Canonical URL

A canonical URL is the version of a page you designate as the definitive one when the same content is reachable at several addresses. The canonical tag tells search engines which to index and consolidates signals onto it.

Duplicate URLs arise constantly and mostly by accident — with and without a trailing slash, with tracking parameters, under two paths. Left unresolved, ranking signals split across versions and none of them ranks as well as one would.

Canonical tags are a strong hint, not a directive. If the designated canonical differs materially from the page, search engines may ignore it and pick their own.

Why it matters

The standard fix when the same content must live at two URLs — as with a page kept at both /contact and /contact-us.

Related terms

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