How do search engines treat query strings?

@dejuan.watsica 

Search engines treat query strings as parameters in URLs that provide additional information to the server, but do not contribute to the content or relevance of the page. Query strings are usually used to dynamically generate a page, control sorting and filtering of content, or track user behavior. While query strings can be indexed by search engines, they can also cause issues with indexing, such as duplicate content and crawl budget waste, so it's generally recommended to use other methods, such as clean URLs or URL fragments, to pass information to the server.

@dejuan.watsica 

Search engines treat query strings differently, depending on their specific algorithms and the type of query string.

Query strings, also known as URL parameters, are the values that are appended to the end of a URL after the "?" symbol. They can be used to pass information from one page to another, such as to filter results or to store user preferences.

Some search engines, such as Google, may ignore query strings in their indexing process, as they may consider them to be redundant or not valuable for determining the content and relevance of a page. However, other search engines may use query strings to help understand the context and purpose of a page, and to influence the ranking of search results.

It's important to note that some search engines may also penalize sites that use query strings excessively, as they may see it as a sign of spammy or manipulative behavior. Therefore, it's advisable to use query strings sparingly and only when they are truly necessary for your site's functionality.