Create the canonical link tag that tells search engines which version of a page is the original — preventing duplicate-content problems. Live output, ready to copy. 100% in your browser — nothing is uploaded or stored.
Enter the single, clean version of the page you want search engines to index.
Tip: a canonical should point to a single, indexable URL that returns 200. Keep it consistent with your XML sitemap and internal links.
🔒 Everything runs in your browser. Your input is never uploaded, logged or stored.
The Canonical Tag Generator builds the rel="canonical" link tag that tells search engines which version of a page is the original, authoritative one. When the same or very similar content is reachable through several URLs — with tracking parameters, http and https, or trailing-slash differences — a canonical tag points all that signal to one preferred address, preventing duplicate-content dilution.
It is part of the Meta & Tag Generators group in our free SEO Toolkit, alongside the Hreflang Tag Generator and Meta Robots Tag Generator. Keep your canonical consistent with your XML sitemap and build the rest of your head with the Meta Tag Generator. Everything runs in your browser — your input is never uploaded or stored.
Generate a valid canonical tag with smart URL clean-up.
Produces a correctly formatted rel="canonical" link tag ready to paste into your head.
Force https, normalise trailing slashes, lowercase the path and strip tracking parameters.
Also outputs the Link header form of the canonical, ideal for PDFs and non-HTML files.
Copy the canonical tag to your clipboard with one click, ready to deploy.
From URL to a valid canonical tag in seconds.
Paste the preferred, clean version of the page you want indexed.
Force https, fix the trailing slash and strip tracking parameters.
Copy the canonical link tag and paste it into the head of every duplicate version.
Confirm the canonical resolves to a live, indexable 200 page.
A clean canonical tag, plus the HTTP header version.
<!-- In the <head> of every duplicate version --> <link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/page/"> # HTTP header version (for PDFs / non-HTML) Link: <https://example.com/page/>; rel="canonical"
A canonical tag is a snippet of HTML, <link rel="canonical" href="...">, placed in a page's head to tell search engines which URL is the preferred, original version of that content. When the same content can be reached through multiple URLs — for example with and without a trailing slash, over http and https, or with tracking parameters — the canonical consolidates ranking signals onto one address. This generator builds that tag and cleans the URL for you. It is part of the Meta & Tag Generators group.
| Cause | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking parameters | ?utm_source=email | Canonical to clean URL |
| http vs https | http:// and https:// | Canonical to https |
| Trailing slash | /page and /page/ | Pick one, canonical to it |
| www vs non-www | www. and bare domain | Canonical to preferred host |
| Index pagination | ?page=2 variations | Canonical to main URL where suitable |
Each of these creates a separate URL that search engines may treat as a distinct page. Canonical tags tell them these are the same, so ranking signals are not split.
A page points its canonical at its own clean URL. This is the most common and recommended setup for normal pages.
A duplicate or parameter version points to the single preferred version elsewhere on the same site.
Syndicated content can canonical back to the original publisher on another domain.
Each page should have exactly one canonical. Multiple or conflicting canonicals confuse search engines.
It is a strong hint, not an absolute directive. Google usually respects a clear, consistent canonical, but it may choose a different URL if your signals conflict — for example if internal links, sitemaps and canonicals disagree. Keep all signals pointing to the same preferred URL.
A self-referencing canonical on every page is good practice and harmless. It removes ambiguity when parameters or variants appear later. Most SEO plugins add one automatically, so check before adding a second tag that could conflict.
For non-HTML files like PDFs, you cannot add a link tag in a head, so the canonical is sent as an HTTP Link header instead. This tool outputs that header form so you can configure it on your server for those files.
No. The tag is built locally in your browser with JavaScript. Nothing you enter is uploaded, logged or stored, so the tool is safe for staging URLs and confidential client work.
Consolidate product URLs that differ only by filters, sorting or tracking parameters.
Point republished articles back to the original source to protect its ranking.
Add self-referencing canonicals so campaign-tagged links do not split signals.
Keep canonicals consistent when moving to https or changing URL structures.
Use the Canonical Tag Generator with these tools from the SEO Toolkit: control indexing with the Meta Robots Tag Generator, handle languages with the Hreflang Tag Generator, list preferred URLs in the XML Sitemap Generator, set crawl rules with the Robots.txt Generator, build head tags with the Meta Tag Generator, and tidy addresses with the URL Slug Generator.
Anyone managing duplicate URLs or content syndication.
Everything about canonical tags and duplicate content.
It builds the rel=canonical link tag that tells search engines which URL is the preferred version of a page. You enter the clean URL, choose clean-up options like forcing https and fixing the trailing slash, and the tool outputs a valid tag plus an HTTP header version to copy.
Yes, completely. There is no cost, no sign-up and no limit on how many tags you create. The tool runs entirely in your browser, so there are no server costs and nothing to pay for.
It solves duplicate content. When the same page is reachable through several URLs — with tracking parameters, http and https, or trailing-slash differences — a canonical consolidates ranking signals onto one preferred URL instead of splitting them across duplicates.
Yes. The tag is built locally in your browser with JavaScript. Nothing you enter is uploaded, logged or stored. This makes the tool safe for staging URLs, unpublished pages and confidential client work.
Place it in the <head> of every duplicate or variant version of the page, pointing to the single preferred URL. It must be in the head, not the body. For non-HTML files like PDFs, use the HTTP Link header version instead.
It is a strong hint, not an absolute rule. Google usually honours a clear, consistent canonical, but it may pick a different URL if your signals conflict. Keep internal links, sitemaps and canonicals all pointing to the same preferred URL.
Yes, it is good practice and harmless. A self-referencing canonical removes ambiguity if parameters or variants appear later. Most SEO plugins add one automatically, so check before adding a second tag that could conflict.
Yes. Cross-domain canonicals are used for syndicated content, pointing a republished article back to the original publisher. The destination must contain the same or very similar content and return a 200 status to be respected.
Conflicting canonicals confuse search engines, which may ignore both and choose a URL themselves. Always use exactly one canonical per page. If your CMS or plugin already outputs one, do not add a second manually.
Yes. Always use an absolute URL with the https scheme and full domain, such as https://example.com/page/. Relative canonicals are riskier and can be misinterpreted, so this tool always produces an absolute URL.
Yes. The generator is fully responsive, so you can build canonical tags from a phone or tablet. Entering the URL, toggling clean-up options and copying the tag all work the same as on desktop.
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Build a clean canonical tag and protect your pages from duplicate content — free, private and instant in your browser.
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