For a valid Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) setup, the connection between your standard page and its AMP version must be a two-way street. While the AMP page must have a canonical tag pointing to the standard page, the standard page must also have a return link pointing to the AMP version. This is done using the “ tag. A missing `amphtml` link is a critical error that breaks the connection, preventing search engines from discovering and serving your AMP page to mobile users.

Think of it as a two-way handshake. The AMP page points to the canonical page, and the canonical page must point back to the AMP page. If one hand is missing, the handshake fails, and the relationship between the two pages is not established. For a broader look at AMP, see our main guide on AMP.

An illustration of a return arrow from a standard page to an AMP page, symbolizing the rel='amphtml' link.

Why the `rel=”amphtml”` Link is Non-Negotiable

The `amphtml` link is the primary discovery mechanism for your AMP pages. As detailed in the official AMP documentation, this tag is mandatory for your AMP content to be found.

  • AMP Discovery: This tag is how you tell Google and other platforms, “Hey, there’s an ultra-fast AMP version of this page available.” Without it, your AMP page is effectively an orphan.
  • Consolidates Signals: A correct two-way link ensures that all ranking signals, like backlinks, are consolidated to the canonical non-AMP page, while still allowing the AMP version to be served to mobile users.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing the Missing Link

The goal is to ensure every canonical page has a valid `amphtml` link pointing to its AMP counterpart. For a deep dive into this topic, this guide from Moz on AMP is an excellent resource.

Example: Adding the `amphtml` Link

<!-- Before: Missing amphtml link on the non-AMP page --> <head> <title>My Page</title> <link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/page"> </head> <!-- After: amphtml link added --> <head> <title>My Page</title> <link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/page"> <link rel="amphtml" href="https://example.com/amp/page"> </head>

For more on this topic, see our guide on on-page SEO.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the correct way to link AMP and non-AMP pages?

There must be a two-way link. The non-AMP page must have a “ tag, and the AMP page must have a “ tag. This creates a clear, reciprocal relationship.

Can the ‘amphtml’ link point to a different domain?

Yes. It’s possible to host your AMP pages on a different domain or subdomain (e.g., `amp.example.com`). As long as the `amphtml` and `canonical` tags are pointing to the correct, full URLs on the respective domains, the connection will be valid.

How can I find all my pages that are missing the ‘amphtml’ link?

The most effective way is to use a website crawler like Creeper. It will scan your site and can be configured to report on all pages that have a corresponding AMP version but are missing the required `rel=””amphtml””` link in their HTML “.

Are your AMP pages discoverable? Start your Creeper audit today to find and fix any missing `amphtml` return links.

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