Set a canonical URL
Tell Google which version of a page is the real one when several URLs serve it.
What it means
The same page is often reachable at multiple URLs (with/without www, with query parameters, http/https). A canonical link tells search engines which one to index so the duplicates don't compete.
Why it matters
Without a canonical, Google may index the wrong variant and split your ranking signals across duplicate URLs — weakening the page for its most important searches.
How to fix it
- Add <link rel="canonical" href="https://yourdomain.com/preferred-path"> to the page head.
- Most SEO plugins output this automatically — check that the setting is on and points at the live domain.
- Make sure the canonical is absolute (full URL with https) and self-referencing on normal pages.
- Verify the page renders on one canonical domain — redirect http→https and non-www→www (or vice versa) at the server.
Common mistakes
- Pointing the canonical at a different page, which tells Google to ignore this one.
- Using relative URLs or mixing http and https, www and non-www.
- Adding a canonical to a page that is also set to noindex.
How to check it worked
Open Search Console's URL Inspection for the page and compare 'User-declared canonical' with 'Google-selected canonical'. They should match.
Helpful tools
- Google Search Console → URL Inspection
Not sure if this affects your site? Analyze your website for free or compare it with a competitor.
Related guides
- Fix redirect chains and loops: Replace multi-hop redirects with direct ones to preserve link equity and speed up page loads.
- Create and submit an XML sitemap: Tell search engines exactly which pages to index with a machine-readable sitemap.
- Fix the robots directive blocking Google: A noindex or robots.txt rule is telling search engines to stay away.
- Write a proper page title: The single most important on-page SEO element — 50–60 characters that sell the click.