G16 — Canonical and duplicate-document graph · Graph systems

173 words. Researched design, reviewed 2026-09-12: a library view or proposed design with its sources stated; not a deployed system, a live audit or a provider requirement. Source: Graph/G16-canonical-and-duplicate-document-graph.md. Graph systems, shelf 5 of 8; library release 2026.09.12-g40.

Status: NEW RESEARCHED DESIGN; not deployed
Reviewed: 2026-09-12
Nature: library view of documented URL policy
Priority: P0
Accountability: R08, R09, R11

Question

Which URLs describe duplicate documents, and what canonical signals are observed?

Nodes

URL; Document version; Declared canonical; Observed engine canonical

Relationship sketch

URL → declared canonical
inspection observation → selected canonical
document → duplicate candidate

Evidence inputs

Page headers/HTML, sitemaps, redirect signals, actual engine inspection when available.

Implementation

Store publisher-declared and engine-observed canonicals separately. Review cross-domain canonical proposals for real document duplication; do not canonicalize distinct services merely to connect brands.

Acceptance checks

Each observation distinguishes intent from engine behavior
Canonical targets are valid intended documents
Conflicting page/header signals are reported

Do not infer

Canonicalizing a page does not merge people or organizations.

Publication boundary

Page canonical signals public; inspection records private.

Source basis

S17, S08. See Research/sources.json. Sources support the primitives or named technology. The organization, labels, actions, and acceptance contracts in this catalog are this library's design, not claimed provider requirements.