Even if you explicitly designate a canonical page, Google might choose a different canonical
for various reasons, such as the quality of the content or technical signals. To troubleshoot
canonicalization issues, follow these steps:
- Check which page Google considers to be the canonical page: Use the
URL Inspection tool
to check
which page Google considers canonical and think about whether the Google-selected canonical makes more sense than
your preferred canonical URL for your users coming from Google Search. - Look for technical canonicalization issues: Verify whether an unexpected canonical
URL preference is being signaled through technical misconfigurations. Review the
common canonicalization issues table to check for issues like
incorrect canonical elements, server misconfigurations, or missing localization annotations. - Ensure clustered pages are sufficiently different: Fixing canonicalization issues
technically boils down to ensuring that the pages that are clustered together
are sufficiently different. Things to keep in mind:- Re-evaluation takes time: Even after fixing content
issues, Google might hold pages in a duplicate cluster for up to two weeks. - Content difference matters: Pages will generally split out faster if the
difference between the new content and the other clustered pages is clear and significant.
- Re-evaluation takes time: Even after fixing content
- Request re-indexing: Once you fix the content issues, use the “Request Indexing” feature in the Search Console
URL Inspection tool
to ask Google to re-evaluate the pages that are clustered. However, since this feature is subject to quotas, reserve it for your most important URLs.
Common canonicalization issues
There are various reasons why the selected canonical URL differs from the canonical URL you’d
prefer to see in Search. The most common issues are:
| Common canonicalization issues | |
|---|---|
Language variants without localized annotations | If you have multiple websites that serve substantially the same content localized to different users around the world, be sure to follow our guidelines for localized sites. For example, if you have different sites for your English-speaking users in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia respectively, but the content is the same, adding hreflang annotations to your pages can help the right pages surface for usersin different regions. |
Incorrect canonical elements | Some content management systems (CMS) or CMS plugins can make incorrect use of canonicalization techniques to point to undesired URLs. Check your HTML with your browser’s developer tools to see if so. If your site is indicating an unexpected canonical URL preference, perhaps through incorrect use of rel="canonical" or a3xx redirect, contact your CMS provider and report this error to them. |
Misconfigured servers | Some hosting misconfigurations may cause unexpected cross-domain URL selection. For example:
|
Malicious hacking | Some attacks on websites introduce code that returns an HTTP3xx redirector inserts a cross-domain rel="canonical" link annotationinto the HTML <head> or HTTP header, usually pointing to a URLhosting malicious or spammy content. In these cases, our algorithms may choose the malicious or spammy URL instead of the URL on the compromised website. |
Syndicated content | The canonical link element is not recommended for those who want to avoid duplication by syndication partners, because the pages are often very different. The most effective solution is for partners to block indexing of your content. For more, see Avoid article duplication in Google News, which also has advice about blocking syndicated content from Google Search. |
A copycat website | In rare situations, our algorithm may select a URL from an external site that is hosting your content without your permission. If you believe that another site is duplicating your content in violation of copyright law, you may contact the site’s host to request removal. In addition, you can request that Google remove the infringing page from our search results by filing a request under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. |
Alien Road
How we apply this
When Google chooses a different canonical than the one declared, the cause is almost always a conflicting signal elsewhere on the site. We audit all canonical inputs together rather than editing the tag repeatedly.
Related services