Where do I add the canonical tag in Homestead?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently working on improving the SEO of my website built with Homestead, and I need help figuring out where to insert the canonical tag for one of my pages.

The page URL is:

👉 https://www.locksmith24hours.com/cerrajero-en-san-juan

Here’s the code I want to add:

/>

Can anyone tell me exactly where in the Homestead editor I should place this tag so that Google properly recognizes it? Should it go in the <head> section? If so, how do I access that area in the Homestead builder?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

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russell5607

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21.6K Points

2 days ago

According to google:

Where do I add the canonical tag in Homestead website?

Based on the search results, it appears you can add a canonical tag to your Homestead website by following these steps:

Access the HTML Head Section: Navigate to your website's editor in Homestead Sitebuilder Plus.
Go to Page Settings: Click the "Page Settings" button.
Choose Advanced Settings: Select "Advanced Settings" from the drop-down menu.
Locate the "Add HTML or Javascript" Field: You will find a field specifically designed for injecting custom code into the <head> section of your page.
Paste the Canonical Tag: In this field, add the canonical tag using the following format, replacing "https://www.example.com/your-canonical-page/" with the actual URL of the page you want to designate as the canonical version:
html
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.example.com/your-canonical-page/" />
Use code with caution.
Save and Publish: Click "Save" and then "Publish" to apply the changes to your website.

Important considerations

The canonical tag should be placed within the <head> section of the HTML code for it to be recognized by search engines.
Ensure you use absolute URLs (the full URL, including the domain) for the canonical tag rather than relative URLs.
Google and other search engines rely on canonical tags to understand the preferred version of a page, particularly when multiple pages have similar or duplicate content. This helps to prevent issues like keyword cannibalization and ensures the correct page is indexed in search results.
Google also prefers HTTPS pages over HTTP pages and you can reinforce this preference by using a canonical tag from the HTTP page to the HTTPS page.

Following these steps should enable you to successfully add canonical tags to your Homestead website.

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jose1517

49 Messages

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834 Points

Long-time customer concerned with speed and canonical tag limitations on WebsiteBuilder, I appreciate your intention to help, but the instructions you provided seem to apply to the old Homestead system. I’m currently using WebsiteBuilder, which runs on the AJAX-based platform—and from what I can tell, this version does not allow canonical tags to be inserted properly on pages like:

👉 https://www.locksmith24hours.com/cerrajero-en-san-juan

I’ve been a Homestead customer since the early days when you were based at the FRA Technology Center in Pueblo, Texas, which I even visited in person. Those were good times, and even the older system delivered fast and reliable websites.

Unfortunately, the current platform has become incredibly slow and buggy. If you test any of my pages—such as:

👉 www.locksmith24hours.com

Using tools like:

https://pagespeed.web.dev/
https://toolsaday.com/seo/on-page-seo-checker
https://www.keycdn.com/tools/

You’ll immediately see multiple performance and SEO issues flagged—errors that weren’t present before.

Between 2019 and December 2024, my pages were fast and performed well. But ever since Network Solutions took over, support has been disappointing. On two occasions I’ve called for help, only to be told that I should “rebuild my pages in Web.com”—and of course, they want to charge me for that.

I’ve been a web programmer for many years, and I see no reason to pay someone to rebuild what I can do myself. What’s more troubling is that this feels less like a technical issue and more like a business tactic to push users into paying for redesign services.

I don’t believe I’m the only long-time customer facing this situation. I have over 10 websites hosted with Homestead, and the performance issues are consistent across them. All metrics point to server-related problems—possibly due to overloaded servers or other backend issues that may not have been addressed.

I invite you to run a test on my website at:

👉 https://www.locksmith24hours.com

Using https://www.keycdn.com/tools or similar, and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about.

After nearly 20 years as a loyal Homestead customer, I sincerely hope these issues are taken seriously. The platform that once led the way in small business web hosting is now becoming difficult to trust.

Thank you,

José Orlando Colón

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2 days ago

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jose1517

49 Messages

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834 Points

2 days ago

Your reference is to this Sitebuilders Plus system, which is not the one I use at Homestead.
capture-20250720-113019

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jose1517

49 Messages

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834 Points

2 days ago

This is the only section where I can put the HTML/Page Embed canonical code and the other would be in Manage followed by Advance but the canonical address of the INDEX is already in that section unless you tell me that it can be put in that area.

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russell5607

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21.6K Points

According to Google:

To add a canonical tag to your Websitebuilder website, you'll need to access the page's HTML and add the tag within the <head> section. Specifically, you'll find a field to add custom code (often labeled "Add HTML or Javascript") within the page's settings, usually under "Advanced Settings" or similar.

Here's a step-by-step breakdown:

1. Access Page Settings:

In your Websitebuilder editor, navigate to the settings for the specific page where you want to add the canonical tag.
2. Locate Advanced Settings:

Look for an "Advanced Settings" or similar section within the page settings.
3. Find the Code Injection Field:

Within the advanced settings, find a field where you can add custom HTML or JavaScript code.
4. Add the Canonical Tag:

Paste the following code into the field, replacing the example URL with the actual canonical URL for your page:

Code

   <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.example.com/your-canonical-page/" />

Save and Publish: Click "Save" and then "Publish" to apply the changes.

Important Considerations:

Self-Referencing Canonical:

The canonical tag should also be added to the page itself, referencing its own URL. This helps search engines understand that this is the preferred version of the page.
Absolute URLs:

When specifying the canonical URL, use the full, absolute URL (e.g., https://www.example.com/your-page/) rather than a relative URL.
Consistency:

Ensure that the canonical URL is consistent across all similar pages that you want to consolidate.
Sitemaps:

While not the primary method, you can also specify canonical URLs within your XML sitemap.
HTTP Headers:

For dynamic content or files like PDFs, you can specify canonical URLs through HTTP headers.
Google Search Console:

After implementing canonical tags, it's a good practice to submit your URLs to Google Search Console to verify their implementation and ensure proper indexing.

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2 days ago

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jose1517

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834 Points

I request you, To add a canonical tag, do I need to remove AJAX?
How can I get your help with https://www.locksmith24hours.com/locksmith-in-san-juan?
I need an example using this example page. I can give you access to my page to do this. "It would help me a lot."

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2 days ago

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russell5607

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@jose1517 Call support for HELP. Get a FREE SEO Consultation: 888-412-9962.
Hours of Operation for Live Support: Mon-Fri: 6a - 5p MST (No DST)
Sales: 800-986-0958
CALL Support: 800-710-1998 (TO CLOSE YOUR ACCOUNT)
Close your account: 800-710-1998
Outside USA: 00-1-880-710-1998
FREE SEO Consultation: 888-412-9962
Sat-Sun: Closed

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1 day ago

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jose1517

Where do I add the canonical tag in Homestead?

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