Intermediate LevelREST APIs & Web Services
How do rel="canonical" and pagination links assist API search engine indexing?
❓ Interview Prompt: Explain `Link` headers, `rel="canonical"`, `rel="next"`, `rel="prev"`, and assisting Web Crawlers during API pagination.
Web crawlers indexing API collections or public web endpoints use the 'Link' HTTP Header to navigate paginated datasets without indexing duplicate content:
Link Header Format:
'Link: <https://api.example.com/v1/items?page=3>; rel="next", <https://api.example.com/v1/items?page=1>; rel="prev", <https://api.example.com/v1/items>; rel="canonical"'
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'rel="canonical"': Tells search engines which primary URL is the master copy, preventing duplicate content SEO penalties.
Code Implementation Example
http
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Link: <https://api.example.com/v1/products?page=2>; rel="next", <https://api.example.com/v1/products>; rel="canonical"
Content-Type: application/json💡HTTP Link header providing canonical and pagination navigation references.
🎯 Interview Key Takeaway
Use HTTP Link headers with rel=canonical and rel=next to guide web crawlers through API pagination cleanly.
#Link Header#Canonical#SEO#Intermediate
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