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Free tools / Hreflang checker

Free hreflang checker

Enter a page. The tool reads its hreflang tags and visits each language version to check it exists and links back.

We load the address you type to check it, and we do not keep your results. If you use a share icon, we keep your entry and its result so the link keeps showing it. After a few checks in an hour, Cloudflare Turnstile may ask you to confirm you are a person.

See the free hreflang checker in 21 seconds

Enter a page. The tool reads its hreflang tags and visits each language version to check it exists and links back. The result in the video is a real run.

Read the video transcript

Test your hreflang tags, for free. Type a page address, and press Check hreflang. It visits each language version, and checks that it links back. Anything to look at is marked Check or Fix. That is one page. SEOSage checks every page of your website. Start your fourteen-day free trial at seosage.co.

What this tool checks

  • Reads the hreflang tags in the page head
  • Checks the language and country codes look valid
  • Visits up to 12 versions for errors and redirects
  • Checks each version links back (return tags)
  • Looks for a self-reference and an x-default

Why it matters

Hreflang tags tell Google which language or country each version of a page is for. Small mistakes, like a missing return tag, make them ignored.

Want this for every page of a website? See Language checks in SEOSage.

Source: Google Search Central: localized versions.

How to read your result

  • Each row is one language version listed in the page head.
  • Links back shows Yes when that version also points to this page.
  • x-default names the fallback page for visitors whose language is not listed.
  • Only the page head is read. Hreflang set in a sitemap or an HTTP header is not shown.

Common problems and fixes

  • A missing return tag. Add a link back from every version to this page.
  • An invalid language code. Use a two-letter language code, with an optional region, such as en-GB.
  • A version redirects or errors. Point hreflang at the final, working address.
  • No x-default. Add one for visitors whose language you do not cover.

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What is an hreflang checker?

An hreflang checker is a tool that reads the hreflang tags on a web page, validates the language and country codes, and visits each linked version to check it exists and carries a return tag. Hreflang is an HTML attribute that tells search engines which language or regional audience a page is meant for and where to find the equivalent page for a different language or country. Google, Bing and Yandex use hreflang tags to serve the right language version to each visitor. A mistake as small as a missing return tag causes Google to ignore the entire hreflang implementation.

This free hreflang checker tests the tags in the page head, validates the codes, visits up to 12 language versions and checks for the return tag, a self-reference and an x-default. It covers hreflang in the page head; tags set in a sitemap or HTTP header are not checked here. For a site-wide hreflang audit covering every page, SEOSage checks all hreflang errors in one crawl and groups them by type.

Common hreflang errors and how to fix them

  • Missing return tags. Every language version must link to every other version with hreflang. If page A links to page B, page B must also link back to page A. Without this, Google may ignore the whole set.
  • Invalid language codes. Use a valid BCP 47 language tag: two-letter language code (en, fr, de) with an optional region subtag (en-GB, fr-CA). Do not use three-letter codes or made-up regions.
  • Hreflang pointing to a redirect or error. The tag must point to the final, live address. A link to a redirected or broken page is treated as missing.
  • No x-default. The x-default tag names the page to serve visitors whose language matches none of your versions. Add one pointing to your default or international page.

Questions about the hreflang checker

What is hreflang?

Hreflang is a tag that tells search engines which language or region a page is meant for, and where its other language versions are.

What is a return tag?

If page A points to page B with hreflang, page B must point back to page A. Without that, Google may ignore both.

What is x-default?

It names the page to show when none of your languages match the visitor.

Can SEOSage check hreflang for a whole website?

Yes. A crawl flags invalid codes, hreflang that points to a broken page or redirect, missing return tags, and a missing self-reference or x-default.

Check every page of your website

SEOSage crawls your whole website on your own computer, with no page limit, and lists what to fix. Free for 14 days, cancel any time.

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