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What Does 'Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag' Mean?
What Does 'Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag' Mean?

Understand what an 'Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag' notification in GSC means and how to verify your canonical settings.

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Written by Support Newsifier
Updated over 2 months ago

What is an 'Alternate Page'

An 'Alternate Page' in Google Search Console refers to a variant of the main page, such as an AMP version of a webpage. These are expected cases where Google recognizes a different version of the page but correctly identifies the main one as the canonical.

This message confirms that the alternate version is properly linked to the main page using a canonical tag, ensuring Google knows which URL to prioritize for indexing.

Do You Need to Take Action?

In most cases, no action is needed.

This message is generally informational. It simply means that the alternate version of the page (e.g., AMP) has the correct canonical tag pointing to the main page. As long as your canonical tags are properly set, no further action is required.

How to Double-Check Your Canonical Tags

  1. Review Canonical Tags in HTML:

    • Open the alternate page’s source code and look for the <link rel="canonical" href="URL"> tag.

    • Ensure the href points to the intended main URL.

  2. Verify in Google Search Console:

    • Use the URL Inspection Tool to check the page.

    • Confirm that the "Canonical declared by the user" matches your intended main URL.

Pro Tip: Regularly audit your canonical tags when making changes to your site's structure, adding new pages, or using alternate page formats like AMP. This ensures Google understands your site's hierarchy and indexing preferences.

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