Should my product URL contain the category?

Should my product URL contain the category?

'Q: /product/widget or /category/subcategory/widget — which URL structure?'

Short answer: Use a flat /product/widget URL and express hierarchy with breadcrumbs — not with the URL path.

The longer version: the problem with deep category paths in product URLs is products that live in multiple categories. A shirt in 'Men > Shirts' and 'Sale' can't have two URL paths without creating duplicates. A flat product URL sidesteps that entirely — one product, one canonical URL, regardless of how many categories list it.

Express the hierarchy where it belongs: BreadcrumbList schema plus visible breadcrumbs, which Google shows in results and uses to understand structure. You get the context without coupling the URL to one category.

The follow-up: this matters most for sites where products move between categories seasonally. With category paths baked into URLs, every move is a redirect; with flat URLs, products move freely and only the breadcrumb changes.

Rule of thumb: flat URLs for products, breadcrumbs for hierarchy, redirects reserved for real moves.

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