AI Search Glossary
Canonical URL
A canonical URL is the preferred, authoritative URL for a web page, specified using the link rel="canonical" tag in the page's head.
In detail
Canonical tags prevent duplicate content issues by telling search engines and AI crawlers which URL should be treated as the master version of a page. Without a canonical tag, multiple URLs for the same content (with and without trailing slashes, with query parameters, HTTP vs HTTPS) can confuse crawlers and dilute authority. Every important page should have a self-referencing canonical tag.
See how your site handles Canonical URL.
Free AI search readiness check — no account required.
Related terms