Audit rules

Conflicting Canonicals

More than one distinct canonical URL is declared across the HTML and the HTTP Link header, after resolution and normalization. In a QuikSEO audit, a failure of this rule has error severity and counts against the score. Below are the exact condition, its exceptions and the sources behind it, followed by the other rules of the same group.

01 — Definition

How This Rule Is Checked

The rule is a pure function of the fetched page: no extra requests, no account settings. The same input always gives the same result.

Rule Severity and Score

Rule id: canonical.conflict
Group: Canonical
Severity of a failure: Error
Counts in the score: Yes, whenever it applies to the page
Required for a score: No

Condition and Exceptions

Condition: More than one distinct canonical (after resolution and normalization) across HTML and Link header → fail
Exceptions: Duplicates of the same URL → pass

Sources and Project Decision

Sources: How to specify a canonical URL with rel="canonical" and other methods (Google Search Central, Q29)
RFC 6596: The Canonical Link Relation (IETF, Q74)
Project decision: Severity error is a project decision [D]. Only canonicals that resolve are compared (unusable ones are reported by canonical.invalid); none resolvable is not applicable.

02 — Canonical

Other Rules in This Group

The other checks of the same group, each with its own condition and sources.

Canonical Differs From Final URLcanonical.differs_from_final_url
Canonical Invalidcanonical.invalid
Canonical Missingcanonical.missing
Canonical Target Not Indexablecanonical.target_not_indexable