# Canonical tag checker

> Free canonical tag checker. Read the rel=canonical a page declares and see whether it is self-referencing, resolves cleanly, or points elsewhere. No sign-up.

Canonical: https://crawlwise.site/tools/canonical-checker

The canonical tag checker reads the rel=canonical a page declares and follows it, so you can see whether the target is self-referencing, resolves cleanly, or points somewhere else.

- Free, no sign-up
- Results in seconds
- Checker · 35 free tools

This checks one page. The same problem usually repeats on every page built from the same template. Plans start at $14.99 a month.

[Crawl the whole site](https://crawlwise.site/plans) [Run a full audit](https://crawlwise.site/#audit-url)

## How to use the canonical checker

1. ### Paste an address

   A full URL or just a domain. We add https:// when it is missing.
2. ### We fetch it live

   Our server requests the page now, the way a crawler would, and records what came back.
3. ### Read the evidence

   Every result shows the value we read, so you can see why it passed or failed.
4. ### Fix and check again

   Change the page, run it once more, and ship when the second run agrees.

### What this does not measure

We would rather say what a tool cannot see than let a clean result mislead you.

- Presence is not correctness. A canonical that points at a URL which itself declares a different canonical is a loop, and this tool reports what each page says rather than deciding which one wins — Google decides that.
- A canonical is a hint. Google can and does ignore one it disagrees with.
- It reads the HTML link element only. A canonical sent as an HTTP header is shown in the headers tool instead, and whether Google treats these identically has changed over time.

Want the full picture?

This tool answers one question. A full audit runs every check on a page, scores it, and gives you a short list of what to fix first.

[Run a free audit](https://crawlwise.site/#audit-url)

## Questions about the canonical checker

More in the [guides](https://crawlwise.site/guides).

### What does the Canonical checker do?

Read the canonical a page declares, and what it points at. Free, no sign-up.

### Do I need a Crawlwise account to use Canonical checker?

No. Every tool in the free toolkit runs without sign-up, card, or email. A full site audit and saved history require an account and credits.

### What can Canonical checker not tell me?

Presence is not correctness. A canonical that points at a URL which itself declares a different canonical is a loop, and this tool reports what each page says rather than deciding which one wins — Google decides that.

### How is this different from a paid SEO suite?

Crawlwise shows the evidence behind each result and prices work in credits. Suites bundle backlinks and ads research; we focus on measurable on-page health and crawler access.

### Can I run the same check on my whole site?

The free tool answers one URL or one question. Add a site in Crawlwise to crawl many pages, export reports, and track changes over time on paid plans.

### Will fixing what the tool flags improve rankings?

Nothing outside Google can promise rankings. Fixing real technical issues removes friction for crawlers and readers; it is necessary but not sufficient for visibility.

## Keep reading

[Blog](https://crawlwise.site/blog) [All guides](https://crawlwise.site/guides)

- [Canonical tags: why Google treats rel=canonical as a hint, and the mistakes that make it ignore yours](https://crawlwise.site/blog/technical-seo/canonical-tags-how-google-treats-them): A canonical tag is a hint Google weighs against redirects, links and sitemaps. Make every signal agree.
- [Redirect chains and loops: 301 vs 302 vs 308, and how many hops is too many](https://crawlwise.site/blog/technical-seo/redirect-chains-301-302-308): Use 301 or 308 for permanent moves, redirect straight to the final URL, and keep any chain under five hops.
- [noindex vs robots.txt disallow: which one removes a page from Google?](https://crawlwise.site/blog/technical-seo/noindex-vs-robots-txt-disallow): Disallow stops crawling. noindex stops indexing. Using both at once means Google never reads the noindex.