How to Fix Canonical Tag Issue in Blogger (Complete Step-by-Step Guide)
If Google Search Console is reporting “Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user” or canonical tag issues on your Blogger site, you are not alone. This is one of the most common technical SEO problems Blogger users face—and if left unresolved, it can silently limit your rankings.
In this guide, you will learn how to fix canonical tag issue in Blogger, why it happens, and how to confirm that Google is correctly indexing the right version of your pages.
This tutorial is written for beginners but goes deep enough for advanced users who want full control over Blogger SEO.
What Is a Canonical Tag (In Simple Terms)
A canonical tag is an HTML signal that tells Google:
“This is the preferred version of this page.”
When multiple URLs show the same or very similar content, Google needs to know which one to index and rank. The canonical tag prevents duplicate content issues by pointing all variations to one main URL.
Example:
Without a proper canonical tag, Google may:
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Index the wrong version
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Split ranking signals
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Ignore your preferred URL
Why Canonical Tag Issues Are Common in Blogger
Blogger automatically generates multiple URL variations, including:
Even when your content is correct, Google may see duplicates because Blogger exposes the same content through different paths.
This is why canonical tag issues appear frequently in Google Search Console for Blogger sites.
How to Identify Canonical Tag Issues in Blogger (Using GSC)
Before fixing anything, confirm the issue.
Steps:
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Open Google Search Console
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Go to Pages
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Click “Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user”
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Select a reported URL
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Click Inspect URL
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Check:
If these two do not match, you have a canonical tag issue.
How to Fix Canonical Tag Issue in Blogger (Step by Step)
Step 1: Use Blogger’s Default Canonical System (Do NOT Remove It)
Blogger already outputs canonical tags automatically.
Never delete Blogger’s default <link rel="canonical"> unless you know exactly what you are doing.
Removing it often makes the issue worse, not better.
If you previously edited your theme and removed canonical tags, restore them.
Step 2: Disable Custom Canonical Tags (If You Added Any)
Many Blogger users add custom canonical tags from tutorials or plugins.
This is a common mistake.
What to check:
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Go to Theme → Edit HTML
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Search for:
-
If you see custom conditional logic, remove it unless it is absolutely necessary
Blogger handles canonicals better without manual overrides in most cases.
Step 3: Set Custom Robots Tags Correctly (Very Important)
Incorrect robots settings can confuse canonical selection.
Go to:
Settings → Crawlers and indexing
Set the following:
For Homepage:
For Archive and Search pages:
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noindex → ON
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nofollow → OFF
This prevents:
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Label pages
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Search result pages
from competing with your main posts.
Step 4: Force HTTPS and a Single Domain Version
Canonical confusion increases if Google sees multiple protocol versions.
Ensure:
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HTTPS is enabled
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HTTP automatically redirects to HTTPS
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Only one domain version is used (with or without
www, not both)
Check this under:
Settings → Publishing
Step 5: Handle Mobile URLs (?m=1) Correctly
Blogger generates mobile URLs automatically.
Good news:
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Google understands
?m=1 -
You do NOT need to block it
Bad idea:
-
Blocking
?m=1in robots.txt -
Adding canonical tags manually for mobile
Google will consolidate mobile URLs automatically if your site is responsive.
Step 6: Do NOT Canonicalize Label Pages to Posts
Some users attempt to force all label pages to canonicalize to individual posts.
This is wrong.
Label pages should:
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Either be noindexed
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Or canonicalize to themselves
Mixing label pages and post canonicals creates canonical conflicts.
Step 7: Request Validation in Search Console
After fixing settings:
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Go back to Pages
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Open the canonical issue
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Click Validate Fix
Important:
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Canonical fixes take time
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Google may take weeks to recrawl and update signals
Do not panic if the issue doesn’t disappear immediately.
Common Mistakes That Make Canonical Issues Worse
Avoid these at all costs:
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Copying WordPress canonical solutions into Blogger
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Blocking URLs aggressively in robots.txt
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Using multiple SEO scripts at once
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Canonicalizing everything to the homepage
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Expecting instant resolution
Canonicalization is a signal, not a command.
How to Confirm the Fix Is Working
Use the URL Inspection Tool again and check:
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User-declared canonical = Your preferred URL
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Google-selected canonical = Same URL
When they match consistently, the issue is resolved—even if the report still shows historical URLs.
Should You Worry If Google Chooses a Different Canonical?
Not always.
Google may choose a different canonical if:
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Content is extremely similar
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Internal linking is inconsistent
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The preferred page is weaker
The goal is alignment, not perfection.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to fix canonical tag issue in Blogger is less about forcing Google and more about reducing confusion.
When you:
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Use clean settings
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Avoid over-optimization
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Let Blogger handle what it does best
Google usually resolves canonical issues naturally.
If your site is growing, these warnings are often a sign of increased crawling, not a penalty.
