Why do I see ?i=1 at the end of a URL

When you first open your website, you may see the extra characters like ?i=1 at the end of your URL. This article explains more about what causes it, and what you can do about it.

What causes the ?i=1 suffix?

This extra URL parameter is caused by a security system we use to protect your website. This security system ensures that your website can only be accessed through regular web browsers.

What does the ?i=1 suffix do?

The ?i=1 suffix is a counter. When you first load your website, some Javascript will be sent to your browser to verify it can execute the code and store a cookie. The page will then reload with the ?=1 suffix. On the next request, the server checks if your browser has the security system cookie. If not, your browser will get a new security challenge to set the cookie again, and be redirected to a URL with suffix ?i=2.

If the counter hits 3 and your browser still doesn’t send a valid cookie, you’ll be redirected to a page with instructions on how to enable cookies in your browser. This way, your browser will not get stuck in a redirect loop.

Can I remove the ?i=1 URL suffix?

The security system responsible for the ?i=1 suffix is mandatory on all websites. Because of that, the security system cannot be disabled, so neither can the URL suffix.

Note that premium hosting does not have a security system like this.

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