<b>The faceted-navigation containment SOP</b>

<b>The faceted-navigation containment SOP</b>

Filters multiply URLs combinatorially. Three filters with ten values each is a thousand pages from one template. Contain it before it floods the index.

Classify every facet into one of three buckets:

Bucket A — indexable, has demand. Single high-volume filter values (one category, one popular brand). Gate: keyword data confirms search demand. Gets a clean static URL, in sitemap.

Bucket B — crawlable, not indexable. Useful for users, no search demand. Gate: meta noindex, follow. Stays linkable so the crawler passes through, never enters the index.

Bucket C — blocked. Combinations, sort orders, price sliders, multi-select. Gate: parameter rendering, links nofollow or rendered via non-crawlable controls.

Owner: SEO assigns the bucket. Owner: dev wires the rendering.

— The rule: a facet earns an indexable URL only if it has its own search demand
— Two-filter combinations almost never clear that bar; default them to C

Gate: no facet ships without a bucket assignment.

Ship gate: don't publish faceted nav until every facet is bucketed A, B, or C.