Does canonical affect indexing?

Yes, the canonical tag directly influences which page will be selected by the search engine for indexing.

It tells the search engine crawler which URL is considered the "primary" (canonical) version of a page if there are multiple similar or duplicate versions.

How it works in practice

If the page says:

even if you submit a different URL for indexing (for example, with parameters or a similar duplicate), the search engine can:

• ignore the sent URL;

• merge signals with canonical page;

• show the canonical URL in the search results;

• Do not index the submitted URL as a separate page.

Why is this important for indexing?

Canonical actually sets the priority:

• it tells the search engine which version of the page is the "main" one;

• other versions are considered duplicates or alternatives;

• Link weight and signals can be passed to the canonical URL.

Therefore, a typical situation arises:
You submit one URL, and another one gets indexed - the one specified in the canonical.

When canonical is especially critical

• pages with parameters (?utm, filters, sorting);

• identical products in online stores;

• pages accessible via multiple URLs;

• HTTP/HTTPS or www/non-www versions;

• pagination and duplicate categories.

How to work with canonical correctly

• Always check where the canonical points before submitting a URL;

• Submit only the URL that is specified as canonical;

• Don't try to index duplicates with a different canonical - it's usually pointless;

• Make sure that the canonical does not point to a non-existent or closed page.

Result

Canonical is one of the key signals for indexing a page. It can override any submitted URL and determine which version of the page appears in search results. Therefore, when working with indexing, it's important to always focus not only on the URL itself but also on its canonical version.