URL Rewriting Issue with Articles Edited Using SP Page Builder - Forum | JoomShaper
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URL Rewriting Issue with Articles Edited Using SP Page Builder

Asked by DigitM 6 months ago Last activity 6 months ago

Hello,
I'm having a URL rewriting issue when I write an article using the SP Page Builder editor and publish it in blog mode.
It generates two URLs, as shown below:
https://music-acem.com/musique-en-entreprise
which becomes
https://music-acem.com/?option=com_sppagebuilder&view=page&id=4&Itemid=109
The problem is that Search Console tells me the indexed URL is this one: https://music-acem.com/?option=com_sppagebuilder&view=page&id=4&Itemid=109
What can I do to prevent SP Page Builder from rewriting the URL and keep the base URL?
I should note that I have the following settings in .htaccess:
Plain text URL rewriting (SEF) Yes
On-the-fly URL rewriting Yes
Thank you for your help.
Jack

Accepted answer

Marked as the solution
Ziaul Kabir Staff
6 months ago

Hi Jack,

Thanks for your message.

No, you don’t need to stop using the “News” blog layout or change your current workflow 👍

About your question

You can keep using blog mode, but for proper URL handling in Joomla, each SP Page Builder page should have a menu item assigned.

The recommended approach is:
• Create a hidden menu (not visible on the frontend)
• Add a menu item for each SP Page Builder page
• Link each item to its corresponding page

This ensures Joomla always generates and prioritizes the correct SEF URL.

Why this is needed

Without a menu item, Joomla allows access via the component URL (index.php?option=com_sppagebuilder...), which is why search engines are indexing that version.

About your existing articles (Search Console)

No worries here 👍
• Your existing indexed URLs won’t be harmed
• After fixing:
• Google will gradually switch to the clean URLs
• You can speed this up by adding redirects and requesting reindexing

Thanks 😊

2 more replies

Oldest first Newest first Most helpful
Ziaul Kabir Staff
6 months ago

Hi Jack,

Thanks for reaching out.

What you’re seeing is expected behavior when a page created with SP Page Builder is accessed directly via its component URL (index.php?option=com_sppagebuilder...) instead of through a proper Joomla menu item. Search engines may pick up that non-SEF URL if it’s accessible.

To resolve this and ensure only the clean URL (e.g. /musique-en-entreprise) is used, please check the following:

  1. Menu Item Assignment
    Make sure your page is linked to a menu item (Menu → Add New Item → SP Page Builder → Page). This is essential for Joomla to generate the correct SEF URL.
  2. Set Canonical URL
    Ensure the correct menu item is the primary access point. Avoid linking to the raw SP Page Builder URL anywhere on your site.
  3. Redirect the Non-SEF URL
    You can add a redirect from the non-SEF URL to the clean URL via:
    • Joomla Redirect component, or
    • .htaccess (301 redirect)
  4. Check Global SEO Settings
    Confirm the following are enabled in Global Configuration → SEO Settings:
    • Search Engine Friendly URLs: Yes
    • Use URL Rewriting: Yes
  5. Clear Cache & Reindex
    After fixing the above:
    • Clear Joomla and browser cache
    • Request reindexing in Google Search Console for the correct URL

Once a proper menu item is in place and the non-SEF URL is no longer internally linked, search engines will gradually favor the clean version.

If the issue persists, feel free to share your menu structure or provide temporary Super Admin access so we can review it more closely.

Thanks!

DigitM Asked this
6 months ago

Hello Ziaul, and thank you for your feedback.
As I mentioned, these articles created with the SP Page Builder editor are categorized under “News” and appear in blog mode.
So the question is: should we create a hidden menu with a unique URL for each article and stop putting them in the News folder?
And if we change the process for creating these articles, will that affect the old articles in Search Console?
Thanks for your help.
Jack

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