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Technical SEO

Rel Next

rel=next is an HTML link relation that marks a page as the next page in a sequence, such as a paginated series.

Also called
next link relation, rel next attribute
Applies to
pagination, sequential content
Commonly confused with
rel=prev, rel=canonical

Key points

  • Google no longer uses rel=next as a signal for indexing paginated content.
  • rel=next alone does not consolidate ranking signals across pages in a series.
  • Correct implementation requires self-referential canonicals and crawlable internal links.
  • The markup can still serve as a documentation aid for developers and browsers.
  • Browsers may treat rel=next as a resource hint in some contexts, though this is unrelated to SEO.

What it is not

Several misconceptions surround rel=next, especially after Google confirmed it no longer uses rel=next and rel=prev for indexing or pagination discovery.

  • A signal that directly improves Google indexing or rankings. Google has stated it no longer uses rel=next for pagination or indexing, so older advice about signal consolidation is outdated.
  • A replacement for crawlable pagination links. rel=next is a hint, not a directive; search engines still need HTML anchor links between adjacent pages to discover content.
  • A tool that consolidates PageRank across pages in a series. Google never confirmed this behaviour, and the deprecation makes it irrelevant for modern SEO.
  • A required markup for every page in a series. The first page needs only rel=next, the last only rel=prev, and intermediate pages should include both.

Common mistakes

Implementing rel=next incorrectly can cause crawl and indexing issues, especially when combined with other technical elements.

  • Using rel=next without correct internal pagination links between adjacent pages. Consequence: crawlers may not discover all pages, leaving content orphaned and unindexed.
  • Pointing canonical tags on paginated pages to the category root instead of self-referential canonicals. This can cause duplicate content issues and confuse search engines about which page to index.
  • Treating rel=next as a replacement for a proper pagination architecture with crawlable links. Consequence: without clear pathing, search engines may treat the series as a single page or miss important content.
  • Assuming rel=next still affects rankings or indexation. This wastes development effort that could be spent on modern pagination techniques, such as clean URL structures and internal linking.
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Sources

  1. Google Search Central Blog: Pagination with rel="next" and rel="prev" Google’s original official guidance on how rel="next" and rel="prev" were intended to work.
  2. MDN Web Docs: rel HTML attribute Authoritative HTML reference for what the rel attribute means in general.
  3. Google Search Central / Google announcement referenced in SEO coverage Google later stated it no longer uses rel="next" and rel="prev" for indexing; use Search Central-era guidance and later Google commentary together.

Written and maintained by Nora Lindholm. Last updated 27 July 2026.

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