Guide to fix "Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user" in Google Search Console

Updated on: May 23rd, 2025 4 min readWritten by: Approved by: linkedin

Last Updated on May 23, 2025 by Admin

"Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user" error refers to webpages that Google didn’t index, and overrides canonical directive and selects a distinct duplicate page as a target to be indexed. To deal with this issue, you must optimize canonical tags, internal linking, and sitemap.

Find "Duplicate, Google Chose Different Canonical Than User"?

One can identify the pages affected by this issue by following below steps:

  • Login to your Google Search Console dashboard.
  • In the “Coverage” part of the “Index,” click “Coverage.”
  • Clicking on the “Excluded” tab will show you the list of excluded pages.
  • For this, you should look for the “Duplicate; Google chose different canonical than user” in the list.

Why is Google Selecting a Different Canonical?

There are several reasons why Google might choose a different canonical URL than the one you’ve specified on your page:

  1. Google thinks Different URLs are More Relevant;
    1. Content: Google can select a URL with keyword-rich or information-rich content that best depicts your webpage. The additional page could be a duplicate page on the same topic with more elaboration.
    2. User intent: Google aims to understand the user’s intent and what they want to achieve when searching. If another URL on your site better satisfies the query, Google may select it as the preferred canonical.
    3. Quality: Google considers the website’s quality, user experience design, and responsiveness on mobile when choosing a canonical title.
  2. Technical issues:
    1. Incorrect canonical tag: Ensure that canonical tag must be points to the correct page you intend to. Google will not notice grammar errors or deliberately referencing the wrong URL.
    2. Duplicate content: If multiple pages are similar or alike, a single URL of your website may be designated canonical, while the others may be ignored.
    3. Internal linking: Use the rel=”canonical” link between pages can influence Google’s decision to consider that specific one canonical. A disorganized internal linking structure may lead to a situation where search engines are unaware of the site’s structure and content.
  3. User signals:
    1. Clicks: If the users repeatedly click on different URLs in search results other than the one you have picked as the targeted canonical, Google may start to prioritize other ones because of users’ click behavior.
    2. Social shares: If some other webpage gets more social shares and engagement, Google might determine that webpage to be more relevant and choose it to be canonical.

Steps to Fix "Duplicate, Google Chose Different Canonical Than User" Error?

The "Duplicate, Google Chose Different Canonical Than User" error should be highly considered so that Google might index and rank the preferred pages. Let’s now get into the two key ways of resolving this issue and improving the website’s ranking in search engines.

1. Fix the Canonical URL of the Web Page

Canonical URL provided in the HTML of your web page is the one being used shows Google which one out of the pages provided is the genuine and original one. Consider the solution as follows:

  1. Original Web Page: If the web page is the original version that you want to be indexed, make sure that the canonical URL matches the actual URL of the page.
  2. Duplicate Web Page: If the web page is a duplicate version, then canonical URL should lead to the original webpage you want to be indexed.

If you find any inconsistencies between the canonical URL and the desired URL, correct them. The canonical tag should immediately point to the correct URL.

2. Redirect to the Original Web Page

Suppose the canonical URL on your web page is correct, but Google identifies a different copy page as canonical. In that case, you can resolve this by redirecting the duplicate page to the original one. This allows for merging link equity and demonstrating the original page is the one to be indexed.

Additional Tips

  • Use consistent, absolute URLs in your canonical tags.
  • Avoid canonical chain redirects, where Page A points to Page B and then Page C.
  • Make it a habit to periodically check your site for any new duplicate content and solve the issues quickly.
  • Watch Google Search Console for the "Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user" issue and verify the implemented resolutions.

Conclusion

"Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user" is a problem that requires a systematic approach and attention to all the details. Remember, SEO is an ongoing process, and AlgoSaga digital marketing agency is here to assist you with complicated SEO alterations. If used accordingly and proactively, these best practices will help your website stand on its own, enjoy high search engine rankings, attract relevant traffic, and meet your targets online.