hreflang checker
hreflang tells Google which language or regional version of a page to show each searcher. Small mistakes, like en-UK instead of en-GB or a missing self-reference, make Google ignore the whole set. Check yours in seconds.
Free, no signup. Results in about 2 minutes, along with the rest of a full SEO audit of the page.
What the hreflang checker looks at
Language and region codes
Each value must be an ISO 639-1 language, optionally with an ISO 3166-1 region, like
en,en-GBorpt-BR.Self-reference and x-default
Every version must list itself, and an
x-defaultshould catch visitors who match no version.Duplicates
The same language code pointing to two URLs is a conflict Google can’t resolve.
Canonical and lang
A canonical pointing to another language version cancels hreflang, and the
langattribute should match.
Issues it can find
Each one links to what it means and how to fix it.
Questions
What is hreflang?
hreflang is an attribute on <link rel="alternate"> tags (or in your sitemap or HTTP headers) that lists the language and regional versions of a page, so Google can show a searcher in Germany your German page and one in Mexico your Spanish page.
What are the most common hreflang mistakes?
Invalid codes (en-UK instead of en-GB, en_GB with an underscore), missing self-referencing tags, missing return links from the other versions, canonicals that point to a different language, and the same language listed twice.
Do I need x-default?
It isn’t required, but it is recommended. x-default is the page shown to people whose language or region doesn’t match any version, often a language selector or your main international page.
Does hreflang help rankings?
Not directly. It makes sure the right version ranks for each audience, which stops your own language versions competing with each other and sends visitors to a page they can read.