Free SEO tool
Hreflang Checker and Generator
Check a page's hreflang tags, including return links from every alternate, or build the tags yourself below. Free, no sign-up.
Hreflang tag generator
Every version of the page
English, Australia
English, United Kingdom
English
Default (no language match)
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-AU" href="https://www.example.com/au/" /> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-GB" href="https://www.example.com/uk/" /> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://www.example.com/" /> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://www.example.com/" />
Put the same set of tags in the <head> of every version listed.
- 4 annotations, all valid, with a self-reference and x-default.
Getting international SEO right
Hreflang mistakes are among the most common issues on multi-country sites: invalid region codes, pages that don't list themselves, and alternates that never link back. If you target several countries, an international SEO specialist can save a lot of trial and error.
Expanding into new countries? Find an international SEO agency
Browse SEO agencies by location and service, or tell us what you need and we'll introduce you to up to three that suit your goals and budget. Free, no obligation.
More free SEO tools
- Page Authority CheckerScore any page and see how to raise it
- Google Index CheckerSee if Google can index a page, and what to fix
- Free SEO AuditScore one page out of 100 and get the top fixes
- Redirect CheckerTrace redirect chains and status codes, up to 10 URLs
All 15 free tools · Check a site
Frequently asked questions
What is hreflang?
An annotation that tells search engines which language and region each version of a page is for, so they can show searchers the right one. It's set with <link rel="alternate" hreflang="..."> tags, HTTP headers or the XML sitemap.
What format do hreflang codes use?
A language code (ISO 639-1, like en or de), optionally followed by a hyphen and a region code (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2, like AU or GB). en-GB is valid; en-UK and en_GB aren't. x-default marks the fallback version.
Why do return links matter?
If page A lists page B as an alternate, page B must list page A too. Google ignores annotations that aren't confirmed by the other page.
Do I need x-default?
It's optional but recommended. It tells search engines which version to show when no language or region matches the searcher, often your homepage or a language picker.
Does the checker read hreflang in my XML sitemap?
Not yet. It reads the page's HTML <head> and its HTTP Link header, then checks up to 10 alternate pages for return links. Use the generator to build sitemap entries.