Are you a Blogger? and Have you ever noticed ?m=1 at the end of your URLs?Â
If Yes, you might also have a question, why it is there and how to remove it.
?m=1 is a query parameter which is added automatically to the URL. It denotes that the page is being viewed on a mobile device. While it does not affect the content of the site, it will slightly impact the user experience and SEO.Â
In this guide, explore the answer for “how can I remove ?m=1 from URL.”
?m=1 - What it is?
The ?m=1 is a parameter which signifies that the page is being viewed in mobile mode. Similarly, ?m=0 indicates a desktop view.
These parameters help the Bloggers to serve the right version of the page. They are based on the device used to view the page.
Can you remove ?m=1 Parameter?
According to Blogger’s support community, users should not remove the ?m=1 or ?m=0 parameters. Because these parameters are assigned by the platform itself .
These parameters ensure that the blog is displayed correctly across different devices. So, removing them is not recommended. It could cause more harm than good in the long run.
However, if you still want to remove or hide these parameters from your URLs, here are a few methods you can try:
Methods to hide ?m=1 from URLs
1.Using JavaScript Code
You can use JavaScript code to hide the ?m=1 parameter in the URL.
For that, add the following script to the <head> section of your blog template.
<script>
if (window.location.href.indexOf("?m=1") > -1) {
   window.history.replaceState({}, document.title, window.location.href.split("?m=1")[0]);
 }
</script>
This script checks if the ?m=1 parameter is in the URL. If it is, then the script removes it. This updates the URL without reloading the page.
2.Using Canonical Tags
Ensure that your blog’s canonical URLs does not include ?m=1. You can do this by setting the correct canonical tags in the <head> section of your HTML.
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.example.com/your-page" />
Replace https://www.example.com/your-page with the actual URL of your page without the ?m=1 parameter.
Important Notes
- Test Your Changes: After using any of the above methods, test your site thoroughly. Verify that the parameter is gone and there are no unexpected issues.
- SEO Impact: Removing ?m=1 could help SEO. It would combine URL variations and avoid duplicate content issues. However, be cautious as improper handling might lead to indexing issues.
- Mobile Optimization: Make sure your site is fully responsive. This will give mobile users a good experience. They won’t need a separate URL parameter.
Conclusion
While the ?m=1 parameter is automatically managed by the bloggers to ensure proper display on mobile devices, there are also methods to hide it from your URLs if necessary.
Using JavaScript or adjusting canonical tags are potential solutions. However, it’s crucial to weigh the benefits.
We also need to consider potential issues before making any changes. Inspect your site carefully to ensure user interactions are smooth.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, you can use canonical tags to tell search engines that the desktop version is the preferred URL. Add this line inside the <head> section of your Blogger template:
<link rel=”canonical” href=”https://yourwebsite.com/post-url” />
This ensures that search engines only index the main version of your page.
If ?m=1 URLs are appearing in Google Search Console, you can remove them by:
- Setting up a 301 redirect in Blogger (if possible).
- Using the Removals Tool in Google Search Console.
- Adding the canonical tag to guide search engines to the preferred URL.
Yes, ?m=1 will impact SEO by creating duplicate URLs for the same content, leading to indexing issues. Search engines may treat desktop and mobile URLs separately, which can dilute your SEO efforts.
