Hreflang Checker
Verify hreflang tags for multilingual and multi-regional sites.
What this hreflang checker validates
Hreflang breaks quietly. Google doesn't report an error; it just ignores the tags and shows the wrong country's page. This checker runs the tests that catch the usual causes:
- Language and country codes: ISO 639-1 language plus an optional ISO 3166-1 country. It catches en-UK (should be en-GB), underscores like en_US, and regions Google doesn't support, such as EU.
- Return links: it fetches each alternate page and confirms it points back. One-way hreflang is the most common reason Google ignores the whole set.
- Self-reference and x-default: each page should list itself, and x-default sets the fallback.
- Duplicates and relative URLs: one URL per code, always fully qualified.
For the full background, read our hreflang tags guideor Google's own localized versions documentation. International sites often have duplicate-content questions too; the canonical tags explainer covers how canonicals and hreflang work together.
How to check hreflang tags online
To check hreflang, enter a page URL above. The hreflang checker reads the page's hreflang tags and checks each one: valid language and country codes, return links from the other versions, a self-referencing tag and x-default, and duplicate or relative URLs.
What to do with the results
- Fix return links first. If page A points to page B but B doesn't point back, Google ignores the pair.
- Correct invalid codes. The UK is en-GB, not en-UK, and regions such as EU aren't valid.
- Use absolute URLs. A relative URL in an hreflang tag is easy to break when a page moves.
Read next: Hreflang tags explained · Check hreflang on every page
FAQs
What does this hreflang checker test?
It reads every hreflang tag on the page, validates each language and country code against Google's rules, checks for a self-referencing tag and x-default, flags duplicates and relative URLs, then fetches each alternate page (up to 10) to confirm it links back.
What are hreflang tags?
Hreflang tags tell Google which language and region a page targets, and which alternate versions exist for other languages or regions. Google uses them to show searchers the right version, for example the en-GB page in the UK and the en-US page in the US.
Why does Google ignore my hreflang tags?
The most common reason is missing return links: if page A lists page B as an alternate, page B must list page A too, or Google may ignore the pair. Invalid codes such as en-UK (should be en-GB) and relative URLs are the next most common causes.
What is x-default?
x-default marks the page to show when no other language or region matches the searcher, typically a language selector or your main international page. It isn't required, but Google recommends it.
Is en-UK a valid hreflang code?
No. Hreflang uses ISO 3166-1 country codes, and the code for the United Kingdom is GB, so the correct value is en-GB. Google also doesn't support region codes like EU or 419 (Latin America).
Can hreflang tags go in the sitemap instead?
Yes. You can declare hreflang in the HTML head, in HTTP headers, or in your XML sitemap. Sitemaps are often easier for large sites. This checker reads the HTML head, so pages that use sitemap hreflang will show no tags here.