diff --git a/bridgetown-core/lib/bridgetown-core/generators/prototype_generator.rb b/bridgetown-core/lib/bridgetown-core/generators/prototype_generator.rb
index 6275322a9..bed1d2415 100644
--- a/bridgetown-core/lib/bridgetown-core/generators/prototype_generator.rb
+++ b/bridgetown-core/lib/bridgetown-core/generators/prototype_generator.rb
@@ -79,11 +79,11 @@ def ensure_pagination_enabled
     # @return [String, nil]
     def validate_search_term(prototype_page)
       # @type [String]
-      search_term = prototype_page.data["prototype"]["term"]
-      return nil unless search_term.is_a?(String)
+      search_term = prototype_page.data["prototype"]["term"].to_s
+      return nil unless search_term.present?
 
       if prototype_page.data["prototype"]["collection"]
-        @configured_collection = prototype_page.data["prototype"]["collection"]
+        @configured_collection = prototype_page.data["prototype"]["collection"].to_s
       end
 
       unless site.collections[@configured_collection]
diff --git a/bridgetown-paginate/lib/bridgetown-paginate/pagination_model.rb b/bridgetown-paginate/lib/bridgetown-paginate/pagination_model.rb
index ae0cbd7d0..243f299cd 100644
--- a/bridgetown-paginate/lib/bridgetown-paginate/pagination_model.rb
+++ b/bridgetown-paginate/lib/bridgetown-paginate/pagination_model.rb
@@ -50,13 +50,18 @@ def run(default_config, templates, site_title) # rubocop:todo Metrics/AbcSize
           template_config = Bridgetown::Utils.deep_merge_hashes(
             default_config,
             template.data["pagination"] || template.data["paginate"] || {}
-          )
+          ).tap do |config|
+            config["collection"] = config["collection"].to_s if config["collection"].is_a?(Symbol)
+            config["category"] = config["category"].to_s if config["category"].is_a?(Symbol)
+            config["tag"] = config["tag"].to_s if config["tag"].is_a?(Symbol)
+            config["locale"] = config["locale"].to_s if config["locale"].is_a?(Symbol)
+          end
 
           # Is debugging enabled on the page level
           @debug = template_config["debug"]
           _debug_print_config_info(template_config, template.path)
 
-          next if template_config["enabled"] == false
+          next unless template_config["enabled"]
 
           @logging_lambda.call "found page: " + template.path, "debug" unless @debug