Glossary

Canonical URL

The canonical URL is the one address a page declares as its true copy, in <link rel="canonical">, so that duplicates (www and non-www, tracking parameters, syndicated copies) are consolidated onto it.

By Reflexa Technologies — the team building Reflexa, the agent that works on your site · updated 16 October 2026

Why it matters

Indexes put a page's standing on its canonical. A canonical pointing elsewhere gives the page away; none at all splits it across duplicates.

How to see it on your own site

View source and compare rel="canonical" with the address bar.

Checked by Reflexa: Do your canonical tags point to the page itself? — part of the 23 checks on every page check.

Related terms

Questions people ask.

What is Canonical URL?

The canonical URL is the one address a page declares as its true copy, in <link rel="canonical">, so that duplicates (www and non-www, tracking parameters, syndicated copies) are consolidated onto it.

Why does it matter for AI visibility?

Indexes put a page's standing on its canonical. A canonical pointing elsewhere gives the page away; none at all splits it across duplicates.

How do I see it on my own site?

View source and compare rel="canonical" with the address bar.

See it measured on your site.

The free page check runs the 23 checks on your public pages — the terms on this page, observed on your pages.

Run the free check →