Free Canonical Tag Checker

Enter a URL to check its canonical tag: whether it exists, points to itself, is the only one, and points to a working page.

Checks the live page · free, no sign-up

How it works

How to use the free canonical tag checker

  1. 01

    Enter the page URL.

  2. 02

    Check the canonical points where you intend.

  3. 03

    Fix multiple, relative or broken canonicals.

Guide

What canonical tags do

A canonical tag (<link rel="canonical">) tells Google which URL is the main version of a page when the same content is reachable at several addresses (with tracking parameters, with and without www, sorted product lists…). Google then consolidates ranking signals onto that URL.

Most pages should have a self-referencing canonical. A canonical pointing elsewhere asks Google not to index this URL, which is a costly mistake on a page you want to rank.

Tips

Tips for using the canonical tag checker

Self-reference by default

Every indexable page should have a canonical pointing to its own clean URL.

Use absolute URLs

Write https://example.com/page, not /page, to avoid mistakes.

Don't mix signals

Don't combine noindex with a canonical. Check indexing with the noindex checker.

Keep sitemaps consistent

List only canonical URLs in your sitemap. Validate it with the XML sitemap validator.

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FAQ

Canonical Tag Checker FAQ

Can I check any website?

Any public page. Pages behind a login, or that block automated requests, can't be checked.

Does Google always follow canonical tags?

It treats them as a strong hint, not a rule, and may pick another URL if signals conflict.

Is it free?

Yes, with no sign-up. Page checks are limited to 60 a day per person to keep them fast for everyone.

What is a canonical tag?

A link tag telling search engines which URL is the main version of a page.

When should a canonical point to another page?

When the page is a duplicate or near-duplicate, like the same product reachable at several URLs.

Does a canonical pass link value?

Google consolidates signals onto the canonical URL, much as with a redirect.

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