Canonical URL
A canonical URL is the preferred address for identical or very similar content; search engines assess several signals when choosing it.
Specify a preferred address
A canonical URL is the preferred representative address among identical or very similar pages. Site owners can express their preference with rel="canonical". In a fictional example, a campaign address displays the same content as the regular service page and points to it as the preferred version.
The annotation does not redirect visitors or force Google's choice. Internal links, redirects and the sitemap should not name conflicting destinations. A complete translation is not simply the same-language page at another address either. Canonicals and language alternatives serve different purposes. Before using a shared canonical URL, check whether the pages should really represent identical or very similar content.
Sources
Related terms
- HreflangHreflang identifies related language or regional versions of a page for search engines.
- IndexingDuring indexing, a search engine analyses content and adds information about it to its search index.
- Crawl budgetCrawl budget describes which URLs Google can and wants to fetch. Server capacity and crawl demand work together.
- Robots directiveRobots directives give indexing or presentation rules to search engines that support them. The crawler and the delivery route also matter.
- NoindexNoindex controls inclusion in search engines that support the instruction. The crawler must be able to read it; it does not replace access protection.
- Indexing statusIndexing status describes a URL’s inclusion in a search index. It is distinct from reachability and visibility for a particular search.
Articles on this topic
Online Marketing with ASES
SEO, GEO, ads and analytics