Alternate page with proper canonical tag: what it means
'Alternate page with proper canonical tag' means the address is a copy or variant of another page, it names that other page as the original, and Google has indexed the original. Google's own note on the status is that there is nothing you need to do. It becomes a problem only when the address listed is one you wanted indexed in its own right.
Each sounding opens its section
- 01 What the status means 64 words
- 02 Why it is usually correct 75 words
- 03 The two cases worth checking 80 words
- 04 How to check a page 56 words
- 05 How to fix a wrong canonical 75 words
- 06 Questions people ask 126 words
- 07 Free competitor gap report 99 words
- 08 More in this series 244 words
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What the status means
A canonical tag is a line in a page’s code that names the main version of that page. Google’s Page indexing report describes this status as a page that is marked as an alternate of another page, that correctly points to the canonical page, and whose canonical page is indexed. The variant is left out, and the original is in.
Why it is usually correct
Most sites have more addresses than pages. The same page can be reached with tracking added to its address, through a filter, in a print version, or under a category as well as directly. A canonical tag tells Google that all of them are one page, so that the page is counted once and not split.
A list of such addresses under this status is the tag doing its work.
The two cases worth checking
Two situations turn a correct status into a real problem.
- The address listed is a page you wanted indexed. Its canonical tag is naming a different page, and Google has obeyed. Typical causes are a template that gives every page the same canonical, or a plugin setting.
- Whole sections appear here: every page of a blog, or every product. That usually means the canonical on those pages points at the home page or a category.
How to check a page
Open the address in Search Console’s URL Inspection tool. It shows two things: the canonical the page declares, and the canonical Google selected. If both are the page you consider the original, nothing is wrong. If the declared canonical is not the page you would have chosen, the tag needs changing.
How to fix a wrong canonical
A page that should be indexed needs a canonical tag naming itself. Where that is set depends on the platform: the page’s SEO settings on Wix and Squarespace, the theme or an SEO plugin on WordPress, the theme on Shopify. After the change, request indexing for the page.
The neighbouring statuses are covered in duplicate without user-selected canonical and in why your website is not showing up on Google.
Questions people ask
Is 'Alternate page with proper canonical tag' an error?
No. Google's description says the page correctly points to the canonical page, which is indexed, so there is nothing you need to do.
Why does this status appear on Shopify, WordPress or Squarespace sites?
Hosted platforms create several addresses for the same content, such as a product reached through a collection, or a page with tracking added to its address, and they add a canonical tag naming the main one. Google reports each variant under this status.
How do I fix 'Alternate page with proper canonical tag'?
Usually by leaving it alone. Change something only if the listed address should be indexed itself, in which case its canonical tag is naming the wrong page.
Free competitor gap report
Canonical tags decide which of your addresses compete in search. Name up to three competitors and we check how your site and theirs handle duplicates and variants, then send you where yours send the wrong signal.
- Speed and technical health, side by side
- On-page SEO and site structure
- The content they are found for and you are not
- Who holds the searches that matter in your market
- A prioritised list of what to fix first
Request your free report by email
- Address
- contact@hadalmedusa.com
- Include
- your site; up to three competitors; where you compete
More in this series
- Why your website is not showing up on Google
- Why your Wix site is not showing up on Google
- Crawled, currently not indexed: what it means and how to fix it
- Discovered, currently not indexed: what it means and how to fix it
- Page with redirect: what it means in Search Console
- Why your Squarespace site is not showing up on Google
- Why your Shopify store is not showing up on Google
- Why your Google Business Profile is not showing up
- Why your Shopify store is not getting traffic or sales
- Why your WordPress site is not showing up on Google
- Duplicate without user-selected canonical: what it means and how to fix it
- Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user: what to do
- Excluded by noindex tag: what it means and how to fix it
- Blocked by robots.txt: what it means and how to fix it
- Soft 404 and Not found (404): what they mean and how to fix them
- Server error (5xx): what it means and how to fix it
- Redirect error in Search Console: what it means and how to fix it
- Indexed, though blocked by robots.txt: what it means and what to do
- Blocked due to access forbidden (403): what it means and how to fix it
- How to make your website show up on Google
- When a site is not showing on Google: the whole topic
- All guides
- On-site SEO: what the service includes