Adding rel="canonical" to Evolution CMS Templates

The original note asked how to add rel="canonical" in MODX Evolution. The best approach is still to output it in the shared head chunk or base template so every page gets a consistent canonical rule.

Why canonical matters

Legacy Evo projects often accumulate multiple route variants over time: strict URL toggles, query parameters, alternate aliases, or migrated structures. A canonical link helps search engines understand which URL should be treated as the preferred version.

Where to place it

Put the canonical tag in the central head output, not inside individual content chunks. That keeps the rule consistent and reduces the chance that one template family forgets it.

What to keep in mind

• canonical should point to the preferred public URL, not just the current raw request URL
• it supports redirects, but does not replace them
• if the page truly has one stable URL, canonical is straightforward; if the project has URL ambiguity, fix the routing too

In short: add the canonical tag centrally, generate it from the real preferred URL, and use it together with sane redirect rules rather than instead of them.