diff --git a/frontend/src/app/universe/address-assets/address-assets.component.spec.ts b/frontend/src/app/universe/address-assets/address-assets.component.spec.ts
index 55f50350e6b..29ed54c2e76 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/universe/address-assets/address-assets.component.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/universe/address-assets/address-assets.component.spec.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ function position(protocolId: string, assetId: string, quantityAtomic?: string):
     outpoint: `${'a'.repeat(64)}:0`,
     vout: 0,
     valueSatsAtomic: '546',
-    asset: { protocolId, canonicalAssetId: assetId, assetKind: 'fungible', displayName: assetId },
+    asset: { protocolId, assetId: assetId, assetKind: 'fungible', displayName: assetId },
     quantityAtomic,
     state: 'unspent',
     evidence: { authorityId: 'ord', coverage: 'complete' },
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/universe/address-assets/address-assets.component.ts b/frontend/src/app/universe/address-assets/address-assets.component.ts
index 7423e4a7895..3df9f82396b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/universe/address-assets/address-assets.component.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/universe/address-assets/address-assets.component.ts
@@ -168,11 +168,11 @@ function addPosition(
 ): void {
   const asset = position?.asset;
   if (!asset?.protocolId) {return;}
-  const assetKey = `${asset.protocolId}:${asset.canonicalAssetId ?? ''}`;
+  const assetKey = `${asset.protocolId}:${asset.assetId ?? ''}`;
   if (!holdings.has(assetKey)) {
     holdings.set(assetKey, {
       protocolId: asset.protocolId,
-      displayName: asset.displayName || asset.ticker || asset.canonicalAssetId || asset.protocolId,
+      displayName: asset.displayName || asset.ticker || asset.assetId || asset.protocolId,
       quantity: null,
       outpoints: [],
     });
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/universe/asset-flow/asset-flow.component.spec.ts b/frontend/src/app/universe/asset-flow/asset-flow.component.spec.ts
index 1b0911d98ad..2f0bcc335f9 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/universe/asset-flow/asset-flow.component.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/universe/asset-flow/asset-flow.component.spec.ts
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ function position(overrides: Partial<ExplorerOutpointPosition> = {}): ExplorerOu
     outpoint: 'c'.repeat(64) + ':0',
     vout: 0,
     valueSatsAtomic: '10000',
-    asset: { protocolId: 'ordinals', canonicalAssetId: 'i0', assetKind: 'inscription' },
+    asset: { protocolId: 'ordinals', assetId: 'i0', assetKind: 'inscription' },
     state: 'active',
     evidence: evidence(),
     ...overrides,
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ describe('AssetFlowComponent rare sats', () => {
     expect(
       subject.assetLabel({
         protocolId: 'rare_sats',
-        canonicalAssetId: '1050000000000000',
+        assetId: '1050000000000000',
         displayName: 'epic',
         assetKind: 'sat',
       }),
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ describe('AssetFlowComponent labels', () => {
     const inscriptionId = 'd'.repeat(64) + 'i0';
     const shortened = subject.assetLabel({
       protocolId: 'ordinals',
-      canonicalAssetId: inscriptionId,
+      assetId: inscriptionId,
       assetKind: 'inscription',
     });
     expect(shortened).toContain('…');
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ describe('AssetFlowComponent labels', () => {
     expect(
       subject.assetLabel({
         protocolId: 'runes',
-        canonicalAssetId: 'UNCOMMON.GOODS',
+        assetId: 'UNCOMMON.GOODS',
         ticker: 'UNCOMMON.GOODS',
         assetKind: 'fungible',
       }),
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ describe('AssetFlowComponent labels', () => {
 
   it('accents an asset present on both sides of the transaction', () => {
     const subject = component();
-    const asset = { protocolId: 'runes', canonicalAssetId: 'RUNE', assetKind: 'fungible' };
+    const asset = { protocolId: 'runes', assetId: 'RUNE', assetKind: 'fungible' };
     const transferred = flow({
       actions: [
         {
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/universe/asset-flow/asset-flow.component.ts b/frontend/src/app/universe/asset-flow/asset-flow.component.ts
index 1731f490a5b..ad44c2cfc40 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/universe/asset-flow/asset-flow.component.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/universe/asset-flow/asset-flow.component.ts
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ export class AssetFlowComponent implements OnChanges {
     if (asset.ticker) {
       return asset.ticker;
     }
-    const id = asset.canonicalAssetId ?? '';
+    const id = asset.assetId ?? '';
     if (asset.assetKind === 'inscription' && id.length > 20) {
       return id.slice(0, 8) + '…' + id.slice(-3);
     }
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ export class AssetFlowComponent implements OnChanges {
     return (flow.actions ?? []).some(
       (action) =>
         action.actionType === 'transfer' &&
-        action.asset?.canonicalAssetId === position.asset?.canonicalAssetId,
+        action.asset?.assetId === position.asset?.assetId,
     );
   }
 
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ export class AssetFlowComponent implements OnChanges {
   }
 
   trackPosition(index: number, position: ExplorerOutpointPosition): string {
-    return position.outpoint + ':' + (position.asset?.canonicalAssetId ?? index);
+    return position.outpoint + ':' + (position.asset?.assetId ?? index);
   }
 
   trackAction(index: number, action: ExplorerAssetAction): string {
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/universe/outpoint/outpoint.component.html b/frontend/src/app/universe/outpoint/outpoint.component.html
index 19d33dfb960..8ac9dbe2c19 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/universe/outpoint/outpoint.component.html
+++ b/frontend/src/app/universe/outpoint/outpoint.component.html
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ <h3 class="protocol-name">
           <ul class="position-list">
             <li *ngFor="let position of group.positions; trackBy: trackByPosition">
               <div class="asset-line">
-                <span class="asset-name">{{ position.asset?.displayName || position.asset?.ticker || position.asset?.canonicalAssetId }}</span>
+                <span class="asset-name">{{ position.asset?.displayName || position.asset?.ticker || position.asset?.assetId }}</span>
                 <span class="asset-amount" *ngIf="quantityLabel(position) as amount">{{ amount }}</span>
               </div>
               <div class="asset-meta">
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/universe/outpoint/outpoint.component.ts b/frontend/src/app/universe/outpoint/outpoint.component.ts
index 6de1e55a130..439a0d2ca75 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/universe/outpoint/outpoint.component.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/universe/outpoint/outpoint.component.ts
@@ -144,6 +144,6 @@ export class OutpointComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
   }
 
   trackByPosition(index: number, position: ExplorerOutpointPosition): string {
-    return `${position.outpoint}:${position.asset?.canonicalAssetId ?? index}`;
+    return `${position.outpoint}:${position.asset?.assetId ?? index}`;
   }
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/universe/universe.types.ts b/frontend/src/app/universe/universe.types.ts
index 41720d9e9cc..0d8a5022416 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/universe/universe.types.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/universe/universe.types.ts
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ export interface BackendInfo {
 
 export interface ExplorerAssetRef {
   protocolId: string;
-  canonicalAssetId: string;
+  assetId: string;
   displayName?: string;
   ticker?: string;
   assetKind: string;
diff --git a/scripts/universe/check-text.mjs b/scripts/universe/check-text.mjs
index dea16a3f48b..df908b3b5d3 100644
--- a/scripts/universe/check-text.mjs
+++ b/scripts/universe/check-text.mjs
@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env node
 /**
- * Text gate: no em dash anywhere.
+ * Text gate: no em dash anywhere, and no "canonical" in our own vocabulary.
  *
  * U+2014 is banned in this repository's source, copy, documentation, tests,
  * fixtures, and metadata. The rule is easy to break by accident, so it is
  * enforced rather than remembered.
  *
+ * The word "canonical" is banned inside the Universe-authored source, where we
+ * choose the vocabulary. It is not policed across the inherited upstream tree,
+ * which uses the term for the HTML rel=canonical link standard and elsewhere.
+ *
  * Usage:
  *   node scripts/universe/check-text.mjs [path ...]
  *
@@ -46,6 +50,11 @@ const TEXT_EXTENSIONS = new Set([
 // Built from its code point so this file does not contain the character it bans.
 const EM_DASH = String.fromCharCode(0x2014);
 
+// The word is only policed where we author the vocabulary. Built from a pattern
+// so this gate file, which must name the word to ban it, is not itself a hit.
+const UNIVERSE_SOURCE_PREFIX = 'frontend/src/app/universe/';
+const CANONICAL_WORD = new RegExp(['can', 'onical'].join(''), 'i');
+
 function isSkipped(name) {
   return SKIPPED_DIRECTORIES.has(name);
 }
@@ -81,11 +90,18 @@ function findings(file) {
   } catch {
     return [];
   }
-  if (!contents.includes(EM_DASH)) return [];
+  const posix = relativePath.split(sep).join('/');
+  const policeCanonical = posix.startsWith(UNIVERSE_SOURCE_PREFIX);
+  if (!contents.includes(EM_DASH) && !(policeCanonical && CANONICAL_WORD.test(contents))) {
+    return [];
+  }
   const hits = [];
   contents.split(/\r?\n/).forEach((line, index) => {
     if (line.includes(EM_DASH)) {
-      hits.push({ file: relativePath, line: index + 1, text: line.trim().slice(0, 120) });
+      hits.push({ kind: 'em dash', file: relativePath, line: index + 1, text: line.trim().slice(0, 120) });
+    }
+    if (policeCanonical && CANONICAL_WORD.test(line)) {
+      hits.push({ kind: 'canonical', file: relativePath, line: index + 1, text: line.trim().slice(0, 120) });
     }
   });
   return hits;
@@ -107,14 +123,15 @@ for (const target of targets(process.argv.slice(2))) {
 }
 
 if (problems.length > 0) {
-  console.error(`Em dash found in ${problems.length} place(s). Use a colon, a comma, or two sentences.`);
+  console.error(`Text gate found ${problems.length} banned item(s):`);
   for (const problem of problems.slice(0, 50)) {
-    console.error(`  ${problem.file}:${problem.line}: ${problem.text}`);
+    console.error(`  ${problem.kind} ${problem.file}:${problem.line}: ${problem.text}`);
   }
   if (problems.length > 50) {
     console.error(`  ... and ${problems.length - 50} more`);
   }
+  console.error('Replace an em dash with a colon, a comma, or two sentences. Rename anything using "canonical".');
   process.exit(1);
 }
 
-console.log('Text gate passed: no em dash found.');
+console.log('Text gate passed: no em dash, no "canonical" in Universe source.');