Google Clarifies Hyphens vs Underscores in URLs: A Checklist for Owners

Google updated its URL structure guidance on October 23, 2026. The page now says to use hyphens, not underscores, to separate words in your URLs. If your website uses a clean, readable address for each page, you likely need to do very little.

This post explains what the guidance says and gives you a short checklist. It also covers when to leave old URLs alone, because changing a working address can cost you more than it gains.

What Google now says about hyphens and underscores

Google's documentation states that it recommends using hyphens instead of underscores to separate words in your URLs. The reason is simple. Programming languages often use underscores to join names together, so Google does not read an underscore as a clear break between words.

Hyphens, on the other hand, clearly signal a word boundary. The page also lists joining words with no separator at all as a poor choice. So a URL like /plumbing-repair-services is better than /plumbing_repair_services or /plumbingrepairservices.

The page does not say hyphens give you a ranking boost. It describes this as a way to help Google and visitors understand your address.

The rest of the URL guidance in plain terms

The same page covers several other habits that matter to a small business site. Each one is easy to check.

• Use readable words. Google prefers words over long ID numbers. An address that names the topic is easier for people and search engines to understand.
• Match case. Google treats /APPLE and /apple as different URLs. If your server returns the same page for both, standardize on one case.
• Trim parameters. Google advises shortening URLs by trimming unnecessary parameters. Referral IDs, sort settings and session IDs can create many duplicate addresses.
• Use standard parameter format. Put an equals sign between a key and its value, and an ampersand between parameters.
• Encode non-ASCII characters. If your URLs include accented letters or other non-ASCII characters, link to the percent-encoded form.
• Skip fragments for content. Google says not to use fragments (the part after #) to change page content. For script-driven changes, it recommends the History API.

A short checklist for your website

You can finish this review in one sitting. Work through the steps in order and write down anything you find.

1. List your main page addresses. Export them from your sitemap or your content management system. Focus on service pages, product pages and location-free pages such as About and Contact.
2. Look for underscores and run-together words. Mark any address that uses an underscore or joins words without a break.
3. Check for mixed case. Visit a few pages with capital letters changed. If the same page loads at two addresses, ask your developer to pick one case and redirect the other.
4. Check for long parameter strings. Click through your filters, sorting options and tracking links. If they produce many addresses for one page, ask your developer to trim them.
5. Review script-driven pages. If a page changes content using a # fragment, ask your developer whether the History API is a better fit.
6. Set a rule for new pages. From now on, write new addresses in lowercase, with hyphens, using plain words that describe the page.

When to leave old URLs alone

Finding an underscore in an old address does not mean you must fix it today. Google's page describes a recommendation. It does not describe a penalty for pages that already work.

Changing a live URL creates a new address. Visitors with bookmarks, links from other sites and search results all point to the old one. If you change it, you need a permanent redirect from the old address to the new one, and you need to update your internal links and sitemap.

A practical rule: fix underscores on pages you are already rebuilding, and fix them in one planned batch with redirects tested first. Leave stable, well-linked pages as they are.

If you do change a URL

• Set up a permanent redirect from the old address to the new one.
• Update internal links, navigation menus and your sitemap to the new address.
• Test the old address in a browser to confirm it lands on the right page.
• Check Search Console in the following weeks for new errors on the affected pages.

Ask your web team these three questions

If someone else manages your site, these questions get you a useful answer quickly.

1. Does our system create new page addresses with hyphens and lowercase letters by default?
2. Do any of our pages load at more than one address, through case differences or parameters?
3. Which old underscore addresses are worth changing, and which should stay as they are?

Good answers give you a short list of actions with clear owners. If the answer to the first question is no, changing that default setting is the best single fix, because it improves every page you add from then on.

The bottom line

Google's updated guidance confirms a simple habit: write page addresses in plain words, separated by hyphens, in one consistent case. Apply it to new pages right away, and change old pages only when a redirect plan is ready. That keeps your site clear for visitors and for the search engines that read it.

Sources

• URL structure best practices for Google Search
• Latest Google Search Documentation Updates

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