Free SEO Tool

Canonical Tag Checker

Check any page's rel=canonical tag. See whether it points to itself, to another URL, is missing, or conflicts with a second tag.

URLs are fetched through Numarr's own server so your browser can read them. For private or staging pages, use “paste HTML”.

Canonical URL found
Checks
Canonical tag(s) found in the page

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How to use the canonical tag checker

  1. Paste the full URL of the page you want to check (or switch to “paste HTML” for private pages).
  2. Click Check canonical to find the page's rel=canonical tag.
  3. Read the verdict and checks to confirm the page points to the right canonical URL.

What the results mean

A self-referencing canonical means the page points to itself, which is the healthy default. Canonicalized elsewhere means the page tells search engines to index a different URL instead, so make sure that's intentional. Missing means there's no canonical at all, and conflicting means two or more canonical tags disagree, which usually makes search engines ignore them.

Why the canonical tag matters

When the same or similar content is reachable at several URLs, the canonical tag tells search engines which one to treat as the original. A wrong or missing canonical can split ranking signals across duplicates or, worse, point search engines away from the page you actually want indexed.

Frequently asked questions

What is a canonical tag?

It's a <link rel="canonical"> tag that tells search engines the preferred URL when the same content is available at more than one address.

What does a self-referencing canonical mean?

The page's canonical points to its own URL. It's the recommended default and removes ambiguity even when there are no duplicates.

What if the canonical points to a different URL?

The page is telling search engines to index that other URL instead of this one. Make sure that's what you intend.

Can a page have more than one canonical tag?

It shouldn't. Multiple canonicals, especially conflicting ones, usually cause search engines to ignore them all. Keep exactly one.

Should the canonical be an absolute URL?

Yes. Use the full https:// URL and place the tag in the <head>. Canonicals in the body are ignored.

Does a canonical tag guarantee that URL is indexed?

No. It's a strong hint, not a command. Search engines usually respect it but can choose a different canonical if signals conflict.

How do I create the right canonical tag?

Use our Canonical URL Generator to build a clean, correct tag with tracking parameters stripped.

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