Hreflang Checker
Free hreflang checker — fetch any page and audit its hreflang tags for missing self-references, invalid language codes and conflicting annotations.
About the Hreflang Checker
Hreflang tags tell search engines which language and regional version of a page to show each user. They are notoriously easy to get wrong. This free hreflang checker fetches any page server-side and audits every hreflang annotation it declares, surfacing the mistakes that quietly break international SEO.
It lists each hreflang value and its target URL, validates the language and region codes against expected formats, checks that the page includes a self-referencing hreflang, and flags a missing x-default. Invalid codes, duplicate entries and obvious inconsistencies are all reported with clear verdicts.
Correct hreflang requires each language version to reference all the others, including itself, using valid ISO codes. This tool gives you a fast read on a single page's implementation so you can catch problems before they send the wrong version to the wrong audience.
How to Use the Hreflang Checker
- 1Enter the page URL you want to audit.
- 2Click Check hreflang to fetch and parse the annotations.
- 3Review each language–region entry and its verdict.
- 4Fix invalid codes, add missing self-references, and re-check.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are hreflang tags?
Hreflang tags are annotations that tell search engines the language and optional region of a page and point to its equivalents in other languages. They ensure a Spanish speaker sees the Spanish version and a UK visitor the UK version, preventing the wrong localisation from appearing in search results.
Why does each page need a self-referencing hreflang?
Hreflang must be reciprocal: every version, including the current page, should be listed. A self-referencing hreflang confirms the page's own language and completes the cluster. Without it, search engines may not trust the annotations, and the set can be ignored entirely.
What is the x-default hreflang?
The x-default value specifies a fallback page for users whose language or region does not match any of your specific versions — often a language selector or an international homepage. It is optional but recommended, and this checker flags when it is missing.
What language codes does hreflang use?
Hreflang uses ISO 639-1 language codes (like en, es, de), optionally combined with an ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2 region code (like en-GB, es-MX). Common errors include using country codes as languages or invalid combinations, which this tool detects and flags as invalid.
Can I check hreflang set in the HTTP header or sitemap?
This tool reads hreflang declared in the page's HTML head, which is the most common method. Hreflang can also be set in HTTP headers or XML sitemaps; if your annotations live there instead, they won't appear in the HTML and should be validated with a tool that inspects those sources.