Canonical Checker

A canonical tag (rel="canonical") is an HTML element that tells search engines which version of a page is the 'master' or preferred version. This is crucial for SEO because it helps prevent duplicate content issues when the same content is accessible through multiple URLs. By specifying the canonical URL, you ensure search engines index and rank the correct page.

Our Canonical Checker tool analyzes any webpage to find its canonical tag. It fetches the page's HTML, extracts the canonical URL if present, and shows you whether the canonical tag is properly configured. It also checks if the canonical URL is self-referencing (points to itself) or cross-referencing (points to a different URL).

If a page doesn't have a canonical tag, search engines will try to determine the preferred version themselves, which may not match your intentions. We recommend adding a canonical tag to every page, even if it's self-referencing, to explicitly tell search engines your preferred URL. This is especially important for e-commerce sites, blogs, and any site with URL parameters.

A self-referencing canonical tag points to the same URL as the current page (e.g., page A's canonical points to page A). This is a best practice for most pages. A cross-domain canonical tag points to a different URL, often used when content is syndicated or when consolidating duplicate pages. Our tool identifies which type is being used.

Yes! Our Canonical Checker is completely free to use with no registration required. You can check unlimited URLs to verify their canonical tag configuration. The tool is designed to help SEO professionals, developers, and website owners ensure their canonical tags are properly set up.