What is "Duplicate without user-selected canonical" Issue?
If you see the "Duplicate without user-selected canonical" issue in Google Search Console, it means that Google has found multiple versions of the same content but is unsure which one to index. This can negatively impact your website’s SEO and rankings.
For Blogger websites, this issue often occurs due to comment feeds and unnecessary duplicate URLs being indexed, such as:
https://www.example.com/feeds/123456/comments/default
Why Does This Issue Happen?
- Google detects duplicate URLs but no canonical tag is defined.
- Blogger automatically generates comment feeds that are not needed in search results.
- Pages with similar content exist under multiple URLs.
To fix this permanently, follow these steps:
Step 1: Block Duplicate URLs Using Robots.txt
What is Robots.txt?
The robots.txt file tells search engines which pages should not be crawled.
How to Add Custom Robots.txt in Blogger?
- Open Blogger Dashboard.
- Go to Settings → Crawlers and indexing.
- Enable Custom robots.txt.
- Add the following code:
User-agent: * Disallow: /search Disallow: /feeds/ Disallow: /*/comments/ Allow: / Sitemap: https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml
- Click Save.
This will stop Google from indexing /feeds/ and /comments/ URLs.
Step 2: Remove Already Indexed Duplicate URLs from Google
If duplicate URLs are already indexed, remove them manually from Google Search Console.
How to Remove URLs in Search Console?
- Open Google Search Console → Select your website.
- Go to Removals → Click New Request.
- Enter the unwanted URLs, such as:
https://www.example.com/feeds/ https://www.example.com/feeds/comments/default
- Click Submit Request.
These URLs will be removed from Google for 6 months.
Step 3: Use Canonical Tags to Prevent Duplicate Content
If your site has multiple URLs for the same page, you must specify a canonical URL.
How to Add Canonical Tags in Blogger?
- Open Blogger → Click Theme → Select Edit HTML.
- Find the <head> section.
- Add this code:
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.example.com/original-page-url" />
- Save the changes.
This tells Google to only index the main page and ignore duplicates.
Step 4: Submit Updated Sitemap in Google Search Console
A sitemap helps search engines understand which pages to index.
How to Submit Sitemap in Google Search Console?
- Open Google Search Console.
- Go to Sitemaps.
- Enter your sitemap URL:
https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml
- Click Submit.
Google will re-crawl your site and remove duplicate URLs.
Final Checklist to Fix This Issue
- Update Robots.txt to block unnecessary URLs.
- Remove already indexed URLs using Google Search Console.
- Add Canonical Tags to prevent duplicate content.
- Resubmit your Sitemap for better indexing.
- Wait for 1-2 weeks to see improvements in Google Search Console.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you can permanently fix the Duplicate without user-selected canonical issue and improve your website’s SEO. If the issue persists, check Google Search Console > Coverage Report regularly and update your settings accordingly.
If you found this guide helpful, share it with other bloggers facing similar issues!