TECHNICAL SEO DIAGNOSTICS
Canonical URL Checker
Check canonical tags, self-referencing URLs, canonical target status, redirects and noindex signals for a public page.
Detailed findings
A canonical declaration is a signal, not a directive. Search engines may select a different canonical URL.
What is a canonical URL checker?
A canonical URL checker finds the rel="canonical" link declared by a page and checks whether its target responds successfully. Canonical tags help site owners indicate which URL they prefer search engines to treat as the representative version of similar or duplicate content.
What the report checks
The report shows the page's final URL and HTTP status, canonical tag count, resolved canonical URL, whether it points back to the page itself, and the target's status and redirect path. It also flags protocol or hostname differences and displays meta robots and X-Robots-Tag signals that may deserve review.
How to interpret the results
A self-referencing canonical is common, but not mandatory for every page. A canonical that points to another URL can be intentional when consolidating duplicates. Review the destination carefully if it redirects, returns an error, or uses a different HTTP/HTTPS or www variant than expected. Multiple canonical tags can send conflicting signals.
Canonical tags and noindex
A canonical tag is a hint rather than a guaranteed instruction. Combining a canonical declaration with noindex may send mixed signals depending on the site's intended outcome. The checker reports both signals so you can decide whether the setup matches your indexing strategy.
Limitations
This tool checks publicly accessible HTTP and HTTPS URLs. It cannot guarantee which canonical URL a search engine will select, whether the page will be indexed, or how external systems interpret all site-wide signals. Review internal links, sitemap entries, redirects and duplicate content alongside these results.
Canonical tags are signals, not redirects
A canonical element indicates which URL you prefer search engines to treat as the representative version of similar content. The canonical target should normally be accessible, relevant and consistent with your internal links and sitemap. A canonical tag does not force a search engine to select that URL, so investigate conflicting redirects, noindex directives or duplicate page content too.