# Canonical Tag

> HTML element that specifies the preferred version of a page to avoid duplicate content.

Source: https://anotherseoguru.com/en/glossary/canonical-tag

A canonical tag (rel="canonical") is an HTML element that tells search engines which URL is the 'master' version when multiple pages have similar or identical content. It consolidates ranking signals to the preferred URL.

## Example

<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.example.com/products/shoes" />

## How to apply it

Self-reference canonicals on every page, point duplicates to the original, use absolute URLs, ensure canonical pages are indexable and match the content.

> **Pro tip:** Check that your canonical points to the version you want to rank (https vs http, www vs non-www, with/without trailing slash).

## Related terms

- [Duplicate Content](https://anotherseoguru.com/en/glossary/duplicate-content)
- [Indexing](https://anotherseoguru.com/en/glossary/indexing)