Do I need to set a global canonical page URL in Webflow for my website with unique content in all pages?
TL;DR
- Each page should have a self-referencing canonical URL set individually in Webflow’s Page Settings under SEO settings.
- For CMS Collection pages, use dynamic fields to generate correct canonicals like
https://yourdomain.com/blog/{slug}. - Avoid setting a single global canonical URL, as it can harm SEO by devaluing other pages.
- Webflow does not automatically generate canonical tags, so configure them manually to ensure proper indexing.
If each page on your Webflow site has unique content, you generally do not need to set a single global canonical URL — but you should still handle canonicals properly per page for SEO best practice.
1. Understand Canonical URLs in Webflow
- Canonical URLs tell search engines the "preferred" version of a page to index.
- In Webflow, you can control the canonical URL for each page individually by using the Page Settings under the SEO settings area.
- If your pages have unique content (no duplicates), each page should self-reference itself with its own canonical URL.
2. How to Set Canonical URLs Correctly
- Open Page Settings for each individual page.
- In the SEO Settings, find the Canonical URL field.
- Set the canonical URL to match the live URL of that specific page (e.g.,
https://yourdomain.com/aboutfor your About page). - For CMS Collection pages, use dynamic fields inside the canonical link, like
https://yourdomain.com/blog/{slug}.
3. Why You Should Avoid a Single Global Canonical URL
- If you set a global canonical to your homepage (e.g., all pages point to
https://yourdomain.com/), search engines might ignore or devalue other pages. - This setup can cause SEO issues, like lost rankings and reduced page indexation.
- Each page should claim itself as canonical unless there’s duplication, canonicalization for paginated content, or complex structured content.
4. What Webflow Automatically Does
- Webflow does not insert canonical URL tags automatically unless you manually configure them under each page's SEO settings.
- Without a set canonical tag, search engines decide for you, which might not always be what you want.
Summary
You do not need a global canonical page URL if your Webflow site has unique content across all pages. Instead, set a self-referencing canonical URL per page through the page settings to protect your SEO and signal accurate indexing to search engines.