In SEO, duplicate content can quietly damage your rankings. One error I frequently encounter in Google Search Console is ‘Duplicate without user-selected canonical.’ This occurs when search engines detect duplicate content on a site but cannot locate a proper canonical tag. As a result, the affected page is excluded from the SERPs, which directly impacts visibility. I find this to be one of the most challenging Google Search Console errors. In this article, I’ll explain what this error means, its common causes, and the best solutions to fix it.

How do I fix a ‘Duplicate without user-selected canonical’ error in Google Search Console?

1. Go to Google Search Console -> Pages -> Duplicate without user-selected canonical

Go to the Pages report in Google Search Console and click on the ‘Duplicate without user-selected canonical’ error listed under the Why pages aren’t indexed section. From there, export the data into a spreadsheet for easier analysis.

2. Check your canonical tags

  • Use the Inspect URL tool in GSC to check a few of the listed URLs.
  • Look at the “User-declared canonical” vs. “Google-selected canonical.”
  • If Google is choosing its canonical instead of the one you intended, or if no canonical is set, you’ve identified the issue.

3. Add or Correct Canonical Tags

A canonical tag is an HTML tag that tells Google which version of a page is the preferred one.

  • Add <link rel=”canonical” href=”https://www.example.com/preferred-page” /> inside the <head> of your duplicate pages.
  • If the page should be indexed itself, use a self-referencing canonical tag:
    <link rel=”canonical” href=”https://www.example.com/current-page” />

4. Fix Common Sources of Duplicate Content

Here are the most frequent culprits and how to resolve them:

  • Parameter URLs: URLs with tracking codes (e.g., ?utm_source) should point to the clean version using a canonical tag.
  • HTTP vs. HTTPS / WWW vs. non-WWW: Set up 301 redirects to your preferred version.
  • Language subfolders: Double-check hreflang and canonical tags to ensure each language page points correctly.
  • Printer-friendly or AMP pages: Add canonicals pointing back to the main content page.
  • Pagination: Use rel=”next” and rel=”prev” (or canonical to page 1 if appropriate).
  • CMS archives & tags: Configure your CMS (e.g., WordPress, Shopify) so category/tag pages don’t create thin duplicates.

5. Use 301 Redirects Where Necessary

If duplicate pages exist only because of outdated URLs, it’s better to redirect them to the correct version rather than keep them live with a canonical.

Example: http://example.com/page → redirect to https://www.example.com/page.

6. Include a trailing slash in URLs

Always include a trailing slash in your URLs to prevent duplicate content issues. Consistency is key.

John Mueller from Google explains:
“The slash after a hostname or domain name doesn’t matter… but a slash elsewhere in the URL is significant and changes the URL if it’s included or not.”

In simple terms: Don’t ignore the slash. Adding or removing it creates two distinct URLs and can result in duplicate content.

For example:

  • https://website.com/blog-post
  • https://website.com/blog-post/

Google treats these as two separate pages. Once you standardise URLs to include the trailing slash, set up 301 redirects from the non-slash versions to avoid confusion.

7. Block or Noindex Irrelevant Pages

For duplicate pages that serve no SEO purpose (like internal search results or temporary landing pages):

  • Add a noindex meta tag, or
  • Block them in txt.

This prevents them from competing with your main content.

8. Request Validation in Google Search Console

After fixing the issues:

  • Go back to the Pages report.
  • Select “Validate Fix.”
  • Google will re-crawl the affected pages and confirm if the error is resolved.

What causes the “Duplicate without user-selected canonical” status?

Several factors can trigger this error, and it is essential to identify the exact cause on your website, as the right solution depends on it.

  • Content duplication
  • Missing canonical tags
  • Location-based pages
  • Syndicated & paginated content
  • Additional issues of conflicting HTTP/HTTPS pages, WWW vs non-WWW domains, and URL parameters.

Write original content

The only real way to fix the ‘Duplicate without user-selected canonical’ error is by removing duplicate content. Dealing with duplicates is nothing new in the SEO world; every SEO professional has faced it at some point. If you see this error in Google Search Console, it’s time to audit your content. Duplicate content has never been a good practice. Years ago, people used it as a quick way to rank, but today it only hurts your site. These errors won’t disappear on their own. The only way forward is to take action and clean up duplicate content.

Fixing the “Duplicate without user-selected canonical” error comes down to one principle: make it easy for Google to know which version of your page matters most. By using canonical tags correctly, redirecting unnecessary duplicates, and managing parameters, you ensure your site’s authority isn’t split and your most important pages stay visible in search.