How do I resolve a Google indexing issue: 'Duplicate without user-selected canonical' 
Author: Andrew T.How do I resolve a Google indexing issue: 'Duplicate without user-selected canonical'
I have had my website up for many years and often make updates to it using the X5 Pro software. I recently saw my listing dramatically sliding down the Google page results and checked my listing using the Google Search Console - URL inspection tool. I was very surprised to find that my homepage - http://www.3dsculptor.com - gave a return of 'URL is not on Google' - Duplicate without user-selected canonical -
I tried the 'Test Live URL', which returned: 'URL is available to Google', so requested indexing again, which it has done, but upon checking again, it still returns the 'URL is not on Google' - Duplicate without user-selected canonical -
Any help would be most appreciated, thank you.
Check attachement - it is on google.
I can not check website if I can not click right button - too many time to save it on disc and check offline or by other tool.
Author
Thanks for your help. This is what I get when I try to subit it again:
Maybe there is something in .htaccess file? Or website was changed last time?
Author
Not sure about the .htaccess file. The website has been updated regularly but not changed.
The advice on Google was to add: <link rel="canonical" href="http://www.3dsculptor.com" />
to the home page/page properties/expert tab/custom code, which I have done, then resubmitted, but no change!
(It > En) ... a similar case has been solved this way:
https://helpcenter.websitex5.com/en/post/215433#comment5
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ciao
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Author
Thank you! I tried your advice and still can't resolve the issue.
The message has however changed to "Alternative page with proper canonical tag"
Please see image attached!
... I do not know...
... but in the meantime check these phases:
1) ...!... the sitemap is missing:
http://www.3dsculptor.com/sitemap.xml
2) ... guide:
> http://help.websitex5.com/en/v2019.2/pro/index.html?sitemap.htm
> http://help.websitex5.com/en/v2019.2/pro/index.html?mappa_pagina_tab3.htm
.
ciao
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Author
Thank you!
One thing I noticed is that the Home Page 'Index file format' on X5 was set by default to: index.php. I am not sure if that was correct, but have changed it to: index.html and resubmitted it for indexing again to see if that makes any difference.
Regarding the sitemap, I also noticed this last week. All of the settings on X5 are correct as default: "Add this page to the sitemap" - I also checked my ftp space and the file 'sitemap.xml' is on the webspace, so I have no idea why that isn't working either?
Any help on the above issues would be most welcome?
(It > En) ... as you can see and try, the SITEMAP LINK doesn't work!
... check the two guides in the previous point 2) well, and if you did all the operations correctly, and exported with the program, try to contact the server ...
... possibly also attach your sitemap.xml file here...
ciao
(It > En) ... that's no good...
... you have two INDEX pages: > index.html (!) and > index.php (OK)...
... the site on the net is correctly related to the index.php page ...
...(!)... so on the net you have to delete the index.html page ( index.html ) ...
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ciao
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Author
Thank you!
No, I didn't have two index pages, I just tried the 'index.html' instead of the index.php. I have left this as 'index.html' for now
Update:
I deleted everything from my web space (FTP) as there were many files left there from previous versions of X5. I then updated X5 to the new release today and re-uploaded my website. Now the 'Sitemap' is showing on http://www.3dsculptor.com/sitemap.xml - but there is a message at the top of the page:
"This XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it. The document tree is shown below." - Is this okay or do I need to change something?
I resubmited the page to google but it now comes back with "URL is not on Google" and "Duplicate, submitted URL not selected as canonical"
What should I do now please?
... OK, ... now the site is complete and regular ...
... enter the CANONICAL TAG in the section:
>> Step 3 - Map > The Page Properties window > The Expert section | ▪Custom Code: (2°) > ▼After opening the HEAD tag
... and then wait a few days to check ...
ciao
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Author
Thank you, again ;-)
My apologies, I do not fully understand what the code should be! (I am not a programmer/do not have experiencing with coding!)
Could you give me an example please?
I have however had this code in: Home Page> Properties>Expert>Custom Code>Before closing the Head tag:<link rel="canonical" href="http://www.3dsculptor.com/index.html" /> Which obviously hasn't resolved the issue!
...OK! <link rel="canonical" href="...etc...........
... no! > Before closing the Head tag
... yes > > ▼After opening the HEAD tag
Author
Thank you!
Author
I think I understand what has been happening now. I submitted the '/index' page to Google again yesterday and it returned the usual "URL is not on Google", but now it states that "Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user" and also:
User-declared canonicalhttp://www.3dsculptor.com/index.html
Google-selected canonicalhttp://www.3dsculptor.com/
Please see image attached!
This tells me that Google has chosen to list the Home Page in preference to the Index Page, which are in fact the same page with different URLs, and therefore would have been duplicated if both were listed! Logical.
I think that this has resolved my concerns and hope that it may help other users in the future.
Thanks again for your help.
Ciao
...
... that's no good ...!...
ciao