Hreflang Tag Generator
Generate hreflang tags for international SEO. Tell search engines which language and regional versions of your pages to show users.
The x-default value indicates the default/fallback version for users whose language preferences don't match any hreflang.
Generated Hreflang Tags
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-US" href="https://example.com/page" /> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="es-ES" href="https://example.com/es/page" /> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://example.com/page" />
Complete Guide to Hreflang Tags
Hreflang tags tell search engines about language and regional variations of your pages. They ensure users see the right version of your content based on their language preferences and location.
When to Use Hreflang
- Multiple languages: You have the same content translated into different languages.
- Regional variations: You have English for US, UK, Australia with regional differences.
- Currency/pricing: You show different prices or currencies by region.
- Legal content: Terms, privacy policies, or other content varies by country.
Hreflang Tag Format
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-US" href="https://example.com/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es-ES" href="https://example.com/es/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://example.com/page" />
Language and Region Codes
- Language only: Use ISO 639-1 codes like "en", "es", "fr"
- Language + Region: Combine with ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2 codes like "en-US", "en-GB"
- x-default: Fallback for users who don't match any specific version
Hreflang Rules
- Bidirectional: If page A links to page B, page B must link back to page A.
- Self-referencing: Each page should include a hreflang pointing to itself.
- Absolute URLs: Always use full URLs including https://
- Canonical alignment: Hreflang URLs should match canonical URLs.
Implementation Methods
HTML link tags: Add to <head> section of each page. Good for smaller sites.
XML Sitemap: Add xhtml:link elements to sitemap entries. Better for large sites.
HTTP headers: Use Link headers for non-HTML files like PDFs.
Common Mistakes
- Missing return links: All hreflang relationships must be bidirectional.
- Invalid codes: Using incorrect language or region codes.
- Relative URLs: Using /es/page instead of full URLs.
- Canonical conflicts: Hreflang pointing to non-canonical URLs.
- Missing x-default: No fallback for unmatched users.
- Wrong region codes: UK should be "GB", not "UK".
Testing Hreflang Tags
- Google Search Console: Check the International Targeting report for errors.
- Hreflang Tags Testing Tool: Validates bidirectional links and codes.
- Manual review: Check that all language versions link to each other.
Need Help With International SEO?
Our team can help you properly implement hreflang tags and optimize your multi-language website for global search visibility.
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