---
title: Canonical URL
description: A canonical tag tells search engines which URL is primary when the same content is reachable through several addresses.
canonical: https://penasihathosting.com/en/hosting-wiki/canonical-url
type: wiki
locale: en
updated: 2026-10-29
author: Willya Randika
---

# Canonical URL

## Overview

- **Summary:** A canonical tag tells search engines which URL is primary when the same content is reachable through several addresses.
- **Author:** Willya Randika ([profile](/penulis/willya-randika))

## Article

**A canonical URL** is the address you designate as the primary version of a page when the same content is reachable through several URLs. It is declared with `<link rel="canonical" href="...">` in the `<head>`.

Duplicates appear from small things: `www` versus non-`www`, `http` versus `https`, trailing slashes, `?utm_source=...` parameters, or filtered category pages. Without a canonical, search engines have to guess which one is primary.

## How it works

When a crawler finds several URLs with similar content, the canonical tag signals: "use this URL as the reference". It is not a redirect; visitors can still open the other URLs. That is why canonical and redirect have different jobs.

| Situation | Correct action |
| --- | --- |
| One piece of content, several live URLs | Canonical to the primary URL |
| Old URL should no longer be used | 301 redirect to the new URL |
| Product page with filter parameters | Canonical to the unfiltered version |
| Paginated pages | Self-canonical per page, not to page 1 |

## Practical rules

- Use an **absolute URL** (`https://example.com/page`), not a relative path.
- Each page should have **one canonical**; do not output two different tags.
- The primary page should be **self-referencing** — canonical to itself.
- Keep it consistent with the **sitemap and internal links**; do not canonical to a URL blocked by `robots.txt` or returning 404.
- In WordPress, many themes add a canonical automatically. Check the HTML output before adding another plugin.

## What to watch for

Canonical is not a fix for every duplicate. If two pages are genuinely different and both important, do not force a canonical to one of them. If an old URL is no longer used, a redirect is stronger than a canonical. And if a canonical points to a `noindex` page, the signals conflict.

## FAQ

<Accordion>
  <AccordionItem title="What is the difference between canonical and redirect?">
    A redirect moves visitors to another URL. A canonical leaves the URL accessible but tells search engines which URL is primary.
  </AccordionItem>
  <AccordionItem title="Should every page have a canonical?">
    Preferably yes, at least self-referencing. It reduces crawler guesswork when parameters or URL variations exist.
  </AccordionItem>
  <AccordionItem title="Can a canonical point to another domain?">
    It can, but only when the content is intentionally published on that other domain. For a normal website, cross-domain canonicals risk moving signals to someone else.
  </AccordionItem>
</Accordion>