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URLs: Dash vs. Underscore

Asked 2008-09-23T05:51:50.857
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Is it better convention to use hyphens or underscores in your URLs?

Should it be /about_us or /about-us?

From usability point of view, I personally think /about-us is much better for end-user yet Google and most other websites (and javascript frameworks) use underscore naming pattern. Is it just matter of style? Are there any compatibility issues with dashes?

url seo naming-conventions
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Here are a few points in favor of the dashes:

  • Dashes are recommended by Google over underscores (source).
  • Dashes are more familiar to the end user.
  • Dashes are easier to write on a standard keyboard (no need to Shift).
  • Dashes don't hide behind underlines.
  • Dashes feel more native in the context of URLs as they are allowed in domain names.
answered 2011-05-27T13:48:10.800

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