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Yoast is using the wrong Canonical URL: How to Fix It
If you’re using Yoast SEO and you’ve noticed that the canonical URL is wrong, don’t panic – it’s an easy fix. Fortunately, there’s an easy workaround and tutorials. With just a few clicks, you can flush the Yoast tables and migrations, allowing you to remove the plugin and change your canonical URL.
1. To start troubleshooting, first install the Yoast Test Helper Plugin of your Yoast SEO plugin on WordPress plugins.
2. Go to Tools > Yoast Test.
3. In the “Yoast SEO” box with a bunch of buttons, use the “Reset Indexables tables & migrations” button to flush them.
4. You can then uninstall the plugin, remove your manually-entered canonical URL, and the default (autogenerated) canonical URL will be fixed.
And that’s it! This simple workaround will save you time and hassle when changing your website’s canonical tag URL.
Advanced mode
Using the WP-CLI command, enter the following to reset the tables.
WP Yoast index
Conclusion
Canonical URLs are essential to SEO, but they can be tricky to get right. Our team is here for you if you’re having trouble flushing your canonical URLs or just need a little help setting them up. We have years of experience working with WordPress SEO (WPSEO) or WordPress websites and can help you get your website up for optimal search engine performance. Contact us today to learn more!
FAQ
How do you troubleshoot and fix an issue where Yoast SEO plugin is setting the wrong canonical URL?
When Yoast SEO plugin is applying incorrect canonical URLs, leading to duplicate content issues on your WordPress website, you need to start troubleshooting to identify and rectify the problem. Follow these steps:
Check Canonical Settings: In the Yoast SEO plugin, review the canonical tag settings for the affected web page. Ensure that the canonical link is self-referencing or pointing to the correct version of the page, especially if it’s paginated.
Inspect Header and HTML: Look at the page’s source code to verify the canonical link element (<link rel="canonical" href="example.com" />) is correctly implemented in the HTML header.
WordPress Plugins and Theme: Sometimes other WordPress plugins or theme settings can interfere with Yoast’s canonical tags. Check for any conflicts by deactivating other plugins temporarily and see if the issue persists.
Staging vs. Production Site: Ensure that the issue isn’t due to differences between your staging and production site. The canonical URL should point to the production site’s domain.
Edit with Filters and PHP: Use the wpseo_canonical filter to programmatically set the canonical URL. You can add custom PHP code in your theme’s functions.php file or through a site-specific plugin to modify the canonical link.
Update and Check Yoast SEO Version: Make sure you are using the latest version of Yoast SEO plugin, as bugs related to canonical URLs are often fixed in updates.
Google Search Console and Sitemaps: Use Google Search Console to identify how Google is interpreting your canonical tags and ensure your sitemaps are updated and correct.
Consult Yoast Tutorials and GitHub: Yoast’s tutorials and the GitHub repository can provide additional insights and solutions for dealing with canonical URL issues.
Noindex and Duplicate Content: If incorrect canonicalization is leading to duplicate content, ensure pages that should not be indexed are correctly marked with noindex.
By following these steps and utilizing the right resources, such as the Yoast SEO plugin documentation, GitHub, and tutorials, you can effectively resolve issues related to incorrect canonical URLs and prevent duplicate content on your WordPress website.
Isaac Adams-Hands is the SEO Director at SEO North, a company that provides Search Engine Optimization services. As an SEO Professional, Isaac has considerable expertise in On-page SEO, Off-page SEO, and Technical SEO, which gives him a leg up against the competition.
