Free Canonical Tag Generator
Create clean, correct canonical tags for any URL. Strip tracking parameters, force HTTPS, normalize www and trailing slashes. Copy-ready output. No sign-up required.
100% Private
Strips Tracking Params
Copy-Ready Output
Works on Mobile
Enter URLs
Paste the full URL you want to generate a canonical tag for — including any tracking parameters.
Accepts up to 50 URLs. Each line becomes its own canonical tag.
URL normalization options
Pick the version your site actually redirects to. Google treats
www.example.com and example.com as different sites.Generated Canonical Tags
Showing 0 canonical tag(s)
Paste a URL on the left to see your canonical tag instantly.
Where to add this: Paste the tag inside the
<head> section of your HTML, before any other <link> tags. Every page should have exactly one canonical tag.
What Is a Canonical Tag?
A canonical tag — technically <link rel="canonical"> — is a small piece of HTML placed in the <head> of a web page. It tells search engines: "This is the preferred URL for this content. If you find the same content at other URLs, treat this one as the master."
Canonical tags exist to solve a real problem: duplicate content. Most websites accidentally have multiple URLs that show the same or nearly the same content. Without a canonical tag, Google has to guess which one to rank — and it often guesses wrong.
Common duplicate content situations
- www vs non-www —
www.example.com/pageandexample.com/pageare two URLs to Google. - http vs https — same problem, different protocol.
- Trailing slash —
/pagevs/page/can both return 200. - Tracking parameters —
?utm_source=twittercreates a "new" URL for every campaign. - Filters and sorting —
?color=red&size=largegenerates thousands of variations on e-commerce sites. - Print versions —
/article/printvs/article. - Paginated content —
/blog?page=2should usually canonicalize to/blog/. - Session IDs and click IDs —
?PHPSESSID=abc123,?fbclid=xyz,?gclid=xyz.
Self-referencing canonicals
Best practice: every page should have a canonical tag pointing to itself, even if no duplicate exists. This is called a self-referencing canonical. It signals to Google that you have intentionally chosen the preferred URL — and it protects you if someone links to your page with tracking parameters.
Canonical tag vs other methods
There are three main ways to handle duplicate content. Canonicals are the most flexible:
- 301 redirects — for pages you want users to actually be sent away from (e.g. http → https). Use this when the duplicate should never be accessible.
- Canonical tags — for pages that should stay accessible but shouldn't compete with the master. Perfect for tracking URLs and filters.
- Noindex — for pages you don't want in search at all (thank-you pages, admin pages). Do not use noindex + canonical together — they send contradictory signals.
Canonical tag rules that matter
- Use absolute URLs.
https://example.com/page— not/pageor./page. - One per page. Two canonical tags = Google ignores both.
- Don't canonical to a redirecting URL. If
/old301s to/new, the canonical should point to/new. - Don't canonical to a noindex page. Contradictory signals.
- Keep it consistent. Use the same protocol, www state and trailing slash as your other canonical tags.
- Use HTTPS. Google treats HTTP and HTTPS as different URLs, and HTTPS is a ranking signal.
- Remove tracking parameters.
utm_,fbclid,gclid,msclkid,ref,source— none of these should be in a canonical.
Common canonical mistakes
- Pointing every page's canonical to the homepage — Google ignores this as a bug.
- Using relative URLs — Google usually resolves them correctly, but absolute is safer.
- Canonicalizing paginated pages back to page 1 — this hides the deep content.
- Forgetting to update the canonical when you move a page.
- Combining
noindexwith a canonical tag — Google may choose either, and the behaviour is unpredictable. - Adding a canonical via JavaScript — Google may not pick it up.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a canonical tag?
A canonical tag (
<link rel="canonical">) tells search engines which URL is the "master" or preferred version of a piece of content. It prevents duplicate content issues when the same page is accessible at multiple URLs.When should I use a canonical tag?
Use canonical tags when: your site is accessible on both www and non-www, you have http and https versions, you have print versions of pages, you have paginated content, or products are accessible through filter URLs.
Can a page canonicalize to itself?
Yes — this is called a self-referencing canonical and it's a common best practice. Every page should have a canonical tag pointing to its own preferred URL, even if no duplicate exists. It signals intent to Google.
Should I use www or non-www in my canonical?
Pick whichever version your site actually redirects to — it doesn't matter which you choose, only that you are consistent. Set up a 301 redirect from one to the other, then use the destination version everywhere.
Does canonical help SEO?
Yes — indirectly. Canonical tags consolidate ranking signals to one URL instead of splitting them across duplicates. They also help prevent Google from choosing the wrong version of a page as the one to rank.
Can I use canonical and noindex together?
No. Using both sends contradictory signals, and Google may ignore either or both. If you don't want a page indexed, use
noindex and remove the canonical. If you want a page indexed but preferred over a duplicate, use canonical only.Is this canonical tag generator free?
Yes — 100% free, no sign-up, runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is ever sent to any server.