Hello,
Thank you for reaching out about the odd URLs listed under "Alternate page with proper canonical tag (INDEX FAILED)" in Google Search Console. This message typically appears when there are multiple versions of a page on your website with the same canonical URL.
The presence of these URLs might be due to various reasons such as parameter variations, session IDs, or other factors that create different versions of the same page. However, Google will exclude these duplicate versions and index the main version of the page.
In this case, since the odd URLs seem to link to your index page, it’s essential to ensure that the canonical URL is correctly set for your index page. If Google is recognizing these URLs as canonicalized versions of your index page, there might not be an issue to address.
To confirm if everything is set up correctly, you can check the canonical URL settings in Rank Math. If needed, you can update the canonical URL using Rank Math’s meta box feature. Here is a guide on how to update the canonical URL in Rank Math.
If you have any further questions or need assistance, please feel free to ask. We are here to help.
Thank you!
Sources:
Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag Status in Google Search Console » Rank Math
Why Did My Website Disappear From Google Search? » Rank Math
What I don’t understand is how these multiple versions of the index page can exist. It’s not something I have created. I only have one index page. And it’s indicated as the canonical page under the Advanced tab. Do you have any idea?
Hello,
Thank you for your patience.
The report from your Google Search Console is correct regarding the Alternate page as all of those URLs’ canonical tags are pointing to your homepage.
Here’s a link for more information:
https://rankmath.com/kb/alternate-page-with-proper-canonical-tag/#num-1-what-does-alternate-page-with-proper-canonical-tag-mean
Regarding their source, they must be generated by one of your plugins or active theme.
You should use the URL inspection tool of your GSC account to inspect those URLs and check the referring page where they are coming from.
Once you know their referring page, you can remove or update them so Google won’t discover those kinds of URLs.
Looking forward to helping you.
Hello,
Since we did not hear back from you for 15 days, we are assuming that you found the solution. We are closing this support ticket.
If you still need assistance or any other help, please feel free to open a new support ticket, and we will be more than happy to assist.
Thank you.
