Name the three URLs before merging anything
Page A is the publisher’s guide. Its anchor points to B, the planner URL with tracking and view parameters. Page C is the clean planner address. In this authored case B and C have duplicate or very similar main content; do not infer that relationship merely because two paths look alike. Keep the exact raw href, including its query, in your evidence. Normalizing it away at import would hide which URL was actually linked.
Distinguish a declared preference from a selected canonical
Google’s canonicalization guidance describes rel="canonical" and redirects as strong signals, while sitemap inclusion is weaker. They express or support a preference; Google can choose differently. Consolidating signals such as links across duplicate URLs is a purpose of canonicalization, but a tag alone does not establish the selected result. Do not promise automatic consolidation or a numerical gain for this backlink.
Read the 200-response case correctly
A returns 200 and contains an anchor to B. B returns 200 and declares C in a canonical link element in the document head. C also returns 200 and declares itself. Following A’s link opens B; the browser address remains B because the canonical declaration is metadata, not navigation. A’s href remains B too. The dashed arrow from B to C means a preferred canonical, not a second browser request.
The supplied JSON records those distinct fields and leaves Google-selected canonical null. That is deliberate: this is an authored case on reserved domains, not a URL Inspection result. The response codes are stipulated example evidence rather than measurements taken from your own publishers.
Authored example on reserved domains; no live inspection or measured ranking value.
| Check | Authored evidence | Meaning | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source page A | https://publisher.example/guide | href="https://shop.example/planner?ref=guide&view=full" | Anchor navigation |
| Variant URL B | https://shop.example/planner?ref=guide&view=full | 200 | A links to B. B returns 200 and declares C as canonical. The browser stays on B; the declaration alone does not navigate to C. |
| Preferred URL C | https://shop.example/planner | 200; rel="canonical" → C | Preferred URL C |
| Canonical preference; not navigation | https://shop.example/planner?ref=guide&view=full → https://shop.example/planner | rel="canonical" | Canonical preference; not navigation |
| Anchor navigation | https://shop.example/planner?ref=guide&view=full | 200; https://shop.example/planner?ref=guide&view=full | A links to B. B returns 200 and declares C as canonical. The browser stays on B; the declaration alone does not navigate to C. |
| Google-selected canonical: unknown in this case | null | Authored example on reserved domains; no live inspection or measured ranking value. | Google-selected canonical: unknown in this case |
Compare a permanent redirect as a different configuration
If B has permanently moved and should no longer serve a separate page, a 301 response with Location: C sends the browser to C. That is the alternative configuration in the download, not an additional response after B’s 200 in the main case. Google’s redirect guide explains permanent and temporary signals. A still contains href B until its publisher changes that anchor; neither a redirect nor a canonical silently edits A.
When equivalent parameter variants must stay available, an absolute canonical in valid HTML head can state the preferred URL. Keep internal links, sitemap URLs and canonical declarations consistent. Do not use fragments, contradictory declarations, robots blocking or noindex as substitutes for a sound duplicate-URL strategy. Unrelated pages should not be consolidated just to collect links.
Verify owner evidence and record uncertainty
Check the published source anchor, B’s actual HTTP response, its final browser address and its declared canonical. Then inspect C and the content relationship. Use Search Console URL Inspection for a property you can access: indexed information can show the Google-selected canonical and its inspection context. The live test cannot predict which canonical Google will choose. Keep the indexed evidence date separate from today’s browser observation.
Use the completed worksheet as a field model, then record your own findings in the blank version. Keep raw and resolved URLs, status, declared preference and selected result separate. A response trace or screenshot is evidence for the field it actually displays; a browser address is not proof of an indexed canonical.
Choose an action that matches the page’s purpose
For a genuine permanent move, verify an appropriate destination and use the relevant migration workflow. For duplicate variants that need to remain accessible, align canonical signals and check later indexed evidence. If Google chooses another URL, investigate content similarity, access, conflicting signals and the recorded crawl context rather than assuming the backlink disappeared. This guide does not connect your Search Console account or claim to know Google’s current selection.