Google has introduced a new video series designed to answer unusual and highly specific questions about technical SEO. The series, called The Non-Canonical Cabinet, explores search-related topics that may not be covered in detail in standard SEO documentation but can still help website owners and SEO professionals understand how Google Search works.
The first episode was published on October 14, 2026, following a teaser released on October 6. Hosted by Google Search experts Gary Illyes and Cherry Prommawin, the series uses a sitcom-style format to discuss technical questions submitted by website owners and the SEO community.
The opening episode focuses on several common areas of confusion, including emojis in URLs, keywords in web addresses, and the difference between hyphens and underscores. These topics may seem minor, but understanding Google’s guidance can help website owners make more informed technical SEO decisions.
What Is Google’s The Non-Canonical Cabinet?
The Non-Canonical Cabinet is a new video series from Google Search Central that addresses unusual, specific and sometimes overlooked questions about Google Search and technical SEO.
Unlike introductory SEO tutorials, which explain fundamental concepts such as crawling, indexing and ranking, this series focuses on individual questions that website owners may encounter when managing their websites.
Google introduced the series as a way to discuss questions that do not necessarily belong on a standard FAQ page but are still useful for understanding search.
The show uses a sitcom-style presentation to make technical topics more approachable. It also encourages viewers to submit their own questions through the comments section of the videos.
The goal is to provide explanations from Google Search representatives rather than leave website owners relying on assumptions or unverified SEO advice.
Who Hosts Google’s New Technical SEO Video Series?
The Non-Canonical Cabinet is hosted by two Google Search experts:
- Gary Illyes: A Google Search team member who regularly discusses crawling, indexing and other technical aspects of Google Search.
- Cherry Prommawin: A Google Search representative who participates in explaining technical search topics and answering questions from website owners.
Both hosts help explain how Google’s systems handle different website configurations and technical SEO scenarios.
Gary Illyes has also participated in Google’s earlier educational content, including the How Search Works video series published in 2024. The new series takes a different approach by beginning with specific questions from the SEO community rather than introducing search fundamentals from the beginning.
What Technical SEO Questions Does Google Answer in the First Episode?
The first episode of The Non-Canonical Cabinet examines how Google handles certain URL elements and whether URL formatting choices influence search rankings.
The discussion covers three main areas:
- Emojis and non-English characters in domain names and URL paths.
- The impact of keywords included in URLs.
- How Google interprets hyphens and underscores as word separators.
These explanations help clarify which URL decisions matter technically and which are unlikely to have a significant impact on SEO performance.
Can You Use Emojis in URLs for SEO?
One of the questions addressed in the first episode concerns whether website owners can include emojis in domain names and URL paths.
Google’s explanation distinguishes between the domain name and the path that follows it.
Emojis in Domain Names
Domain names follow established internet standards. According to the discussion, emojis are not permitted in domain names under the current technical standards for Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs).
Internationalized Domain Names allow domain names to use characters from languages beyond the basic Latin alphabet. These names are represented internally using a system called Punycode, which commonly produces a form beginning with xn--.
For example, a domain containing supported non-English characters may appear in its native script in a browser while using a Punycode representation behind the scenes.
Emoji characters are different. They are not generally permitted in domain names under the applicable IDN standards, although some country-code domain registrations have historically allowed certain emoji-containing names at the second level.
Emojis in URL Paths
URL paths have different rules. Google Search’s documentation explains that URLs can contain non-ASCII characters when they are appropriately encoded.
Gary Illyes explained that Googlebot can crawl URL paths containing emojis and that Google’s systems can process those characters.
However, browser and application behaviour may vary. Some browsers or social platforms may display an encoded URL rather than the original emoji.
SEO takeaway: Website owners should not assume that emojis automatically prevent Google from crawling a URL path. However, using them is not necessary for SEO, and compatibility and readability should be considered before adding unusual characters to URLs.
Do Keywords in URLs Help Google Rankings?
Another important topic in the first episode is whether adding keywords to URLs improves search rankings.
Gary Illyes described keywords in URLs as an extremely small ranking signal. He explained that they may have some relevance when Google has almost no other information available about a page. Once Google can evaluate the page’s actual content, URL keywords become much less important.
This means that including a target keyword in a URL should not be treated as a major ranking strategy.
For example, a business publishing a page about technical SEO services could use a clear URL such as:
example.com/technical-seo-services/
This URL is descriptive and easy for users to understand. However, repeatedly adding related keywords to the URL is unlikely to provide a meaningful ranking advantage.
What Should Website Owners Do Instead?
Rather than focusing on keyword-heavy URLs, website owners should prioritise:
- Publishing useful, relevant and original content.
- Creating a logical website structure.
- Using descriptive URLs that accurately represent each page.
- Improving internal linking and navigation.
- Ensuring important pages can be crawled and indexed.
- Providing a good user experience across devices.
A clear URL can help people understand where a link leads, but it should support the overall website structure rather than serve as a substitute for valuable content.
Hyphens vs Underscores: Which Is Better for SEO?
The first episode also discusses the difference between using hyphens and underscores to separate words in URL paths.
Google recommends using hyphens to separate words in URLs. According to Gary Illyes, words joined by underscores may be interpreted as one long word in a URL path.
Consider these examples:
| URL format | Example |
|---|---|
| Hyphens | example.com/technical-seo-guide/ |
| Underscores | example.com/technical_seo_guide/ |
The hyphen-separated version follows Google’s general recommendation and makes the individual words easier to distinguish.
Underscores do not automatically make a page unindexable, and Google may still understand the words in such URLs. However, hyphens are the recommended choice for new URLs.
Should You Change Existing URLs That Use Underscores?
Not necessarily. If your website already uses underscores, changing every URL solely for this reason may not be worthwhile.
URL changes can affect existing links, redirects and indexing if they are not managed carefully. Before changing established URLs, assess the potential benefit and implement appropriate permanent redirects where necessary.
For new pages, using hyphens consistently is a sensible approach that aligns with Google’s published recommendations.
Why Does This Video Series Matter for SEO Professionals?
Technical SEO often involves small details that can lead to confusion, particularly when advice from different sources appears contradictory.
The Non-Canonical Cabinet gives website owners access to explanations from Google’s own Search representatives. This can help SEO professionals separate established recommendations from assumptions and outdated practices.
The first episode is especially relevant to people who manage website URLs, plan site structures or advise clients on technical optimisation.
Its main lessons include:
- Avoid over-optimising URLs: Keywords in URLs are a very small ranking signal, according to Google.
- Choose clear word separators: Use hyphens when creating new URLs.
- Understand URL components: Domain names and URL paths do not follow exactly the same character rules.
- Prioritise technical fundamentals: Crawlability, indexability, useful content and clear website architecture remain important.
- Use official documentation: Check Google’s guidance before making major technical changes based on SEO rumours.
The episode does not announce a new Google ranking algorithm or require website owners to make immediate changes. Instead, it provides clarification on existing technical SEO questions.
What Is the Next Topic in Google’s SEO Video Series?
According to Search Engine Journal’s report, the next episode of The Non-Canonical Cabinet is expected to cover robots.txt.
The robots.txt file is used to provide crawler instructions about which URLs a website’s owners want compliant crawlers to access. It is an important part of technical SEO, particularly for large websites and sites with complex URL structures.
However, robots.txt is not a reliable way to remove a page from Google’s index. It primarily controls crawling, and a blocked URL may still be indexed in some circumstances if Google discovers it through other signals.
The next episode could provide further clarification on questions about crawler behaviour and website configuration. Google has not specified a regular release schedule for the series in the announcement covered by Search Engine Journal.
How Can You Watch The Non-Canonical Cabinet?
Website owners and SEO professionals can follow Google Search Central’s official channels to watch the series and access other educational resources.
To stay informed:
- Visit the Google Search Central website.
- Follow the official Google Search Central YouTube channel.
- Watch the available episodes of The Non-Canonical Cabinet.
- Submit relevant technical SEO questions through the comments section where appropriate.
- Check Google’s official documentation when applying recommendations to your website.
Watching the videos alongside the official documentation can help clarify technical questions and support better-informed SEO decisions.
Final Thoughts
Google’s new video series, The Non-Canonical Cabinet, provides useful explanations of technical SEO questions that website owners and SEO professionals may encounter.
The first episode discusses emojis in URLs, the limited ranking value of keywords in URLs, and Google’s recommendation to use hyphens instead of underscores as word separators. These insights help clarify common SEO misconceptions and encourage website owners to follow practical, evidence-based optimisation methods.
The series is educational content, not an announcement of a new Google ranking algorithm. Its value lies in explaining how Google Search handles specific technical situations and helping SEO professionals make informed decisions about their websites.
As more episodes are released, The Non-Canonical Cabinet could become a useful resource for understanding technical SEO and keeping up with Google’s guidance.
