<b>Your canonical vs Google's chosen canonical</b>
You set rel=canonical. Google treats it as a hint and often overrides it. The Inspection tool is where you catch the disagreement.
Where to look: URL Inspection → 'User-declared canonical' vs 'Google-selected canonical'. Mismatch = your signal lost.
Why Google overrides:
— Conflicting internal links pointing at the non-canonical version
— The 'canonical' page is thinner than the duplicate
— Sitemap lists the wrong variant
— HTTPS/trailing-slash/parameter inconsistencies
What the tool does well:
— Shows exactly which URL Google indexed under, killing guesswork
Where it falls short:
— Tells you the verdict, not the deciding factor — you reconcile the signals
— Per-URL only; no bulk canonical-conflict report natively (script the API)
Pros: ends 'why isn't my preferred URL ranking' debates instantly.
Cons: no explanation, manual per-URL.
Best for: dedupe debugging on parameter-heavy or paginated sites.
Not for: bulk audits without scripting the Inspection API.
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<b>Your canonical vs Google's chosen canonical</b>
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