How do I find the canonical URL of a page?

Enter the page's URL. The checker reads every rel="canonical" link in the HTML and the Link response header, resolves them to absolute URLs and tells you whether the page points to itself or elsewhere.

Does Google always follow the canonical tag?

No. A rel="canonical" link is a strong signal, not a command. Google weighs it with redirects, sitemaps and internal links, and Search Console reports "Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user" when it disagrees.

Should every page have a self-referencing canonical?

It's a common, harmless practice that makes your preferred URL explicit, for example when tracking parameters are added. Pages without one aren't penalized; Google picks a canonical itself.

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Canonical checker

See the canonical URL a page declares, in its HTML and in its HTTP headers, whether the two agree, and whether the URL they point to is one Google can actually use.

Up to 10 checks a minute. Pages are fetched from IndexCyborg's servers; private and local addresses are refused.

What the canonical URL checker looks at

Google accepts a canonical in two places: a <link rel=“canonical”> element, only in the <head>, and an HTTP Link header such as Link: <https://example.com/page>; rel=“canonical”. The checker reads both and flags:

Canonical links outside the <head>, which Google ignores
Several canonical tags with different URLs, and a header that disagrees with the HTML
Relative URLs, where Google recommends absolute ones
A canonical target that redirects, fails, is noindex or declares a canonical of its own
A page that is noindex and also points its canonical elsewhere: two different signals

These follow Google's guide to consolidating duplicate URLs, which also asks you not to declare different canonicals with different methods.

A signal, not a command

Google calls rel=“canonical” a strong signal. It still picks the canonical itself, using the tag along with redirects, sitemaps and links. When it settles on another URL, the Page indexing report says “Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user”; when it agrees and leaves the duplicate out, “Alternate page with proper canonical tag”. URL Inspection shows both the user-declared and the Google-selected canonical. See the canonical tag guide and Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user.

How IndexCyborg handles this

On every new and changed page, IndexCyborg compares the declared canonical with the page's own URL and raises an issue when it points elsewhere, with both URLs as evidence, so you can confirm it's intended. Once Search Console is linked, each page's URL Inspection result shows the canonical Google selected next to yours. It's part of the technical SEO checklist it runs on your site.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find the canonical URL of a page?: Enter the page's URL. The checker reads every rel="canonical" link in the HTML and the Link response header, resolves them to absolute URLs and tells you whether the page points to itself or elsewhere.
Does Google always follow the canonical tag?: No. A rel="canonical" link is a strong signal, not a command. Google weighs it with redirects, sitemaps and internal links, and Search Console reports "Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user" when it disagrees.
Should every page have a self-referencing canonical?: It's a common, harmless practice that makes your preferred URL explicit, for example when tracking parameters are added. Pages without one aren't penalized; Google picks a canonical itself.