Canonical URLs on WordPress - Technical SEO Playbook

Easy Recommended

Using Yoast SEO

Yoast automatically sets self-referencing canonicals for all pages (best practice). You can also override them.

1

Verify Default Settings

1

Yoast handles canonicals automatically out of the box

2

No configuration needed for 99% of pages

3

It points the page to itself (self-referencing canonical)

2

Override Canonical (Advanced)

1

Edit the specific page or post

2

Scroll to Yoast SEO > Advanced section

3

Find "Canonical URL" field

4

Paste the URL of the "Master" page you want to credit

Only do this if this page is a duplicate of another page

Easy

Using Rank Math

Rank Math provides similar controls in the "Advanced" tab of the meta box.

1

Edit Canonical

1

In the post editor, click the Rank Math icon

2

Click the "Advanced" tab (briefcase icon)

3

Find "Canonical URL field"

4

Enter the target URL if different from current page

Easy

Using All in One SEO (AIOSEO)

Edit canonicals directly in the post editor.

1

Edit Canonical

1

AIOSEO Settings > Advanced.

2

Enter the 'Canonical URL' if different from the current page.

Advanced

Manual Code / Snippet Plugins

Advanced control via PHP filters (WPCode, functions.php).

1

Choose Tool

1

WPCode: Create a PHP snippet.

2

Theme Code: Edit child theme functions.php.

2

Filter Canonical URL

1

Hook into 'wpseo_canonical' (Yoast) or 'aioseo_canonical_url'.

2

Use conditional logic.

Example

add_filter( 'aioseo_canonical_url', 'custom_canonical_logic' );
function custom_canonical_logic( $url ) {
    if ( is_single( 123 ) ) return 'https://site.com/master-page';
    return $url;
}

Canonical URLs

Prerequisites

Using Yoast SEO

Verify Default Settings

Override Canonical (Advanced)

Using Rank Math

Edit Canonical

Using All in One SEO (AIOSEO)

Edit Canonical

Manual Code / Snippet Plugins

Choose Tool

Filter Canonical URL

Verification Checklist