Introduction
If you’ve worked with WordPress long enough, you’ve probably noticed how pagination works for categories, archives, or product listings. For example, page one of a product category might show up like this:

https://example.com/product-category/can/page/1/

But realistically, the first page doesn’t need /page/1/ at all. Instead, the cleaner and canonical URL should be:

https://example.com/product-category/can/

That tiny difference can have big consequences for SEO and user experience. Luckily, with just a simple snippet of code, you can clean this up once and for all.

Why “/page/1/” Is a Problem

At first glance, there’s nothing wrong with /page/1/—it still loads fine. But for search engines:

  1.  Duplicate Content Risk: /page/1/ and / display the same content.
  2. Link Equity Split: Backlinks could end up pointing to different versions of the same page.
  3. User Experience: URLs look longer and less tidy than they need to be.

Search engines prefer concise, canonical links. So cleaning this up keeps your site’s SEO sharp and professional.

The Fix: WordPress Filter Snippet

Here’s the exact piece of code that will strip /page/1/ from your pagination links:

function custom_paginate_links_base_url( $link ) {
    // Check if the URL is for page 1 and change it to the base URL
    if ( strpos( $link, '/page/1/' ) !== false ) {
        $link = preg_replace( '/\/page\/1\//', '/', $link );
    }
    return $link;
}
add_filter( 'paginate_links', 'custom_paginate_links_base_url' );

How It Works

Let’s break this down in plain English:

  • add_filter( 'paginate_links', ... ) → Hooks into the WordPress function that builds pagination links.
  • strpos check → Looks for any URL containing /page/1/.
  • preg_replace magic → If found, it replaces /page/1/ with just /.
  • Final result → Clean pagination where page one is always the canonical base URL.

So instead of links like:

https://example.com/product-category/can/page/1/

You’ll now get the much friendlier:

https://example.com/product-category/can/

Benefits of Using This Snippet

✅ SEO Friendly – Avoids duplicate content issues with search engines.
✅ Cleaner URLs – Easier on the eyes, more professional.
✅ Consolidated Rankings – Backlinks and authority concentrate on one URL.
✅ Performance-Safe – Just a tiny filter function, no heavy plugin required.

Step-by-Step Guide to Apply It

  1. Backup your site (always the safe move).
  2. Open your theme’s functions.php file (or better, a child theme/plugin file).
  3. Paste in the code snippet above.
  4. Save and clear your cache.
  5. Visit your category pages and click through pagination links.

✨ Voilà—page one URLs are now beautifully clean.

Recommended Image for This Blog

Since your readers might be developers, marketers, or store owners, pick something that communicates “SEO + Clean URLs”. Here are a few easy options:

  • Illustration of a “messy URL” (/page/1/…) being transformed into a “clean URL” (/).
  • A browser window graphic with a checkmark next to the tidy version.
  • An SEO symbol (magnifying glass or search icon) over a clean URL bar.

You can make a simple visual quickly using Canva or Figma with text like “/page/1/ → /”.

Conclusion

Fixing /page/1/ URLs in WordPress might feel like a small tweak, but these micro-optimizations add up over time. Cleaner URLs mean search engines understand your site better, users trust it more, and your online presence looks professional.

With just a few lines of code, you’ve now decluttered your pagination, boosted SEO, and streamlined your site. Think of it as giving your URLs a fresh haircut—shorter, sharper, and a whole lot cooler.

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