Check a page’s canonical tag in seconds. Enter a URL to see the canonical address, any canonical in the HTTP header, meta robots and X-Robots-Tag, og:url and hreflang alternates, with clear warnings if something is wrong.
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How to use it
- Enter the full page address, such as https://example.com/page/.
- Press Check canonical.
- See the final URL after any redirects, the canonical tag and the other indexing signals.
- Read the warnings and fix them in your site settings or SEO plugin.
- Check again to confirm the fix.
What it checks
| Check | What a good result looks like |
|---|---|
| Canonical tag | One tag, pointing to the page itself (or its clean address without tracking parameters) |
| Canonical in HTTP header | Usually empty for web pages; often used for PDFs |
| Meta robots and X-Robots-Tag | No noindex on pages you want in search |
| og:url | Matches the canonical, so shares point to the same address |
| hreflang | Language versions listed, each with its own self-referencing canonical |
| Redirects | The address you entered loads directly, without redirecting |
Warnings and what they mean
| Warning | What to do |
|---|---|
| No canonical tag | Add a self-referencing canonical. Most SEO plugins do this automatically |
| More than one canonical tag | Remove duplicates, often added by a theme and a plugin at once |
| Canonical points to a different address | Fine if intended, such as a print or filtered version. Otherwise the page may not be indexed |
| Canonical uses http:// on an https:// page | Update it to https:// |
| Page is set to noindex | Remove noindex if the page should be in search |
| The address redirects | Check the final address instead, and update internal links to it |
What is a canonical tag?
A canonical tag is a line in a page’s HTML head, such as <link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/page/">, that tells search engines which address is the main version of a page. It matters when the same content is reachable at several addresses, for example:
- With and without www, or with and without a trailing slash
- With tracking parameters, such as ?utm_source=newsletter
- Product pages reachable from several categories
- Sorted or filtered versions of a list
How strong is a canonical?
Google lists the ways to show your preferred URL in order of strength: redirects are a strong signal, rel=”canonical” links are a strong signal, and including URLs in a sitemap is a weak signal. A canonical is a strong hint rather than an order, so Google may pick a different version if other signals, such as internal links, disagree. Keep your internal links, sitemap and canonical all pointing to the same address.
Google also says your site will likely do just fine without specifying a canonical preference, but setting one avoids confusion, especially on shops and sites with lots of URL parameters.
Canonical or redirect?
- Use a 301 redirect when the old address shouldn’t be visited any more. Test it with the redirect checker.
- Use a canonical when both versions need to stay available, such as a filtered list.
If two pages have similar text, compare them with the duplicate content checker. Build head tags with the meta tag generator.
Frequently asked questions
What is a canonical tag?
An HTML tag that tells search engines which address is the main version of a page.
Should every page have a canonical?
It is good practice to add a self-referencing canonical to each indexable page.
Does Google always follow the canonical?
Not always. It is a strong signal, but Google can choose a different version if other signals disagree.
Can I have two canonical tags?
No. Keep only one; conflicting tags may be ignored.
Should the canonical include tracking parameters?
No. Point it to the clean address without ?utm_ parameters.
What is the difference between canonical and noindex?
Canonical points to a preferred version; noindex asks search engines not to show the page at all.
Is my URL stored?
No. The page is fetched once to read its tags.
Sources
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