URL canonicalization converts addresses that should be treated as equivalent into one consistent representation. A crawler may use it to reduce duplicate requests and keep records from being split across harmless URL variations.
Normalize without losing meaning
Common steps include lowercasing the hostname, removing a fragment that is not sent to the server, and normalizing default ports. Query parameters need more care: tracking tags may be safe to remove, while language, pagination, filters, or product variants may change the content.
Keep the original URL alongside the canonical key. This preserves provenance and makes it possible to revisit the exact source. Test normalization rules against pairs that should merge and pairs that must remain distinct.
A page’s canonical link can be a useful hint for search indexing, but it may be absent or incorrect and does not necessarily define identity for your dataset. Use the task’s requirements and observed content to decide.
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