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WordPress fix guide

Canonical Tag Targets a Broken URL on WordPress

A canonical tag points to a URL that returns a 4xx or 5xx error. Search engines cannot follow this reference.

Issue ID: CRAWL-CANONICAL-4XX-001Severity: majorEffort: S

Why this matters

A canonical tag points to a URL that returns a 4xx or 5xx error. Search engines cannot follow this reference. This affects how clearly search engines understand the page and how persuasive it looks in search results.

WordPress fix path

How to fix this on WordPress

Canonical tags are usually handled by your SEO plugin.

  1. 1Open the page in WordPress.
  2. 2Set the canonical URL in Yoast or Rank Math advanced SEO settings.
  3. 3Update the page and verify the rendered <head>.

After you fix it

  • Confirm the canonical URL returns HTTP 200

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