Verify canonical links for localized pages
A localized page should normally point its canonical link to its own final localized URL, not to the base-language route. POM Translate filters canonical output from Rank Math and Yoast to match the active locale.
How the URL is built
POM Translate first determines the equivalent base-language URL for the current query, then localizes that URL for the active locale. It supports:
- front page and posts page;
- singular posts, pages, and products;
- category, tag, and custom taxonomy archives;
- post-type and author archives;
- search results;
- paginated views.
The localized route can include the language prefix and stored post or term slugs. Query strings and fragments are retained when a fallback request URL must be transformed.
Verify a canonical
- Open the final target-language URL.
- View the rendered document head.
- Find the single
rel="canonical"link. - Confirm its host, language prefix, localized hierarchy, slug, pagination, and trailing-slash form.
- Follow the canonical and verify it returns the same localized content without another redirect.
- Repeat for the base locale.
Test at least one page, product, hierarchical term, archive page 2, and front page.
Canonical redirects
WordPress canonical redirects also receive localized route handling. This prevents a valid language-prefixed home or localized term route from being redirected back to an inappropriate base path.
Canonical metadata and HTTP redirects solve related but different problems. Inspect both the response chain and the final HTML.
If the canonical is wrong
- Confirm the active language detected from the route.
- Save the localized slug and refresh rewrite rules.
- Clear page, object, SEO, and CDN caches.
- Make sure only the intended SEO plugin outputs a canonical.
- Check whether a theme or extension overrides the canonical after POM Translate.
POM Translate has explicit canonical filters for Rank Math and Yoast. Another SEO plugin may continue to output its original URL until a compatible integration is provided.