Content revised 20 October 2026.
Duplicate content means similar information appears at more than one URL. It is not automatically a penalty, but it can create confusing journeys and competing signals.
Not every duplicate is copied content
A product may be accessible through several URL variations, or an old site may contain two versions of the same article. Those situations differ from someone publishing another creator’s work without permission. Diagnose the actual duplication before choosing a remedy.
Choose a useful preferred version
Check which page should serve the reader and whether the other URL has a continuing purpose. A permanent redirect may suit a retired version; a canonical annotation can express a preference for similar pages that remain accessible. The signals should agree with internal links and sitemap entries.
Avoid two common shortcuts
- Do not use robots.txt as a substitute for selecting a canonical page.
- Do not assume that changing a few words creates a distinct useful article.
- Do not remove an established URL without checking links and the migration plan.
- Do not put one preferred URL in the sitemap and a conflicting canonical in the page.
Check the result after deployment
Open the public pages, inspect their responses and review the canonical output. Search Console can help show Google’s reported selection. Your preference is a signal, not a guarantee of selection. For pages with genuinely different purposes, improve the distinct information rather than forcing them into one version simply because they share a topic.
Official guidance: Google’s canonical guidance.