Canonical URL

Priority: high | All tiers

What it does and what it gives you

Indicates which URL is the preferred version of a page. Prevents duplicate content issues with pagination, filters and similar content.

How to use it

Open the Canonical URL accordion in the editor.
Enter a custom canonical if the default isn't correct (e.g. for guest posts).
Leave the field empty to automatically use the current URL.
Save.

Example

You have an article that also appears on a partner website. You set the canonical to the original URL on your site.

Potential issues & solutions

Canonical points to wrong URL: check that all variants (with/without trailing slash, www/non-www) are correct.
Google ignores canonical: canonical is a hint, not a command; ensure the content actually matches.