# Canonical URLs on Archive Pages

> Adds canonical link tags to the blog page, category, tag, author and post type archives, which WordPress only does for single posts and pages by default.

- Type: PHP
- Runs: Frontend only
- Category: [SEO](https://wpide.com/library/category/seo/)
- Tags: canonical, archives, duplicate-content
- Author: WPIDE Team
- Installs: 0
- Updated: 2026-10-28
- Page: https://wpide.com/library/canonical-urls-for-archives/

## Code

```php
add_action( 'wp_head', function () {
    if ( is_singular() || is_404() || is_search() || defined( 'WPSEO_VERSION' ) || defined( 'RANK_MATH_VERSION' ) || defined( 'AIOSEO_VERSION' ) || defined( 'SEOPRESS_VERSION' ) || defined( 'THE_SEO_FRAMEWORK_VERSION' ) ) {
        return;
    }

    $url = '';

    if ( is_front_page() ) {
        $url = home_url( '/' );
    } elseif ( is_home() ) {
        $url = get_permalink( (int) get_option( 'page_for_posts' ) );
    } elseif ( is_category() || is_tag() || is_tax() ) {
        $url = get_term_link( get_queried_object() );
    } elseif ( is_author() ) {
        $url = get_author_posts_url( get_queried_object_id() );
    } elseif ( is_post_type_archive() ) {
        $type = get_query_var( 'post_type' );
        $url  = get_post_type_archive_link( is_array( $type ) ? reset( $type ) : $type );
    }

    if ( ! $url || is_wp_error( $url ) ) {
        return;
    }

    $paged = (int) get_query_var( 'paged' );

    if ( $paged > 1 ) {
        global $wp_rewrite;
        $url = $wp_rewrite->using_permalinks() ? user_trailingslashit( trailingslashit( $url ) . $wp_rewrite->pagination_base . '/' . $paged, 'paged' ) : add_query_arg( 'paged', $paged, $url );
    }

    echo '<link rel="canonical" href="' . esc_url( $url ) . '" />' . "\n";
}, 1 );
```

## Notes

Each paginated page points to itself. Skipped when a major SEO plugin is active.

## How to use it

Install the free WPIDE plugin (https://wordpress.org/plugins/wpide/), find "Canonical URLs on Archive Pages" in its snippet library and add it in one click; or create a new PHP snippet in WPIDE (or any code snippets plugin) and paste the code above. More snippets: https://wpide.com/library/