In short. Set the base URL in Site settings > SEO > Global canonical tag URL, save, publish, and inspect the generated canonical links.
Definition: A canonical link declares the preferred URL for a webpage. As of May 2026, Webflow's global canonical URL setting supplies the base address that Webflow combines with each page's slug to generate that link.
Key facts
- Webflow's canonical tag documentation places the field at Site settings > SEO > Global canonical tag URL. Saving and publishing applies the change.
- Webflow's September 2026 default-domain documentation describes the default domain as the destination for redirects from other connected domains.
- Google's July 2026 canonical URL documentation classifies
rel="canonical"links as a strong signal for canonical selection.
Which base URL belongs in the setting?
The base URL normally matches the site's default domain. Webflow's setup instructions require the protocol, such as https://, and the www prefix when the default domain uses it. The value excludes a trailing slash. The documentation gives this example:
https://www.yourdomain.com
The value goes in Site settings > SEO > Global canonical tag URL, followed by saving and publishing.
The default domain can be checked under Site settings > Publishing > Production, according to Webflow's default-domain instructions. Make default selects a connected domain; publishing to that domain implements the change. Quick connect initially selects the www subdomain, while the root domain can also be selected.
What links does Webflow generate?
Webflow's canonical tag guide says the base URL combines with each page's unique slug. Using its example base and a contact slug gives this illustrative HTML link:
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.yourdomain.com/contact">
The same guide places canonical tags in the HTML <head>. It warns that a trailing slash in the base produces double slashes in subpage URLs, such as //contact.
Google's HTML canonical guidance recommends absolute URLs and accepts the link element only within <head>. Checking the published HTML therefore covers the destination URL and the element's location. Google also recommends consistent canonical destinations across links and sitemaps.
How can the result be checked in Google?
As of October 2026, Google's URL Inspection documentation provides User-declared canonical and Google-selected canonical fields. Entering a complete page URL in the inspection bar opens the report for a URL in the current Search Console property.
The indexed report shows Google's selected canonical under Page indexing. Comparing it with the declared URL checks Google's selection after crawling. The live test cannot predict canonical selection. Last crawl identifies when Google last fetched the page, which helps distinguish an older indexed version from a recently published change.
Related terms
- Canonical URL
- How do I override a canonical URL on a Webflow page?
- How do I enable an automatically generated Webflow sitemap?
- Where do I compare Google's selected canonical with my declared URL?
FAQ
Can I override the global value for one page?
Yes. Webflow's static-page canonical setting overrides the global setting for that page.
Does Google always select the URL I declare?
Google's URL Inspection guidance says it sometimes chooses another URL. You can compare the declared and selected values in the indexed report.
Sources
- Webflow, "Set canonical tags to improve SEO", 19 May 2026
- Webflow, "Set a default domain", 1 September 2026
- Google Search Central, "How to specify a canonical URL with rel=canonical and other methods", 10 July 2026
- Google Search Console Help, "URL Inspection tool", accessed 17 October 2026
Check how a page reads to answer engines. Open the GEO score analyzer