Hreflang Checker

Free hreflang checker tool to validate hreflang tags on your website

Hreflang Results (0)

URL	Lang	Hreflang	Number
Please enter URLs to check above	-	-	-

What is Hreflang Checker?

Hreflang Checker is a free online tool that validates and analyzes hreflang tags on your website. It helps you identify issues with your international SEO implementation and ensures your multilingual content is properly configured for search engines.

This tool can check multiple URLs simultaneously, detect missing or incorrect hreflang attributes, and provide detailed reports to help you optimize your website's language targeting for better search engine visibility.

What is Hreflang?

Hreflang is an HTML attribute used to specify the language and geographical targeting of a webpage. It's a technical signal used primarily by search engines like Google and Yandex to serve the correct version of a page to users based on their language preferences and location.

It is a crucial component of International SEO for multilingual or multi-regional websites. An incorrect hreflang setup can lead to search engines confusing similar language pages as duplicate content, which can hurt your search visibility.

Prevents Duplicate Content Issues

When you have pages that are nearly identical (e.g., an en-US page and an en-GB page, where the only differences are spelling, currency, or minor regional details), search engines might mistakenly view them as duplicate content. Hreflang tags clarify that these are intentional, alternative versions of the same content, preventing SEO harm.

Hreflang Implementation Rules

Bidirectional Linking

All alternate versions must link back to one another (they must be reciprocal).

Self-Reference

Every page must include an hreflang tag that links back to itself.

Absolute URLs

The href value must use the full URL (e.g., https://example.com/es/).

x-default

A recommended tag to specify a fallback page for users whose language/region is not explicitly listed.

Required Codes

The values for the hreflang attribute must adhere to ISO standards:

Language Code

Must be in ISO 639-1 format (e.g., en, fr, de).

This is mandatory

Region Code

Must be in ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 format (e.g., US, GB, CA).

This is optional

Hreflang Structure and Implementation

The hreflang attribute is added as a <link> element, typically in the <head> section of the HTML code, though it can also be implemented in HTTP headers or an XML sitemap.

1. The Code Structure

A basic hreflang tag uses the following syntax:

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="language_code-region_code" href="URL_of_alternate_page" />

Example Implementation

If your main page is English for the US, and you have a Spanish alternative:

On the English page (/en-us/):

Why Need Hreflang Checker?

Manual hreflang validation is extremely time-consuming and error-prone. Checking each page individually, verifying language codes, ensuring proper linking, and maintaining consistency across multiple URLs can take hours or even days for large websites.

Our hreflang checker tool eliminates these challenges by providing automated validation, instant results, and comprehensive analysis that would be impossible to achieve manually.

Problems with Manual Hreflang Checking

Time Consuming

Manual checking requires visiting each page individually, inspecting HTML source code, and verifying each hreflang attribute.

Error Prone

Human errors in language codes, missing self-references, or incorrect URL formats can easily occur during manual verification.

Inconsistent Results

Different team members may use different checking methods, leading to inconsistent validation results and missed issues.

Scalability Issues

Manual checking becomes impractical for websites with hundreds or thousands of pages, making it impossible to maintain quality.

Why Use Our Hreflang Checker?

Free & Online

No cost, no registration required. Access our tool directly from your browser without any installation or setup.

No Installation Required

Works directly in your web browser. No software downloads, plugins, or technical setup needed.

No Login Required

Start checking immediately without creating accounts or providing personal information.

Instant Results

Get comprehensive hreflang analysis in seconds, not hours or days.

Single Check vs Batch Automatic Checking

Single URL Check

•Perfect for testing individual pages
•Quick validation of specific URLs
•Detailed analysis of one page
•Ideal for troubleshooting issues

Batch Automatic Check

•Check up to 100 URLs simultaneously
•Comprehensive site-wide analysis
•Time-efficient for large websites
•Consistent validation across all pages

Pro Tip: Start with single URL checks to understand the tool, then use batch checking for comprehensive site audits. Our tool automatically optimizes the checking process for maximum efficiency.

How to Use Hreflang Checker

Our hreflang checker tool is designed to be simple and intuitive. Follow these step-by-step instructions to effectively validate your website's hreflang tags and improve your international SEO performance.

Whether you're checking a single page or performing a comprehensive site audit, our tool provides detailed analysis to help you identify and fix hreflang implementation issues.

Step-by-Step Guide

Enter Your URLs

In the input field above, enter the URLs you want to check. You can add multiple URLs separated by:

• New lines (one URL per line)
• Commas (,)
• Spaces
• Semicolons (;)
• Tabs

Example: https://example.com/en/, https://example.com/es/, https://example.com/fr/

Click Check Hreflang Tags

Once you've entered your URLs, click the "Check Hreflang Tags" button to start the analysis. Our tool will:

• Validate each URL's hreflang implementation
• Check for proper language and region codes
• Verify bidirectional linking
• Identify missing or incorrect attributes

Review the Results

The results table will show you detailed information for each URL:

URL - The page being checked

Lang - Page language attribute

Hreflang - All hreflang tags found

Number - Count of hreflang tags

Analyze and Fix Issues

Use the results to identify and fix common hreflang problems:

• Missing hreflang tags
• Incorrect language codes (should follow ISO 639-1)
• Missing self-references
• Non-reciprocal linking between pages
• Invalid URL formats in hreflang attributes

Best Practices for Hreflang Implementation

Use Correct Language Codes

Always use ISO 639-1 language codes:

• English: "en"

• Spanish: "es"

• French: "fr"

• German: "de"

Include Self-References

Every page must include an hreflang tag that links back to itself.

Use Absolute URLs

Always use complete URLs including the protocol (https://) in hreflang attributes.

Ensure Bidirectional Linking

All alternate versions must link back to one another (reciprocal linking).

Common Issues and Solutions

Missing Hreflang Tags

Some pages don't have hreflang attributes.

Solution: Add appropriate hreflang tags to all pages in your multilingual site.

Incorrect Language Codes

Using non-standard or incorrect language codes.

Solution: Use only ISO 639-1 standard language codes (e.g., "en", "es", "fr").

Non-Reciprocal Linking

Pages don't link back to each other properly.

Solution: Ensure all alternate language versions link to each other bidirectionally.

Pro Tips for Effective Hreflang Checking

Start Small

Begin with a few key pages to understand the tool, then expand to full site audits.

Regular Monitoring

Check your hreflang implementation regularly, especially after site updates or new content additions.

Use x-default

Include an x-default hreflang tag to specify a fallback page for users whose language isn't explicitly listed.

Document Your Setup

Keep a record of your hreflang implementation for future reference and team collaboration.