How to add a canonical link tag
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AI Search Score checks for a <link rel="canonical"> tag — the declaration of a page’s preferred URL.
Why this matters
The canonical tag tells engines which URL is the authoritative version of a page when several URLs could show the same content (with/without trailing slash, query parameters, etc.). It consolidates signals onto one URL and prevents duplicate-content confusion that can dilute how engines treat your page.
How to fix it
Nearly every SEO plugin (Slim SEO, Yoast, Rank Math) adds a self-referencing canonical tag automatically — so the usual fix is to ensure your SEO plugin is active and canonical output isn’t disabled. Confirm by viewing source and looking for:
<link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/this-page/" />Issues to watch: a canonical pointing at the wrong URL (e.g. all pages canonicalising to the homepage), or a cross-domain canonical pointing somewhere unintended. Each page should normally canonicalise to itself.
How to check it worked
Re-scan. “Canonical URL declared” should turn green. View source and confirm the canonical points to the page’s own correct URL.
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