Hreflang Checker
Enter a page and see every hreflang annotation on it, whether the codes are valid and whether each alternate links back.
What this checker looks at
hreflang tells Google which version of a page to show to which audience. It is strict about format and unforgiving about consistency, so small mistakes switch the whole set off without any warning in Search Console.
- Where the tags live. We read
<link rel="alternate" hreflang>tags in the HTML and the HTTPLinkheader. Using both at once invites conflicts. - Code validity. The value must be a language (ISO 639-1), optionally followed by a script and a country (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2).
en,en-GBandzh-Hant-TWare valid.en-UK,en_USandusare not. - Self reference. Each page has to list itself among the alternates.
- Return links. We fetch up to ten alternates and confirm that each one points back to the page you entered.
- Absolute URLs. Relative paths are not accepted by Google in hreflang.
Fixing the usual problems
Missing return links usually come from templates that only output hreflang on the main language. Generate the full set once and print the same block on every version. The hreflang generator builds that block as HTML tags, sitemap entries or a Link header.
If an alternate returns a redirect or a 404, fix the URL in the tag instead of relying on the redirect. You can confirm status codes in bulk with the HTTP status checker, and check that each version is allowed into the index with the indexability checker.
New language versions also have to be crawled before Google can connect the pairs. TurboIndex submits new URLs from your sitemap automatically and shows when each one is indexed.
Questions and answers
What is a return link and why does it matter?
If page A says its German version is page B, page B must also list page A. Google ignores hreflang pairs that are not confirmed from both sides, which is the most common reason hreflang silently fails.
Is en-UK a valid hreflang value?
No. The country code for the United Kingdom is GB, so the correct value is en-GB. The language always comes first and the optional country second.
Do I need x-default?
It is optional. It tells Google which URL to show to users whose language or country matches none of your versions, typically a language selector or your main English page.
Can I use a country on its own, like hreflang="us"?
No. hreflang must start with a language code. Use en-US for English speakers in the United States. A language on its own, such as en, is fine.
Should hreflang URLs be canonical?
Yes. Every URL in the set should return 200, be indexable and carry a self-referencing canonical. Pointing hreflang at a redirected or noindexed URL breaks the pair.