or site-path rule). A redirect automatically occurs if the URL isn't as defined by the preferred destination configuration.

There are three destination types, host, site-path, and pipeline, with host and site-path requiring a corresponding rule.

From left to right, the first applicable rule is used to redirect duplicate URLs and to generate URLs:

"www.your-hostname.com" :
[
   {
      "pipeline" : "PiplineA-StartNode"
   },
   {
      "if-site-path" : "eu",
      "pipeline" : "PiplineA-StartNode"
   },
   {
      "entry-point-pipelines" : [ "PiplineA-StartNode" ],
      "entry-point-destination" : [ "host", "site-path", "pipeline" ]
   }
]

With this configuration, all requests that identify the PiplineA-StartNode pipeline are redirected to the host only destination. The host only URL invokes the pipeline.

Duplicate Pipeline Rule

The following example shows how you can mark pipelines (for example, PiplineB-StartNode and PiplineC-StartNode) as duplicates of, for example, PiplineA-StartNode. If either of the two marked pipelines are called, a redirect automatically occurs to the defined PiplineA-StartNode URL: 

"www.your-hostname.com" :
[
   {
      "pipeline" : "PiplineA-StartNode"
   },
   {
      "if-site-path" : "eu",
      "pipeline" : "PiplineA-StartNode"
   },
   {
      "entry-point-pipelines" : [ "PiplineA-StartNode", "PiplineB-StartNode", "PiplineC-StartNode" ],
      "entry-point-destination" : [ "site-path", "host", "pipeline" ]
   }
]

With this configuration, all requests that identify the PiplineA-StartNode pipeline are redirected to the site path destination. All requests that identify PiplineB-StartNode or PiplineC-StartNode pipeline are redirected to the URL defined for PiplineA-StartNode, which is the site path destination URL.

Checklist to Avoid Duplicate Resources

To avoid duplicate resources for your storefront URLs, you should do the following:

  1. Configure trailing slashes for:
    • Categories
    • Folders
    • Pipelines
    • If configured, site-paths
  2. Configure pipelines for host and site-path rules. (If no pipeline is defined means, the Default-Start pipeline is invoked.)
    • Define a duplicate URL rule for those pipelines.
    • If you have already defined RedirectURL mappings, remove them to avoid conflicts.
  3. Identify which pipelines are contextual equals. The most common example is Default-Start, which forwards to Home-Show. Define a duplicate pipeline rule to handle this.
  4. Verify that rules are defined for all hostname mappings.

Examples

The following are examples:

Example 1: One Locale and One Hostname

In this example, your site has one locale and one hostname defined. You have identified Default-Start (alias=homepage) and Home-Show (alias=home) as duplicate pipelines and Default-Start with multiple URLs. Your goal is to avoid these duplicates and redirect them to the host only URL.

To do this, configure your hostname alias file as follows:

"www.your-hostname.com" :
[
   {
   },
   {
      "entry-point-pipelines" : [ "Default-Start", "Home-Show" ],
      "entry-point-destination" : [ "host" ]
   }
]

This is the new behavior for the following duplicate resource URL requests:

  • www.your-hostname.com/ (invoking pipeline)
    • www.your-hostname.com/home (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/home/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/homepage (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/homepage/ (redirect)

This is the new behavior for the URL generation API:

  • pipeline Default-Start and host 'www.your-hostname.com': www.your-hostname.com/
  • pipeline Home-Show and host 'www.your-hostname.com': www.your-hostname.com/

Example 2: Two Locales and Two Hostnames

In this example, your site has two locales (en_UK and de_DE) and two hostnames that are shared with other sites:

  • www.your-hostnameA.com - works without a site path for this site
  • www.your-hostnameB.com - works with a site path only

You have identified Default-Start (alias=homepage) and Home-Show (alias=home) as duplicate pipelines and Default-Start with multiple URLs. Your goal is to avoid these duplicates and redirect them to the host only URL, with the site path URL as a fallback.

To do this, configure your hostname alias file as follows:

 "www.your-hostnameA.com" :
[
   {
      "locale":"en_UK" },
   {
      "if-site-path":"de",
      "site-path-trailing-slash" : "no",
      "locale":"de_DE"
   },
   {
      "entry-point-pipelines" : [ "Default-Start", "Home-Show" ],
      "entry-point-destination" : [ "host", "site-path" ]
   }
]

 "www.your-hostnameB.com" :
[
   {
      "if-site-path":"uk",
      "site-path-trailing-slash" : "no",
      "locale":"en_UK"
   },
   {
      "if-site-path":"de",
      "site-path-trailing-slash" : "no",
      "locale":"de_DE"
   },
   {
      "entry-point-pipelines" : [ "Default-Start", "Home-Show" ],
      "entry-point-destination" : [ "host", "site-path"
   ]
   }
]

The new behavior for the following duplicate resource URL requests is as follows:

  • www.your-hostnameA.com/ (invoking pipeline)
    • www.your-hostnameA.com/home (redirect)
    • www.your-hostnameA.com/home/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostnameA.com/homepage (redirect)
    • www.your-hostnameA.com/homepage/ (redirect)
  • www.your-hostnameA.com/de (invoking pipeline)
    • www.your-hostnameA.com/de/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostnameA.com/de/home (redirect)
    • www.your-hostnameA.com/de/home/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostnameA.com/de/homepage (redirect)
    • www.your-hostnameA.com/de/homepage/ (redirect)
  • www.your-hostnameB.com/uk (invoking pipeline)
    • www.your-hostnameB.com/uk/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostnameB.com/uk/home (redirect)
    • www.your-hostnameB.com/uk/home/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostnameB.com/uk/homepage (redirect)
    • www.your-hostnameB.com/uk/homepage/(redirect)
  • www.your-hostnameB.com/de (invoking pipeline)
    • www.your-hostnameB.com/de/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostnameB.com/de/home (redirect)
    • www.your-hostnameB.com/de/home/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostnameB.com/de/homepage (redirect)
    • www.your-hostnameB.com/de/homepage/ (redirect)

The new behavior for URL generation API is as follows:

  • host 'www.your-hostnameA.com'
    • pipeline ('Default-Start' or 'Home-Show') and locale 'en_UK': www.your-hostnameA.com/
    • pipeline ('Default-Start' or 'Home-Show') and locale 'de_DE': www.your-hostnameA.com/de
  • host 'www.your-hostnameB.com'
    • pipeline ('Default-Start' or 'Home-Show') and locale 'en_UK': www.your-hostnameB.com/uk
    • pipeline ('Default-Start' or 'Home-Show') and locale 'de_DE': www.your-hostnameB.com/de

Example 3: Three Locales and One Hostname

In this example, your site has three locales (en_UK (site's default locale), fr_FR, and de_DE), and one hostname. You want to support the site-path both with and without the eu prefix. You have identified Home-Show (alias=home) with multiple URLs and the PipelineB-Show pipeline (alias=show-something-b) as duplicate for the PipelineA-Show pipeline (alias=show-something-a). Your goal is to avoid duplicate URLs for Home-Show and redirect requests for PipelineB-Show to PipelineA-Show.

To do this, configure your hostname alias file as follows:

"www.your-hostnameA.com" :
[
   {
      "if-site-path":"eu/uk",
      "site-path-trailing-slash" : "no",
      "pipeline":"Home-Show"
   },
   {
      "pipeline":"Home-Show"
   },
   {
      "if-site-path":"eu/fr",
      "site-path-trailing-slash" : "no",
      "locale":"fr_FR",
      "pipeline":"Home-Show"
   },
   {
      "if-site-path":"fr",
      "site-path-trailing-slash" : "no",
      "locale":"fr_FR", "pipeline":"Home-Show"
   },
   { 
      "if-site-path":"eu/de",
      "site-path-trailing-slash" : "no",
      "locale":"de_DE",
      "pipeline":"Home-Show"
   },
   { 
      "if-site-path":"de",
      "site-path-trailing-slash" : "no",
      "locale":"de_DE",
      "pipeline":"Home-Show"
   },
   {
      "entry-point-pipelines" : [ "Home-Show" ],
      "entry-point-destination" : [ "site-path" ]
   },
   {
      "entry-point-pipelines" : [ "PipelineA-Show", "PipelineB-Show"],
      "entry-point-destination" : [ "pipeline"]
   }
]

Set the trailing slash to NO for pipelines and then enable it.

The new behavior for the following duplicate resource URL requests is as follows:

  • www.your-hostname.com/eu/uk (invoking pipeline)
    • www.your-hostname.com/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/home (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/home/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/eu/uk/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/eu/uk/home (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/eu/uk/home/ (redirect)
  • www.your-hostname.com/eu/fr (invoking pipeline)
    • www.your-hostname.com/fr (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/fr/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/fr/home (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/fr/home/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/eu/fr/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/eu/fr/home (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/eu/fr/home/ (redirect)
  • www.your-hostname.com/eu/de (invoking pipeline)
    • www.your-hostname.com/de (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/de/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/de/home (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/de/home/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/eu/de/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/eu/de/home (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/eu/de/home/ (redirect)
  • www.your-hostname.com/eu/show-something-a (invoking pipeline)
    • www.your-hostname.com/show-something-a (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/show-something-a/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/show-something-b (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/show-something-b/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/eu/show-something-a/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/eu/show-something-b (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/eu/show-something-b/ (redirect)
  • www.your-hostname.com/eu/de/show-something-a (invoking pipeline)
    • www.your-hostname.com/de/show-something-a (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/de/show-something-a/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/de/show-something-b (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/de/show-something-b/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/eu/de/show-something-a/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/eu/de/show-something-b (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/eu/de/show-something-b/ (redirect)
  • www.your-hostname.com/eu/fr/show-something-a (invoking pipeline)
    • www.your-hostname.com/fr/show-something-a (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/fr/show-something-a/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/fr/show-something-b (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/fr/show-something-b/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/eu/fr/show-something-a/ (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/eu/fr/show-something-b (redirect)
    • www.your-hostname.com/eu/fr/show-something-b/ (redirect)

The new behavior for the URL generation API is as follows:

  • pipeline 'Home-Show' and locale 'en_UK': www.your-hostname.com/eu/uk
  • pipeline 'Home-Show' and locale 'fr_FR': www.your-hostname.com/eu/fr
  • pipeline 'Home-Show' and locale 'de_DE': www.your-hostname.com/eu/de
  • pipeline ('PipelineA-Show' or 'PipelineB-Show') and locale 'en_UK': www.your-hostname.com/eu/show-something-a
  • pipeline ('PipelineA-Show' or 'PipelineB-Show') and locale 'fr_FR': www.your-hostname.com/eu/fr/show-something-a
  • pipeline ('PipelineA-Show' or 'PipelineB-Show') and locale 'de_DE': www.your-hostname.com/eu/de/show-something-a

With this mapping, all pipeline aliases (or category/folder mappings) are available with two site paths eu and eu/[locale]. If these URLs are not published, for example, via your sitemap or email recommendation, you don't need to configure rules for these resources.

Infocenter Retirement: On June 30, 2023, the Infocenter was retired, and documentation currently hosted on the Infocenter will be published to Salesforce Help, Commerce Cloud Developer Center, and Salesforce B2C Commerce Developer Documentation Resources. For more information, see the release note.