Canonical Tag
A canonical tag is a link element in the HTML head that signals a preferred URL for identical or highly similar content. The rel="canonical" annotation can consolidate signals from multiple URL variants onto one representative address. Google treats it as a strong signal but ultimately selects the canonical URL itself.
The canonical URL should be absolute, accessible, indexable, and genuinely representative of the content. Internal links, sitemaps, redirects, and hreflang annotations should not point to conflicting destinations. A canonical is not a substitute for a redirect when a URL has permanently moved, nor for noindex when content should not appear in search at all.
- Place rel=canonical in the HTML head
- Use an absolute and accessible target URL
- Consolidate only identical or highly similar content
- Keep internal links and sitemaps consistent
- Canonical is a signal, not a binding directive
Frequently asked questions
A canonical tag signals which URL should be preferred within a group of identical or highly similar pages.
No. rel=canonical is a strong signal, but Google may select a different canonical based on other signals.
