Canonical URL Checker
Ensure search engines index the right version of your page. Audit your canonical tags and signals for technical SEO compliance instantly.
The Importance of rel='canonical'
Canonical tags prevent duplicate content issues by telling search engines which URL is the 'master' version. Without a clear canonical signal, search engines might index multiple versions of the same page, splitting your ranking power.
Professional Canonical Tag Analysis
Nuwtonic's Canonical Checker goes beyond just finding the tag. we analyze signal conflicts, self-referencing status, and multiple tag detection to ensure your indexing instructions are clear to Google, Bing, and other crawlers.
What is a Canonical URL Checker?
A canonical URL checker is a technical SEO tool that inspects the '<'head'>' section of a webpage''s HTML to identify the rel='canonical' link element and verify its destination URL.
How to Validate Your Canonical Tags
Enter the URL of the page you want to audit.
Run the check to extract all canonical signals.
Verify if the detected canonical URL matches your intended master URL.
Fix any issues like missing tags or multiple conflicting canonicals.
Understanding Canonical Signals
Canonical present
A valid rel='canonical' tag was found in the page's source code.
Self-referencing
The canonical URL correctly points to the current page's URL.
Multiple tags
CRITICAL: More than one canonical tag was found, which may confuse search engines.
Missing tag
No canonical was found; search engines will decide which version to index.
Canonical SEO FAQ
What is a canonical URL?
A canonical URL is a technical solution for duplicate content. It tells search engines which version of a page should be shown in search results.
Does every page need a canonical tag?
Yes. It's best practice for every page to have a self-referencing canonical tag to avoid accidental duplicate content issues.
What happens if I have two canonical tags?
Google and other search engines will likely ignore both signals and make their own choice, which could hurt your SEO strategy.
Can a canonical point to a different domain?
Yes, this is called cross-domain canonicalization and is often used when content is syndicated across multiple websites.
Does rel='canonical' guarantee indexing?
No, it's a strong hint to search engines, not a mandatory directive. Google may choose a different URL if it deems it more relevant.
How do I add a canonical tag in WordPress?
Most SEO plugins like Yoast or Rank Math add canonical tags automatically. You can also manually set them in the plugin's advanced settings.
Audit Scope
This tool evaluates the presence of canonical link tags, the specific URL value, self-referencing status, and detects if multiple conflicting tags are present.
Audit Limitations
This tool reports the tags declared in the HTML. It does not account for canonicals set via HTTP headers or how Google ultimately chooses to group URLs.