Hreflang Checker
Validate hreflang tags and confirm each language version links back.
About the Hreflang Checker
Hreflang tells search engines that several pages are versions of the same content for different languages or regions, so they can show French searchers the French page and UK searchers the en-GB page. It is written as <link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" href="…"> in the head, in HTTP headers or in the XML sitemap.
Hreflang is easy to get wrong: invalid codes (like en-UK instead of en-GB), missing self-references and – most often – missing return links. Every version must list every other version, including itself, or Google ignores the annotation. This checker validates the codes, then fetches each alternate page to confirm it links back.
Frequently asked questions
What is x-default?
x-default marks the page to show when no language matches the searcher, typically a language selector or your main international version.
Do I need hreflang for one language?
No. Hreflang is only needed when you have equivalent pages in more than one language or for more than one region.
Does hreflang replace canonical tags?
No. Each language version should have a canonical pointing to itself, plus hreflang tags listing all versions. Pointing canonicals across languages breaks hreflang.