Duplicate pages in WMT caused by Google appending query string

[Tonearm]

I just checked Google WMT and they have a long list of pages with duplicate titles and meta descriptions. I checked them and they're all like this:

1. /example-page.html
2. /example-page.html?sa=X&ei=XXX&ved=XXX

Isn't "?sa=X&ei=XXX&ved=XXX" something Google itself appends to my URLs?

[JD_Toims]

Uh, yeah, those URLs don't seem right if they're not valid URLs you've linked to or use -- Personally, I don't worry about where a query_string is coming from, I just redirect all BS query_strings anyone [including Google sniffing around] tries to send as info [query_string == info sent to the location/URL] for any page.

If an .html file uses some info [query_string] sent by a visitor, then I'm more specific, but if not then I strip/redirect all query_strings -- I mean *every* request containing a ? on a site where query_strings are not used will be redirected by something like the following.

RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{THE_REQUEST} \?
RewriteRule .? http://www.example.com%{REQUEST_URI}? [R=301,L]

[lucy24]

Look at the parameters area of wmt. Any parameter google has ever used will be listed there. If it's something you never use yourself, tell them to ignore the parameter.

Last time I looked, I had three listed-- and I don't use parameters at all, ever. Matter of fact it was a nasty shock because I was just checking the area so I could tell someone what wmt tab it's under. Ouch!

Once google has met a parameter and found a valid page at the other end, they will probably keep trying the parameter forever, and may try others for the heck of it. So you have to tell them to cut it out. It's the same idea as periodically requesting garbage URLs.

[Tonearm]

Thank you JD_Toims and lucy24. Will a solution like JD_Toims's which 301 redirects URLs with query strings fix this problem with Google and disappear the duplicates from WMT?

[aakk9999]

Will a solution like JD_Toims's which 301 redirects URLs with query strings fix this problem with Google and disappear the duplicates from WMT?

Yes, it will, once Google re-crawls URLs with query string and sees the redirect.