The URL appears at the top of your Internet browser, and each page of your website has a unique URL. For example, the URL for Google is
Here’s where it gets confusing: Sometimes a page can have multiple URLs. A canonical URL is a technical solution for duplicate content. For example, you might have a post or product that’s added to two categories and located under two URLs, for example:
Each URL mentions the same homepage content for afghanistan phone number library red and black shoes, but the URLs themselves are slightly different. This can be a problem for search engines, as the engine itself doesn’t necessarily know which page should be the source of truth, and can algorithmically choose a URL for you. If both of these URLs are for the same product, choosing one of the canonical URLs tells Google and other search engines which one to show in search results.
In other words, if you have a web page that can be accessed by multiple URLs, or different pages with similar content (e.g. separate mobile and desktop versions), you should tell a search engine which URL is the authoritative (canonical) for that page.
Modern content management systems (CMS) and dynamic, code-driven websites compound the problem. Many sites automatically add tags, allow multiple paths (and URLs) to the same content, and add URL parameters for searches, rankings, currency options, etc. You could have thousands of duplicate URLs on your site and not even realize it.
Same Content, Multiple URLs – Solution: Canonical Tag
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SEO is important for every website, and as you can see, eCommerce stores are no exception. Canonical URLs play a critical role in ensuring that your client’s website is not penalized by search engines and that SEO is strong. They help search engines avoid confusion when different URLs point to the same content or web page, and can help inform which URLs have the same or very similar content.