Canonical Tag Checker
Check whether your canonical tag is present, correctly formatted, and actually points to a working page — not just that it exists.
What a canonical tag does
A canonical tag (<link rel="canonical">) tells search engines which URL is the "master" version of a page when the same or similar content is reachable through more than one address — for example, with or without a trailing slash, or through filtered/sorted versions of a listing page.
Without it, search engines have to guess, which can split ranking signals across multiple URLs instead of consolidating them onto one.
Frequently asked questions
Should every page be self-referencing?
Most pages should point their canonical tag at themselves. It's only different when a page is intentionally a duplicate or variant of another — for example, a print-friendly version pointing back to the main article.
Can a canonical tag point to a different domain?
Yes — this is sometimes used for syndicated content, telling search engines the original source is elsewhere. It's a valid but less common use case.
Does a canonical tag guarantee that URL ranks instead of others?
It's a strong signal, not a guarantee. Search engines generally respect canonical tags, but may choose a different URL if other signals strongly suggest otherwise.