URLs: Dash vs. Underscore [closed]

Question

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?

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

I used to use underscores all the time, now I only use them for parts of a web site that I don't want anyone to directly link, js files, css, ... etc.

From an SEO point of view, dashes seem to be the preferred way of handling it, for a detailed explanation, from the horses mouth http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/dashes-vs-underscores/.

The other problem that seems to occur, more with the general public than programmers, is that when a hyperlink with underscores is underlined, you can't see the underscore. Advanced users will work it out, but Joe Public probably won't.

Still use underscores in code in preference to dashes though - programmers understand them, most other people don't.

Answer 3

This is just a guess, but it seems they picked the one that people most probably wouldn't use in a name. This way you can have a name that includes a hyphenated word, and still use the underbar as a word delimiter, e.g. UseTwo-wayLinks could be converted to use_two-way_links.

In your example, /about-us would be a directory named the hyphenated word "about-us" (if such a word existed, and /about_us would be a directory named the two-word phrase "about us" converted to a single string of non-white characters.

Answer 4

I'm more comfortable with underscores. First of all, they match in with my regular programming experience of variable_names_are_not-subtraction, second of all, and I believe this was mentioned already, words can have hyphens, but they do not ever have underscores. To pick a really stupid example, "Nation-state country" is different from "nation state country". The former translates something like "the land of nation-states" (think "this here is gun country! Best move along, y'hear?"), whereas the latter looks like a list of sometime-synonyms. http://example.com/nation-state-country/ doesn't appear to mean the same as http://example.com/nation-state_country/, and yet, if hyphens are delimiters/"space"s in addition to characters in words, it can. The latter seems more clear as to the actual purpose, whereas the former looks more like that list, if anything.

Answer 5

I think dash is better from a user perspective and it will not interfere with SEO.

Not sure where or why the underscore convention started.

A little more knowledgeable debate

Answer 6

From Google Webmaster Central

Consider using punctuation in your URLs. The URL http://www.example.com/green-dress.html is much more useful to us than http://www.example.com/greendress.html. We recommend that you use hyphens (-) instead of underscores (_) in your URLs.