what is the difference between canonical and duplicate web pages?

A canonical URL is the preferred version of a web page, used to consolidate multiple pages with similar content into a single, canonical version. It informs search engines that a specific URL represents the master copy of a page, which should be given priority in indexing and ranking over duplicate pages.

On the other hand, a duplicate web page refers to an exact or near-exact copy of a web page that exists at a different URL than the original. Duplicate content can create confusion for search engines and result in lower rankings for both the original and the same pages.

In summary, a canonical URL is a way to consolidate similar content into one preferred version, while duplicate content refers to the existence of multiple versions of the same content across multiple URLs.