Canonical URL Checker

Check canonical tags, redirects and common canonical SEO issues.

Enter a public page URL. Private and local network targets are blocked.

Canonical URL Checker

Check the canonical URL declared by a web page and quickly see which address the page identifies as its preferred version. Canonical tags help search engines understand duplicate or very similar URLs and consolidate indexing signals around the intended page.

How to check a canonical tag

  1. Enter the full page URL you want to inspect.
  2. Run the canonical check.
  3. Review the canonical URL detected in the page source.
  4. Compare it with the URL you expect search engines to index.

Why canonical URLs matter for SEO

A site can expose the same or similar content through parameters, alternate paths, HTTP/HTTPS variations or other URL versions. A correctly configured canonical element provides a strong signal about the preferred URL and can reduce confusion caused by duplicate pages.

What should you verify?

For an indexable page, confirm that the canonical points to the correct preferred URL, uses the expected protocol and hostname, and does not accidentally reference an unrelated page. A self-referencing canonical is common on unique pages, but the appropriate setup depends on the site's URL structure.

Canonical tags are not the only indexing signal

Search engines can consider redirects, internal links, sitemap entries and other signals alongside the canonical declaration. This checker reports the canonical information it can detect; it does not guarantee which URL a search engine will ultimately select.

FAQ

What is a canonical URL?

It is the URL declared as the preferred version of a page among duplicate or similar alternatives.

Should every page point to itself?

Self-referencing canonicals are common for unique indexable pages, while duplicate variants may point to a preferred version.