Canonical URL

A canonical URL is the single address a site declares as the authoritative version of a page when the same content is reachable at several URLs, usually with a <link rel="canonical"> element in the page head. Google’s documentation describes canonicalization as its process of choosing one URL to index and show among duplicates; the link element is a strong hint, not a command.

When duplicates arise

Trailing slash and no slash, http and https, www and bare domain, tracking parameters, pagination and filter parameters, printer versions, and the same article syndicated elsewhere. Each is a different URL with the same content, and without a signal the engine picks one itself.

Rules we apply

• Every indexable page declares its own canonical, matching the URL in the sitemap exactly.
• Redirect the variants (http, www, missing slash) so there is one reachable URL, rather than relying on the canonical alone.
• Pages that should not be indexed carry noindex; a canonical pointing elsewhere is not a substitute.

Checking it

Our indexability inspector shows a URL’s status, redirect chain, robots rules and canonical in one view; the sitemap inspector checks that sitemap URLs and canonicals agree.