Canonical Tag Generator
This free canonical tag generator creates a valid rel=canonical link tag from a URL. The canonical tag tells search engines which version of a page is the preferred one, consolidating duplicate or parameter URLs so their ranking signals aren't split.
Key takeaways
- rel=canonical tells Google the preferred URL and consolidates duplicate signals.
- Every page should self-reference its own clean URL.
- Don't canonicalize to a page you also noindex or block.
What does a canonical tag do?
A rel=canonical tag points search engines to the preferred URL when the same or similar content is reachable at multiple URLs (parameters, trailing slashes, http/https, print versions). It consolidates ranking signals to one URL and prevents duplicate-content dilution.
How do I use canonical tags correctly?
- Every page should have a self-referencing canonical to its own clean URL.
- Duplicate/variant pages point their canonical to the main version.
- Use absolute URLs.
- Don't canonicalize to a page you also noindex or block.
Do I need this on WordPress?
Most WordPress SEO plugins add canonicals automatically, but this is handy for custom pages, landing pages, or checking a specific URL. nativeWP is an AI content automation platform for WordPress that bulk-generates SEO articles with your own OpenRouter API key and auto-publishes or schedules them to WordPress and Shopify.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this canonical generator free?
- Yes. It builds a valid rel=canonical tag in your browser with no login.
- Where does the canonical tag go?
- In the <head> of the page. It can also be sent as an HTTP header for non-HTML files like PDFs.
- Can a page be canonical to itself?
- Yes — and it usually should be. A self-referencing canonical to the clean URL is best practice for most pages.
nativeWP is an AI content automation platform for WordPress that bulk-generates SEO articles with your own OpenRouter API key and auto-publishes or schedules them to WordPress and Shopify.