Canonicals vs Redirects: Which Signal Should You Use?
They answer different questions
A redirect tells users and crawlers to go somewhere else. A canonical tells crawlers which version you prefer while the page still remains accessible. Those are different tools for different levels of duplication control.
Use a redirect when
The old URL should no longer be visited, shared, or crawled as a live destination.
Use a canonical when
Multiple versions need to stay accessible for usability, filters, tracking, or syndication reasons, but one version should accumulate ranking signals.
Practical rule
If users should land on one final URL, redirect. If multiple versions must remain reachable, use canonicals carefully. When teams use canonicals to avoid fixing a redirect problem, they usually end up with both duplication and messy routing.
Next Step
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