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How-to 5 min read September 26, 2019

How many GET parameters can be in the page URL

Multiple GET parameters are transferred upon almost every request to the server. There should not be too many such parameters to make them easier to control from the side of the browser and server. Otherwise, the search engine will perceive different pages as duplicates.

What are the GET parameters

GET request - a method of transferring data from a client to a server in order to obtain the information specified using specific GET parameters.

This is public data available when you view the link in the story once again. Using such a request is relevant when the address bar data does not change. That is, every time you access a page with the given parameters, its address remains constant.

A GET request consists of a domain, page address, and parameters that follow the "?" sign. The format of one parameter looks like this: "key = description". The whole request looks like this:
http://site.com/index.php?name=Kate&surname=Johnson
where name is the first parameter, and surname is the second parameter. The same request in PHP format:
<?php
echo ‘Name: ‘ . $_GET[‘name’] . ‘<br />’;
echo ‘Surname: ‘ . $_GET[‘surname’] . ‘<br />’;
?>,
Or like this:
<?php
if(isset($_GET['name'])) {
    echo $_GET['surname'];
}
?>,
where the IF parameter defines one condition: if the name parameter is known, it should be shown on the screen.

As a result, the browser will display the following information:
Name: Kate
Surname: Johnson
When transferring personal information, there is no need to use the GET request and parameters due to a lack of confidentiality. The address bar information is open to users.

The use of such a request makes sense if you need to save or send a link. It is better to use the POST request to transfer confidential information. Pages requested by the GET parameter are always static.

How many GET parameters are considered correct

One request includes several GET parameters. Their number is not limited to the HTTP protocol. There are limits on the request volume from the server and browser. Each of them has its own maximum size for receiving/transmitting data. If the length exceeds this limit, the request will be truncated.

There is no specific maximum value for a GET request. One server can accept a maximum of 8 KB, and the other one – 16 KB. The average request size ranges from 512-1024 Kb.

In fact, there should be no more than 5 parameters in one request, otherwise, each of them will be difficult to control from the server and browser side. If you need to transfer a large amount of information, using the POST method is recommended.

When using friendly URLs, multiple GET parameters are transmitted in a hidden format. To see the complete request, it is necessary to temporarily turn off the friendly URLs.

Conclusion

The number of GET parameters should not be too large so that there is no confusion in their determination on the part of the browser and server. It is better to use this method of transmitting information to create static pages without using sensitive data.

The HTTP protocol does not limit the size of GET requests, but each browser and server have a data transfer limit. It is recommended to use an average of 512-1024 Kb or a maximum of 5 parameters to create one request.
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