Problem Alternate page with proper canonical tag in google search console

This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.

Problem:
The client is experiencing issues with Google Search Console showing over 685 errors named 'Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag'. The client is confused about the meaning of this status and how to identify pages that should be indexed after activating WPML.
Solution:
We explained that the 'Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag' status in Google Search Console is not an error but an informative alert indicating that Google has recognized multiple versions of a page with the same canonical URL. One version is treated as the primary, and others are not indexed as duplicates. This setup is typical when using WPML with the WPML SEO and Yoast SEO plugins, which manage canonical tags for all languages. To ensure that the correct pages are indexed:
1. Confirm that your canonical tags reflect your indexing intentions.
2. Use tools like Screaming Frog SEO Spider to audit your site's canonical tags.
3. Adjust canonical tags where necessary to ensure each unique content page is recognized by Google.
For more details, check the documentation here: WPML SEO documentation

If this solution does not apply to your case, or if it seems outdated, we recommend opening a new support ticket. We also highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have installed the latest versions of themes and plugins. For further assistance, please visit our support forum at WPML Support Forum.

This is the technical support forum for WPML - the multilingual WordPress plugin.

Everyone can read, but only WPML clients can post here. WPML team is replying on the forum 6 days per week, 22 hours per day.

Tagged: Not WPML issue

This topic contains 3 replies, has 2 voices.

Last updated by Marsel Nikolli 7 months, 3 weeks ago.

Assisted by: Marsel Nikolli.

Author	Posts
May 14, 2024 at 9:57 am #15624627
khalidA-55	I got a lot of errors over 685 named : Alternate page with proper canonical tag in google search console
May 14, 2024 at 10:59 am #15624855
Marsel Nikolli	Hi, Thank you for contacting WPML Support, I will gladly help you. "The "Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag" status message in Google Search Console indicates that Google has found two or more versions of a page on a website with the same canonical URL. Google will index the main version of the page and exclude the duplicate version. Pages with this status are not considered duplicate content and there is no need to worry if canonical tags are implemented deliberately. However, there could be pages in there that you do want to have indexed" WPML SEO and Yoast SEO plugins should already take care of the canonical for all languages. Documentation: https://wpml.org/documentation/related-projects/wpml-seo/ Kind regards, Marsel
May 14, 2024 at 11:33 am #15624947
khalidA-55	Thanks for your quick reply, but i'm still a little confused, what do you mean by (there could be pages in there that you do want to have indexed) how could i identify these pages, because i have more than 600 page after activating WPML another question why google search console show this if it's not an error?! thanks for your time
May 14, 2024 at 2:03 pm #15625788
Marsel Nikolli	Hi, When using WPML, the "Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag" message in Google Search Console indicates that Google recognizes multiple pages with the same canonical URL, treating one as the primary version. This isn't an error but a notification. The status is shown by Google not as an error but as an informative alert, prompting you to verify that your canonical tags are set correctly to reflect your indexing intentions. This helps prevent duplicate content issues and ensures your content is properly indexed across different languages and regions. You can use tools like Screaming Frog SEO Spider to audit your site's canonical tags, especially important for sites with many pages, like yours with over 600. Adjust canonical tags where necessary to ensure each unique content page is recognized by Google. I hope you find this information helpful. Kind regards, Marsel