Amp Page Url Has Canonical Url Which Is Not Indexable: How to Fix This Technical SEO Issue

Understanding AMP and Canonical URLs

What are AMP pages and their purpose

AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) is an open-source HTML framework designed to create fast mobile web pages that load 4 times faster than standard pages ^[1]. This dramatic speed improvement directly impacts user experience and engagement metrics, making AMP particularly valuable for publishers and e-commerce sites serving mobile audiences.

The framework achieves this speed through strict HTML specifications, streamlined CSS, and JavaScript limitations. With mobile devices now accounting for 64% of global web traffic in 2025 ^[14], AMP's performance benefits have become increasingly critical for maintaining competitive search visibility.

The role of canonical URLs in SEO

Canonical URLs serve as the primary solution for duplicate content issues, which affect 29% of pages across the web ^[2]. These tags tell search engines which version of a page should be considered the authoritative source when multiple versions exist.

In the context of AMP, the canonical tag is not optional—it's a mandatory element for AMP pages to be considered valid ^[3]. Without proper canonical implementation, search engines cannot understand the relationship between your AMP and non-AMP pages, leading to indexing confusion and potential ranking issues.

Importance of indexable canonical URLs for AMP pages

When AMP pages reference canonical URLs that aren't indexable, search engines face a critical conflict in understanding which content to prioritize. Canonicalization is becoming even more important in 2026 as generative engine optimization rises, requiring clearer content attribution and source identification ^[4].

AMP pages must adhere to the AMP HTML specification and link to a canonical page that search engines can actually crawl and index ^[5]. This bidirectional relationship ensures that both versions of your content work together to maximize search visibility rather than competing against each other.

Identifying the AMP Canonical URL Issue

Common causes of non-indexable canonical URLs

The most frequent cause of this issue occurs when AMP pages lack proper canonical link tags, preventing search engines from establishing the connection to the primary content version ^[6]. Additionally, canonical URLs may become non-indexable due to robots.

txt blocking, noindex directives, or server errors returning 4xx or 5xx status codes. When a canonical URL points to a non-indexable page, search engines attempt to consolidate ranking signals to a page they cannot access, leading to unpredictable indexing behavior and potential traffic loss ^[7].

This creates a cascade effect where neither the AMP nor the canonical version achieves optimal search visibility.

Tools for detecting AMP and canonical URL problems

Google Search Console's AMP status report provides comprehensive identification of both critical and non-critical AMP issues, making it the primary diagnostic tool for most sites ^[8]. The report specifically highlights canonical URL problems and provides actionable recommendations for resolution.

For bulk validation across entire sites, Screaming Frog SEO Spider integrates the official AMP Validator, allowing technical SEO professionals to identify canonical issues at scale ^[9]. These tools become essential when managing large sites with thousands of AMP pages requiring regular monitoring.

Impact on search engine crawling and indexing

The performance advantages of properly configured AMP pages are substantial, with 60% of AMP domains passing Core Web Vitals compared to just 12% for non-AMP sites ^[10]. AMP pages are 5 times more likely to meet Core Web Vitals thresholds, directly impacting their search ranking potential ^[10].

However, these benefits disappear when canonical URL issues prevent proper indexing. Search engines cannot pass ranking signals between versions, resulting in diluted authority and missed opportunities for enhanced mobile search visibility.

Amp Page Url Has Canonical Url Which Is Not Indexable: Diagnosis

Analyzing AMP page structure and canonical tags

Proper AMP implementation requires bidirectional linking where the canonical URL includes an amphtml link tag, and the AMP page references the original with a canonical tag ^[11]. This reciprocal relationship enables search engines to understand both versions belong to the same content entity.

To verify implementation, open Developer Tools in your browser, navigate to the head section, and ensure the link rel=canonical href= tag is present with the correct URL pointing to an accessible page ^[15]. The canonical URL should use absolute paths including the full domain and protocol to avoid any ambiguity.

Checking robots.txt and meta robots directives

A critical diagnostic step involves verifying that neither robots. txt nor meta robots tags are blocking access to your canonical URLs. You should NOT exclude crawlers via robots.

txt or add noindex meta tags to AMP files, as this creates an immediate indexability conflict ^[12]. If an AMP Page URL is disallowed in robots. txt, search engines will be unable to crawl and index it, regardless of how well the canonical tags are configured ^[13].

This is particularly important given that over 70% of websites have transitioned to mobile-first indexing, making mobile accessibility paramount ^[14].

Verifying canonical URL indexability in search console

Google Search Console provides direct insight into whether your canonical URLs are being indexed properly. Mobile optimized sites are 67% more likely to appear on the first page of Google results, but only when their canonical structure allows proper indexing ^[14].

Check the URL Inspection tool for both your AMP and canonical URLs to identify any blocking factors. With 100% of indexed websites now using mobile-first indexing as of July 5, 2024 ^[14], ensuring your canonical URLs are mobile-accessible has become non-negotiable for maintaining search visibility.

Fixing Non-Indexable Canonical URLs for AMP Pages

Updating canonical tags to point to indexable pages

The immediate solution involves ensuring all AMP pages point to canonical URLs that return 200 status codes and contain no blocking directives. Use absolute URLs including the domain and protocol, and define only one canonical URL per page to avoid confusion ^[20].

When canonical tags and noindex directives appear together, they send conflicting signals to search engines—the canonical indicates the preferred version while noindex tells engines not to index it ^[16]. This contradiction must be resolved for proper indexing to occur.

Removing noindex directives from canonical URLs

The solution to conflicting directives is straightforward: remove the robots directives so they do not interfere with the canonical relationship ^[17]. This includes eliminating noindex tags from meta robots, X-Robots-Tag headers, and any robots.

txt disallow rules affecting the canonical URL. Google explicitly requires that the content of canonical pages and AMP pages be substantially the same, making it essential that both versions remain accessible to crawlers ^[18].

Any blocking directives on the canonical URL effectively nullify the benefits of having an AMP version.

Ensuring consistency between AMP and non-AMP versions

Proper implementation requires adding information about the AMP page to the non-AMP page and vice versa via link tags in the HTML head ^[19]. This bidirectional linking creates a clear relationship that search engines can follow and verify.

With mobile devices accounting for 64% of global web traffic and 63% of Google queries coming from mobile devices ^[14], maintaining perfect synchronization between AMP and canonical versions has become critical. Both versions must present substantially similar content while maintaining their unique technical implementations.

Monitoring and Maintaining AMP SEO Health

Regular audits of AMP and canonical URL relationships

Google Search Console remains the go-to tool for monitoring AMP performance and identifying canonical URL issues before they impact rankings ^[21]. Regular monitoring helps catch configuration changes that might inadvertently break the canonical relationship.

Conduct comprehensive audits every 3-6 months and re-audit after major algorithm updates to ensure continued compliance with evolving standards ^[24]. These audits should verify both technical implementation and content parity between versions.

Implementing best practices for AMP page discoverability

AMP developers can measure Core Web Vitals through the amp-analytics component, providing real-time performance monitoring ^[22]. In 2025, Core Web Vitals thresholds require LCP under 2.

5 seconds, INP under 200ms, and CLS under 0. 1 for optimal ranking potential ^[23].

Track essential metrics including pageviews, load time, engagement time, and bounce rate using GA4 to understand how canonical URL fixes impact actual user behavior ^[25]. These metrics provide actionable insights into whether your technical improvements translate to better user experiences.

Tracking AMP performance in search results post-fix

Performance improvements from proper AMP implementation are measurable and significant. Pages loading within 2 seconds achieve a 9% bounce rate compared to 38% for pages taking 5 seconds ^[26].

When canonical URLs are properly configured and indexable, AMP pages receive 30% more search traffic on average ^[26]. This traffic increase, combined with improved user engagement metrics, demonstrates the tangible value of resolving canonical URL issues promptly and maintaining ongoing monitoring protocols.