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Canon just means accurate to the lore. Be it a movie/show/book/comic ..etc

Non canonical is the opposite, where it hasn't been said/isn't specifically something that happened or was part of the content. Like fan fiction, art, or other forms of narrative not written by the creator/team/group the content came from.

Think of things like star trek. It is canonical that data is an android devoid of emotions. But it is not canon to say he was does feel, if all he has done is learn about the process. Some fanfic will have it so he has a update to his OS that allows it, or similar, and that is not canonical.

Head cannon in relation to it all is a fans own idea of what is true/right in that fandom or setting. Like some have it as a head canon that the characters reality is all a dream during a coma experienced by the protagonist. It may become popular enough that others agree and follow that head canon, but it still isn't canon to the original.

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Canon is the official continuity of a franchise...it's what "really happened." What counts as canon depends on the franchise, as they all have different definitions.

If a part of a franchise is considered canon, that means the fans should expect other canon to respect what happens in that part, and not overwrite it; if something canon is ignored in other parts of canon, it becomes confusing.

For example, if your franchise is primarily a TV show, but it also has tie-in novels that you consider canon, then the writers of the TV show have to make sure that events in the show don't contradict events in the book, and vice versa.

The term "canon" predates movies and shows. It means a law that other things are judged by, or the authoritative source. You'll hear a lot about religious canon, for example.

"Canon" when it comes to movie means the absolute authority to the lore -- what the creators of the movie, for example, say.

Basically the "official" storyline = canon.

For example. Take star wars, there are loads of books and games that advance the story in their own way. But some of the stories conflict with each other and some conflict with the movies and the books. That fan fiction you read where jar jar is a sith lord? Thats not canon because it is not the official storyline. That computer game where you play as the bad guy and kill luke skywalker? Not Canon, officially didn't happen. More of a what if scenario.

So Canon = official storyline

Then you get headcanon which you see people on reddit talk about. Headcanon = the official storyline in your head. I feel its easy to talk about this while we have canon nailed down (not that you asked but its related)

Head Canon = the storyline you accept in your head. Not the actual official storyline.

A great example of this is the mass effect series. The games ending was so awful that we were left lacking. Then i read this essay on what the ending really was and maybe we were all lied to and it was a plot twist from beginning to end. I personally prefer to think of the story in terms of the plot twist being true. It makes the ending satisfying for me. Its not the "official" ending as stated by the company who made mass effect but it is a better story like this. So this is now my headcanon. That fan fiction i read online as the ending in my own eyes is the ending.