Smarter URL Normalization at Scale: How MIQPS Powers Content Deduplication at Pinterest
Apr 20, 2026Pinterest Engineering

Summary
Introduced the MIQPS algorithm which dynamically learns non-neutral URL parameters per domain by comparing content IDs of original URLs with URLs where a parameter is removed. This addresses the long tail of domains with varying URL structures where static rules are insufficient. Implemented anomaly detection to prevent regressions by comparing new MIQPS maps to previous versions, rejecting updates if a significant number of parameters change from non-neutral to neutral.