---
title: "Canonical URL set in the root layout (lint/canonical-in-root-layout)"
description: "lint/canonical-in-root-layout: Metadata is inherited, so a canonical in the root layout makes every page that doesn't override it declare itself a duplicate…"
canonical: https://void-design.vercel.app/rules/lint/canonical-in-root-layout
lastModified: 2026-09-16
---

# Canonical URL set in the root layout

`lint/canonical-in-root-layout` · severity **error** · category Lint · detected by `void lint` and `void audit`

## Why it matters

Metadata is inherited, so a canonical in the root layout makes every page that doesn't override it declare itself a duplicate of that URL. Google then drops those pages from the index.

## How to fix it

Remove `alternates.canonical` from the root layout and set it per page (`alternates: { canonical: '/pricing' }`).

## Example

```ts
// app/pricing/page.tsx
export const metadata = { alternates: { canonical: '/pricing' } }
```

## References

- https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/functions/generate-metadata#alternates

## More lint rules

`void lint` reports 67 rules in this category. Static source checks with no browser: Tailwind v4 silent failures, Next.js 16 API traps, React render-body bugs, accessibility markup, SEO files and motion hygiene.

- `z-index-soup` Many distinct z-index values — [lint/z-index-soup](https://void-design.vercel.app/rules/lint/z-index-soup)
- `hardcoded-colors` Hard-coded colors in components instead of tokens — [lint/hardcoded-colors](https://void-design.vercel.app/rules/lint/hardcoded-colors)
- `missing-metadata` Page has no `metadata` / `generateMetadata` and inherits only the root title — [lint/missing-metadata](https://void-design.vercel.app/rules/lint/missing-metadata)
- `missing-metadata-base` Root layout metadata has no `metadataBase` — [lint/missing-metadata-base](https://void-design.vercel.app/rules/lint/missing-metadata-base)
- `og-merge-drops-parent` Page `openGraph` replaces the layout's (shallow merge drops images/siteName) — [lint/og-merge-drops-parent](https://void-design.vercel.app/rules/lint/og-merge-drops-parent)
- `not-found-in-suspense` `notFound()`/`redirect()` inside a component rendered under `<Suspense>` — [lint/not-found-in-suspense](https://void-design.vercel.app/rules/lint/not-found-in-suspense)
- `missing-sitemap` No sitemap — [lint/missing-sitemap](https://void-design.vercel.app/rules/lint/missing-sitemap)
- `missing-robots` No robots.txt — [lint/missing-robots](https://void-design.vercel.app/rules/lint/missing-robots)

Detected by `void lint` and `void audit`. Explain it in a terminal: `void rules lint/canonical-in-root-layout`