A canonical tag, written as rel="canonical", is a line in a page's code that names the preferred URL when several addresses show the same or very similar content. It tells search engines which version to treat as the main one, so duplicates do not split the attention.
In short
Google describes a canonical URL as the preferred one among duplicate or very similar pages, and treats a canonical tag as a strong signal, not a command. It lists redirects as a strong signal too, and a sitemap entry as a weak one. If you do not choose, Google picks. Source: Google Search Central, duplicate URLs, read 9 November 2026.
An online store may show the same product at several addresses, for example with and without a size filter or a tracking parameter. Point each variant to one preferred address, and link internally to that address. Use a redirect when a duplicate page should no longer exist.
Our technical audits cover duplicate pages and canonical setup.
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