In your Google Analytics data, having a duplicate URL with a trailing slash can be confusing. The same page is effectively given two different URLs, which can result in unreliable metrics and reports. In this article, we’ll show you how to fix this issue in Google Analytics.

Step 1: Identify the Duplicate URLs

The first step is to identify the duplicate URLs with a trailing slash. You can do this by going to the Behavior > Site Content > All Pages report in your Google Analytics account. Look for pages that have the same URL, but one has a trailing slash and the other doesn’t.

Step 2: Add a Canonical Tag

Once the duplicate URLs have been located, you can add a canonical tag to your website’s HTML header. Search engines and web crawlers can access the preferred version of the page by visiting the URL specified in the canonical tag.

For example, if you have two pages with the URLs “example.com/page” and “example.com/page/”, you would add the following canonical tag to the header of both pages:

<link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/page" /> 

This instructs search engines that “https://example.com/page” is the preferred URL for the page and that any other URLs with a trailing slash should be treated as duplicates.

Step 3: Set Up a Search and Replace the Filter in Google Analytics

To remove the trailing slash from the URLs in your reports after adding the canonical tag, you must configure a search and change the filter in Google Analytics. This is how you do it:

1. Go to the Admin section of your Google Analytics account.
2. In the View column, click on Filters.
3. Click on the “+ Add Filter” button to create a new filter.
4. Give your filter a name, such as “Remove Trailing Slash.”
5. Select “Custom” as the filter type.
6. In the Search and Replace section, select “Request URI” as the filter field.
7. In the Search String field, enter “(.*)/$”.
8. In the Replace String field, enter “$1”.
9. Select “No” for “Case Sensitive.”
10. Click on the “Save” button to create the filter.

This filter will remove the trailing slash from every URL in your reports, effectively merging duplicate URLs and providing you with more precise data.

Conclusion

You can resolve the dreaded duplicate URL with a trailing slash issue in Google Analytics by carrying out these three steps. Your data will be accurate and consistent if you add a canonical tag and set up a search and replace filter, which will enable you to make more intelligent decisions about your website and marketing tactics.