Clear Trailing Slash

Overview

The ClearLastSlash rule in Forge Server's forgerc configuration removes a trailing slash from URLs when enabled. This rule can be applied globally to all URLs or nested within a Location block for more granular control.

Usage

The ClearLastSlash rule accepts a boolean value:

• true – Enables the removal of the trailing slash
• false – Disables the removal of the trailing slash (default behavior if not specified)

Global Configuration

Applying ClearLastSlash globally ensures that all URLs processed by the server automatically remove a trailing slash if present.

Example

ClearLastSlash true

Location /sdk
  Rewrite /sdk/index.html

Location /guides/deployment-options
  Rewrite /guides/deployment-options/index.html

In this example:

• ClearLastSlash true ensures that all URLs have their trailing slash removed before further processing
• The Rewrite directives inside Location blocks remain unaffected by this rule

How It Works

When ClearLastSlash is enabled:

• URL Processing: All incoming URLs are processed to remove trailing slashes
• Location Matching: Location blocks match against the cleaned URLs
• Rewrite Rules: Rewrite directives work with the normalized URLs
• Consistent Behavior: All URLs follow the same pattern

Benefits

Using ClearLastSlash provides several advantages:

• URL Consistency: All URLs follow the same format
• SEO Improvement: Prevents duplicate content issues
• Clean URLs: More professional and readable URLs
• Simplified Routing: Easier to manage URL patterns
• Search Engine Friendly: Better indexing and crawling

Considerations

Best Practices

Follow these best practices when using ClearLastSlash:

• Test thoroughly in development before deploying
• Monitor for any routing conflicts or issues
• Update internal links to match your URL strategy
• Consider the impact on existing bookmarks and links
• Document your URL strategy for team members