KNOT — how it works

KNOT is a free tool that live-checks the rel=canonical on each URL you paste, then tells you whether it is a clean self-canonical or a clash worth a ticket.

No Search Console login. Public HTTP only. Clear PASS or FAIL with a Do-this.

• Status and final URL after redirects.
• Declared canonical (or missing).
• Self vs other: does the canonical match the final URL?
• Host / scheme: www vs apex, http vs https clashes.
• Canonical on a redirect hop.
• Paginator / HTML-sitemap smells (?page=, listing paths).
• noindex alongside a canonical.

PASS means SELF_OK — live 200, self-referencing canonical, no clash.

FAIL is labelled with one verdict:

• MISSING — no rel=canonical; add a self-canonical.
• OTHER — points at a different URL on the same host.
• CROSS_HOST — host or scheme doesn't match the live preferred URL.
• REDIRECT_CANON — you checked a URL that redirects; canonical must sit on a 200.
• PAGINATOR — HTML sitemap or ?page= style URL competing as indexable.
• NOINDEX — page says noindex; decide indexed vs drop from sitemaps/links.
• FETCH_ERROR — couldn't prove the canonical this run.

Same page, same rules, same result.

1. 01Sign in with your email — one-tap link, no password.
2. 02Paste up to 50 URLs, or load the nikkos.io example.
3. 03Hit Run. Filter by verdict, then export.

Group by verdict so each ticket has one job — missing canonicals together, cross-host together, and so on.

• Filter to fails or one verdict.
• Use the Do-this column as the ticket body.
• Export CSV or selected URLs.

• Public HTTP only — no crawl login.
• Capped at 50 URLs per run.
• Free forever. Email sign-in only.
• Sibling tools: LOCRA for sitemap locs, RAUM when GSC flags canonical reasons, GATE before you request indexing.