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How to Fix WordPress Category/Tag Pages Showing Duplicate Titles (Complete Guide)

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By admin November 30, 2025 No Comments

If your WordPress category or tag archive pages are showing duplicate titles, you are not alone. Thousands of WordPress users face this strange issue—especially after switching themes, installing SEO plugins, or migrating a website.

Duplicate titles look like this:

  • Category: WordPress Tutorials – WordPress Tutorials

  • Tag: SEO Tips – SEO Tips

  • WordPress Guides Archives – WordPress Guides

Not only does this look unprofessional, but it also hurts your SEO, confuses Google, and reduces click-through rate (CTR).

In today’s detailed guide, we will explain:

  • Why WordPress shows duplicate titles on categories/tags

  • How to fix duplicate title tags using theme settings

  • How to fix using Rank Math, Yoast, AIOSEO

  • How to fix using functions.php with sample code

  • How to fix using custom templates

  • How to remove duplicate H1 Titles

  • How to verify everything in Google Search Console

By the end… your category/tag pages will be clean, SEO-friendly, and Google-optimized.

Let’s begin.

What Causes Duplicate Titles on WordPress Category & Tag Pages?

Duplicate titles usually happen because:

1. Theme adds its own title structure

Some themes generate archive titles like:

Category: %category%
Tag: %tag%

Then your SEO plugin also adds the category/tag name again.

2. SEO plugins generate title tags automatically

If your theme already outputs titles, SEO plugins like:

  • Rank Math

  • Yoast SEO

  • All in One SEO

may duplicate them.

3. Custom functions, page builders, or header templates

Some developers hard-code titles inside:

  • archive.php

  • category.php

  • taxonomy.php

  • header.php

  • Or through hooks like single_cat_title()

4. H1 title duplication, not meta title duplication

Sometimes your meta title is correct, but the page shows two H1 tags.

This still hurts SEO.

5. Conflicting plugins

Breadcrumb plugins and SEO plugins often both output taxonomy titles.

How to Identify the Exact Duplicate Title Problem

Before fixing anything, check:

Is the duplicate visible in browser tab?

If yes → Meta title duplication
If no, only on page → H1 duplication

How to check meta title:

Right-click → “View Page Source” → search for:

<title>

If it appears twice → plugin/theme conflict.

How to check H1 issues:

Right-click → Inspect → search for:

<h1>

If two H1s exist → theme issue.

Now let’s fix everything step by step.

Fix 1: Disable Theme-Generated Archive Titles

Many themes add the archive title automatically. You can disable it by editing:

functions.php

Add this snippet:

add_filter('get_the_archive_title', function($title) {
if (is_category() || is_tag() || is_tax()) {
return single_term_title('', false);
}
return $title;
});

This removes “Category:” / “Tag:” prefixes and prevents duplications.

Fix 2: Fix Duplicate Titles in Rank Math

If you use Rank Math, go to:

Rank Math → Titles & Meta → Categories / Tags

Set your format to:

%term%

Make sure your theme does NOT add the category name again.

Disable this option if available:

✔ Remove Category Prefix

Then go to:

Rank Math → General Settings → Breadcrumbs

Disable:

✔ Show Category/Tag Title in Breadcrumbs

Fix 3: Fix Duplicate Titles in Yoast SEO

Go to:

SEO → Search Appearance → Taxonomies

Under Category Title Template, set:

%%term_title%%

Turn OFF:

Add prefix
Show in breadcrumbs (if theme already shows titles)

Save changes.

Yoast’s default sometimes creates duplicates if theme titles exist.

Fix 4: Fix Duplicate Titles in AIOSEO

Go to:

All in One SEO → Search Appearance → Taxonomies

Set title:

#taxonomy_title

Disable:

Show Archive Title
Auto-Generate Titles (if theme handles it)

Fix 5: Remove Duplicate H1 Tags from Category/Tag Pages

Most themes display the category title using:

the_archive_title('<h1>', '</h1>');

And then another H1 is added by SEO plugins.

Option A — Remove Theme H1 (best practice)

Add to functions.php:

add_filter('the_archive_title', '__return_empty_string');

Then manually add H1 inside your template:

<?php single_term_title('<h1 class="archive-title">', '</h1>'); ?>

This ensures only one H1 exists.

Fix 6: Fix Duplicate Titles Using archive.php or category.php

Open:

/wp-content/themes/your-theme/category.php

or

archive.php, taxonomy.php

Search for:

the_archive_title();

or:

<h1>

Remove or replace:

<h1><?php single_cat_title(); ?></h1>

Also remove any static text like:

Category:
Tag:
Archives:

Fix 7: Force a Clean Title for All Taxonomies (Universal Fix)

If you want a clean system-wide fix, use:

add_filter('get_the_archive_title', function ($title) {
if (is_category() || is_tag() || is_tax()) {
$title = single_term_title('', false);
}
return $title;
});

This ensures:

  • No prefix

  • No duplicate

  • Clean output

Fix 8: Fix Duplicate Meta Titles Using wpseo_title or Rank Math Filters

If meta title is wrong, use:

For Yoast:

add_filter('wpseo_title', function($title){
if (is_category() || is_tag() || is_tax()) {
return single_term_title('', false);
}
return $title;
});

For Rank Math:

add_filter( 'rank_math/frontend/title', function( $title ) {
if (is_category() || is_tag() || is_tax()) {
$title = single_term_title('', false);
}
return $title;
});

This overrides plugin-generated duplicates.

Fix 9: Fix Using Custom Category Template

Create:

category.php

Add clean title code:

<?php get_header(); ?>

<div class=”category–header“>
<h1><?php single_term_title(); ?></h1>
</div>

<?php if (have_posts()) : while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>
<h2><a href=”<?php the_permalink(); ?>”><?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>
<?php endwhile; endif; ?>

<?php get_footer(); ?>

This ensures:

  • One clean H1

  • No prefixes

  • No duplicates

Fix 10: Verify Fix in Google Search Console

Once changes are applied:

  1. Go to URL Inspection

  2. Enter a category or tag URL

  3. Click View Crawled Page

  4. Check Rendered HTML → <title> tag

  5. Ensure:

  • The title appears once

  • Only one H1 is visible

Then click Request Indexing so Google updates your fixed titles.

How Duplicate Titles Hurt SEO (Important!)

Google sees duplicate titles as:

  • Poor user experience

  • Thin content

  • Unoptimized taxonomy pages

  • Lower CTR

  • Less relevant metadata

  • Conflicting signals

If you fix this issue, your category pages can bring massive SEO traffic.

Many authority blogs get 30% of total traffic from well-optimized category pages.

Best SEO Structure for Category & Tag Titles

Here is the perfect SEO formula:

Meta Title Format

%Category% Tutorials & Guides | WPThrill

Example:

WordPress SEO Tips & Guides | WPThrill

H1 Format

%Category%

Example:

WordPress SEO Tips

URL

yourdomain.com/category/wordpress-seo/

Meta Description Example

Learn everything about WordPress SEO in this complete category. Tutorials, guides, tips, fixes, and expert insights to improve your website rankings.

Best Practices to Avoid Future Duplicate Title Issues

Choose a theme with proper archive support
Do not output H1 using both theme and SEO plugin
Keep SEO plugin templates simple
Avoid adding static text like “Category:” or “Tag:”
Keep only one H1 on archive pages
Avoid page builders for dynamic archives
Use a child theme for template modifications

Following these ensures the issue never returns.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why is my WordPress category page showing the title twice?

Because both your theme and SEO plugin output the title. Or two H1 tags exist inside your category template.

2. Is it harmful for SEO to have duplicate titles?

Yes, duplicate titles confuse search engines and reduce CTR, harming SEO.

3. How do I remove “Category:” prefix from archive titles?

Add this to functions.php:

add_filter('get_the_archive_title', function($title){
return single_term_title('', false);
});

4. How do I check if my meta title is duplicated?

Inspect page source → search for:

<title>

If it appears twice → conflict exists.

5. Does Rank Math or Yoast cause duplicate titles?

Yes, if your theme also outputs archive titles. Disable prefixes in SEO plugin settings.

6. Can I fix duplicate titles without editing theme files?

Yes, using filters in functions.php works for most cases.

Conclusion

Duplicate titles on WordPress category and tag pages are extremely common, but the fix is straightforward once you understand the cause.

By adjusting SEO plugin settings, removing theme-generated titles, or applying code filters, you can achieve a clean:

  • SEO-friendly

  • Professional

  • Google-optimized

taxonomy structure that improves rankings and user experience.

Implement the steps above, test with Google Search Console, and your site will instantly look more professional and improve organic performance.

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