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Inconsistency between capitalized keywords and lowercase URLs

Question

Why does Arc XP alter the capitalization of Keywords in corresponding URL's

Example: Clicking on a keyword such as "Smith", results in a URL that contains "smith."

Answer

Arc XP writes URL's in lowercase only.

It is best practice to use lowercase letters in URLs for several important reasons:

  • SEO: Search engines may interpret uppercase and lowercase versions of the same URL as different pages, which can lead to duplicate content issues.

  • Consistency: Most websites use lowercase letters in their domain names, so using lowercase ensures uniformity and avoids confusion.

  • Ease of use: Mixed case URLs are harder to type accurately and may cause issues with servers that are case-sensitive, potentially leading to errors in serving pages.

  • Historically, the web has followed the unwritten rule of using lowercase URLs to prevent such issues. While it is possible to convert an upper or mixed-case URL to lowercase, the reverse is not practical. This is why mixed-case URLs should be avoided to maintain consistency and prevent technical challenges.