Canonical tag checker — which address does Google index?
Enter a page address to see its canonical tag, the canonical in the HTTP header, whether it points to itself, every redirect on the way, and whether the http, https, www and non-www versions agree. Free, no sign-up.
What the canonical checker looks at
A canonical problem rarely shows on the page itself. It shows months later as the wrong address in Google, or a page that never ranks. These are the four things the checker tests on every run.
The canonical tag
We read every rel="canonical" link on the page, note whether it is in the head or the body, resolve relative addresses and flag duplicates that disagree.
The HTTP header
Servers can send a canonical in a Link response header too. If both exist and point to different places, Google may ignore both.
Redirects and the target
We follow every redirect from the address you typed, then check that the canonical address itself loads with 200 OK and does not redirect.
http, https, www and non-www
We also load the same path on all four versions of the domain. On a well set-up site, three of them 301-redirect to the fourth. If two versions load on their own, search engines see two copies of every page.
Common canonical mistakes
- A canonical pointing to the http version on an https site, left over from before SSL was added.
- Every page on the site pointing its canonical at the homepage — a theme or plugin bug that tells Google to drop all other pages.
- Canonicals that point to an address that redirects, or to a page that now returns 404.
- Two SEO plugins each adding their own canonical tag, sometimes with different addresses.
- A staging or old domain left in the canonical after a site move.
More checks for your website
Small, free tools for the jobs that come up while you build or move a site. No sign-up, no limits worth worrying about, and nothing is stored.
Frequently asked questions
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What is a canonical tag?
A canonical tag is one line in a page's <head>, <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.example.in/page">, that tells search engines which address is the main copy of the page. When the same content is reachable at several addresses (with and without www, with tracking parameters, sorted or filtered), the canonical says which one to index and rank.
Should every page have a self-referencing canonical?
Yes, it is good practice. A canonical that points to the page's own address protects it from copies created by tracking parameters, session IDs or other sites scraping it. WordPress SEO plugins such as Yoast and Rank Math add one automatically.
Does Google always follow the canonical tag?
No. Google treats it as a strong hint, not an order. It may pick a different page if the canonical points to a redirect, a 404, a noindex page, or a page with very different content, or if internal links and the sitemap point somewhere else. Keep the canonical, internal links, sitemap and redirects all pointing at the same address.
What is the HTTP Link header canonical?
The same instruction sent as a response header: Link: <https://www.example.in/file.pdf>; rel="canonical". It is mainly used for files that have no HTML head, such as PDFs. The checker reads both the header and the HTML tag and warns when they disagree.
Why does the checker test http, https, www and non-www?
Because they are four different addresses to a search engine. A healthy site answers on one of them and 301-redirects the other three to it. If two versions both load without redirecting, you have duplicate copies of the whole site, which splits links and ranking signals.
Is the canonical tag checker free?
Yes, with no sign-up. Each check fetches the page and up to five more addresses, so to stop abuse each visitor can run a limited number of checks in any 10 minutes.
Does HostKarle hosting redirect http to https?
Yes. Every HostKarle hosting plan includes a free SSL certificate, and you can force https and choose www or non-www from DirectAdmin in one click. On WordPress, set the same address in Settings → General and your SEO plugin handles the canonical tags. Plans start at ₹99 a month on a yearly plan.
WordPress hosting from ₹99 a month.
One-click WordPress, free SSL and free migration on DirectAdmin hosting. Pay by UPI or card, and renew at the same price you signed up at.
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