1.3 CanonicalisationHighVerified
Multiple conflicting canonicals
More than one rel=canonical on a page is a contradiction, and Google may ignore all of them. This usually happens when a theme and a plugin both inject a canonical.
What it is
More than one rel=canonical on a page.
Why it matters
Google may ignore all of them and choose its own.
How to fix it
Emit exactly one canonical.
How to find it on your site
- View source and count the rel=canonical tags.
- Note the target of each.
- Identify which system is injecting each tag.
- Leave exactly one canonical with the intended target.
Cross-reference to ranking and citation factors
Conflicting canonicals can be disregarded entirely, leaving Google to choose, which defeats the point of declaring one.
Impact
Medium-high. Direct.
Evidence
Specify a single canonical; multiples are ignored. Google Search Central, Consolidate duplicate URLs (canonicalization)
Sources