What you need to know
A redirect sends visitors and crawlers to a replacement URL. A canonical tag identifies the preferred version while leaving the alternate URL available, which may be necessary for tracking or product variants.
How to apply it
Use a permanent redirect for a true URL migration, update internal links and sitemap entries, and use canonical metadata for equivalent accessible pages. Test the destination and avoid redirect chains.
Common mistake to avoid
Do not use a canonical tag as a substitute for fixing broken internal links or for redirecting a page that should no longer exist.