Google not indexing “alternate page with proper canonical tag

What “Google Not Indexing ‘Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag’” Means

This message isn’t an error—it’s an informational status. Google is telling you that it discovered a page on your site marked as an alternate version, pointing to a preferred page using a canonical tag. As a result, Google indexes only the main page and excludes the alternate one HubSpot Community Squarespace Forum Rank Math.

Why It Happens

Reddit users put it simply:

“These pages have a canonical tag pointing to another page, essentially saying ‘I’m not the main version, this other page is.’” Reddit

It often happens because:

• Duplicate or very similar pages exist.
• URL parameters, language subfolders, trailing slashes, or uppercase/lowercase inconsistencies created alternate versions.
• Canonical tags are working correctly—but some of these alternate pages might still be important to you Search Engine LandConductor.

What You Can Do

1. Check the Google Search Console report (Coverage → “Alternate page with proper canonical tag”) to view affected URLs OnelyConductor.
2. Decide if those pages need indexing:
   • If they shouldn’t be indexed (e.g., parameter, language variants), you’re good to leave them.
   • If they should be indexed, apply a self-referencing canonical tag, update your sitemap, and fix your internal linking OnelySearch Engine Land.
3. Handle special cases:
   • URL parameters? Confirm canonical tag points to the clean URL.
   • Language variants? Make sure canonical tags align with your preferred regional version.
   • Trailing slashes or URL case issues? Fix with canonical tags or 301 redirects to unify versions Search Engine Land.
4. Watch for crawl budget issues:
   • If lots of alternates are unnecessary, consider disallowing them via robots.txt—just ensure Google can still access them initially to see the canonical tags Onely.
5. Cross-check with tools like Screaming Frog or GSC’s URL Inspection tool for deeper analysis WPMLOnely.

Bottom Line

“Alternate page with proper canonical tag” is generally a sign that your site’s canonicalization is working. But if some alternate pages should actually be indexed, update or correct their canonical tags and internal links, then request reindexing through Google Search Console.

Need help mapping this out in a checklist or flowchart? Let me know—I’ll put it together for you!