How can I set up Canonical tags in Webflow to indicate republished articles while also ensuring Google knows the correct canonical URL for my site, considering multiple custom domains connected to Webflow?

To set up canonical tags for republished articles and ensure Google uses the correct domain as the canonical source in a Webflow project with multiple custom domains, follow these steps:

1. Set a Default (Canonical) Domain in Webflow

• Go to Project Settings > Hosting.
• In the Custom Domains section, Webflow displays all connected domains.
• Click the "Make default" button next to the domain you want to be the canonical version (e.g., www.example.com).
• This ensures Webflow automatically adds a canonical tag pointing to your default domain in each page.

Important: Make sure you set the www. version as default if you're using both www and root (example.com) to avoid duplicate content issues.

2. Use Custom Canonical Tags for Republished Articles

When republishing articles from another site (like Medium or other blogs), you need to manually assign canonical URLs:

• In the CMS Collection Template Page (e.g., Blog Post), add a custom code block in the Page Settings.

• Scroll to "Custom Code > Inside tag" and insert the following:

  <link rel="canonical" href="https://original-source.com/original-article" />

• Replace the URL with the original article’s canonical URL.

• You can make this dynamic by creating a "Canonical URL" field in your Collection and then referencing it like:

  <link rel="canonical" href="{{Canonical URL}}" />

• Make sure the field only populates for republished content. Leave it blank for original articles to allow Webflow's built-in canonical system to apply.

3. Avoid Canonical Conflicts Across Domains

• Only host your content on the default domain (e.g., www.example.com). Avoid actively using or linking to the non-default domains like example.com or other TLD variations.
• Implement 301 redirects in the Hosting settings, redirecting all traffic from secondary domains to the default domain.

4. Use Google Search Console Correctly

• Add all domain versions (with and without www) to Search Console.
• Group them into a Domain Property or set the Preferred Domain (if using older Search Console versions).
• Submit your sitemap using the default canonical domain, e.g., www.example.com/sitemap.xml.

Summary

Set a default domain in Webflow for automatic canonical tags and use custom canonical tags for republished articles via a CMS field. This setup ensures Google indexes the correct version of your content and avoids duplication from custom domain variations.