In short. Compare User-declared canonical and Google-selected canonical in Search Console's indexed URL Inspection report under Page indexing.
Definition: A canonical URL is the representative address Google selects for duplicate or very similar pages. As of October 2026, Search Console's indexed URL Inspection report places User-declared canonical and Google-selected canonical under Page indexing, where the declared preference and Google's selection can be compared.
Key facts
- Google's URL Inspection documentation places the canonical comparison in indexed data; the live test cannot predict canonical selection.
- Google's canonicalization overview explains that it groups pages with the same or very similar primary content before selecting a representative.
- Google's canonical URL guidance describes redirects and canonical link annotations as strong signals, and sitemap inclusion as a weak signal.
Where are the fields?
Google's inspection instructions start with a complete URL entered in the inspection bar. The URL must belong to the currently open Search Console property. In the indexed result, expanding Page indexing exposes the canonical fields.
User-declared canonical records an explicit canonical declaration. Google-selected canonical records Google's chosen representative. Last crawl gives the crawl time in local time; the report draws its information from that crawled version. Google also says the selected canonical value can lag its index by a few hours.
Why can Google select a different URL?
Google's canonicalization explanation describes a selection process based on signals collected during indexing. These include HTTP or HTTPS, redirects, sitemap inclusion and canonical link annotations. A declared preference is one input to that process, and Google can select another page.
Google uses the canonical page as its main source for evaluating content and quality. Search results usually point to it, although a duplicate can suit a particular user better. The documentation gives the example of showing a mobile URL to a mobile user while the desktop URL remains canonical.
What can a website check after a mismatch?
Google's canonical URL guidance advises against declaring different canonical URLs through different methods. Its example is a sitemap naming one URL while a canonical link names another. It also recommends consistent internal links to the preferred canonical.
A canonical link annotation is an HTML link element that identifies the preferred URL. Google's example uses this element inside the page's head:
<link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/dresses/green-dresses" />
The same guidance recommends an absolute URL and a self-referential canonical link on the canonical page itself. Google accepts the HTML canonical link element only in the head section. Redirects provide another strong canonical signal, while URLs listed in a sitemap are suggested canonicals.
Related terms
- Canonical URL
- How does Search Console's live URL test differ from indexed data?
- How do I find the reason a page is excluded from Google's index?
FAQ
Can I use the live test to confirm Google's selection?
Google's URL Inspection documentation directs you to indexed data for canonical selection. A live test cannot predict that decision.
What does None mean in User-declared canonical?
The same documentation says None is acceptable when your page is not an alternate page. For a page in a set of alternates, Google recommends an explicit canonical declaration.
Sources
- Google Search Console Help, "URL Inspection tool", undated
- Google Search Central, "What is canonicalization", undated
- Google Search Central, "How to specify a canonical URL with rel="canonical" and other methods", undated
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