Added a variable to dynamic URL

Should I remove the old ones with Webmaster Tools?

[andrewshim]

A year ago, I had to add a variable to the URL of my busiest page. This changed the URL from :

www.example.com?idea.php?variable=v1

to

www.example.com?idea.php?variable=v1&variable2=v2

I have removed ALL the links that pointed to the old URL, but the old URL strings still appear when I do a site:www.example.com search. All of the OLD ones are supplemental. In fact, most of the new equivalent URLs have also gone supplemental.

Am I correct to assume that the old and new URL strings would be considered DIFFERENT URLs and it is safe to request for the removal of the old URLs via Webmaster Tools?

[tedster]

Does the old version of the url still resolve with a 200 status? Or do you now get a 404 or 410 status? (And hopefully not a 302.) I would suggest making sure first that the old url does not resolve. Then you shouldn't need to play with the removal tool - let Google do their own housecleaning.

[andrewshim]

Does the old version of the url still resolve with a 200 status?

Yes... the old URLs are actually still valid. That's the problem. I didn't consider supplementals one year ago, so now I'm stuck with both versions of the approx 450 URLs in the index and all supplemental.

If I request the removal of

www.example.com?value=v1

would it also kill

www.example.com?value=v1&value2=v2

?