Pagination enabled on static pages
Author: ricklabsdotn8Created Feb 13, 2025Updated Sep 15, 2026
Labels[Status] Core Fix NeededWordPress.comContent ManagementCustomer signal > CleanedCustomer Report > DirectDotcom > Manage content (block editor experience)PE Journey: Core ValuePE Segment: General
Context and steps to reproduce
ISSUE: It appears that pagination is enabled for pages e.g. /page/xxx even if the page is a static page, and not necessarily an archive. This affects SEO which is reported on WPCOM users.
Steps to reproduce:
- Activate either a classic or block theme
- Go to any static page and add a pagination link in this format
/page/x/
On the front page:
- When using a static page, use any number works e.g.
/page/xxx - When showing the latest posts, use
/page/2
Expected Behavior
- Should return a 404
Actual Behavior
- The pagination is enabled. For static pages, any number works, e.g.
/page/2048
This appears to cause SEO issues for some users, since the paginations are visible to Search Engines.
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Site owner impact
Fewer than 20% of the total website/platform users
Severity
Major
What other impact(s) does this issue have?
Platform revenue
If a workaround is available, please outline it here.
No workaround for now
Platform
Simple, Atomic, Self-hosted
Source: Automattic/wp-calypso