IMVASA

Free Hreflang Checker

List every hreflang tag on a page, validate its language and country codes, and test that each alternate page loads, is indexable and links back. Free, no account.

Enter any language version of the page. Its alternates are fetched too.

Common hreflang Mistakes

  • Missing return links: page A lists page B, but B doesn't list A, so Google ignores the pair.
  • Wrong codes: en-UK instead of en-GB, en_US with an underscore, or a country with no language.
  • Alternates that redirect or are noindex: every URL in the set has to answer 200 and be indexable.
  • Canonicals across languages: a German page whose canonical points at the English page cancels its own hreflang.

Check each version's canonical with the canonical checker. If your hreflang lives in the sitemap, the sitemap checker counts the URLs that carry alternates.

How to Check hreflang Tags

  1. 1

    Paste one language version

    Enter the URL of any page in the set, such as your English or German version.

  2. 2

    Review the annotations

    Every hreflang link tag and HTTP Link header is listed with its language, its URL and any problem with its code.

  3. 3

    Check the alternates

    Each alternate URL is fetched to confirm it loads directly, is indexable and lists this page in its own hreflang set.

  4. 4

    Fix and repeat

    Correct the codes, add the missing return links and x-default, then run the checker on another version of the page.

Check more than hreflang

The free audit checks hreflang alongside indexability, canonicals, titles, schema, links and AI-search readiness.

Hreflang Checker FAQ

What is hreflang?

hreflang is an annotation, <link rel="alternate" hreflang="de" href="…">, that tells Google which language or country each version of a page is for, so searchers see the version meant for them.

What format do hreflang codes use?

An ISO 639-1 language code, optionally followed by an ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code: en, en-GB, pt-BR. A script is allowed for languages written more than one way, as in zh-Hant. Common mistakes are en-UK (the code is GB), underscores such as en_US, and a country on its own, such as jp.

What are hreflang return links?

hreflang has to be reciprocal: if the English page lists the German page, the German page must list the English page too. Without the return link, Google ignores the annotation between the two pages.

Do I need x-default?

It's recommended. x-default names the page to show visitors whose language isn't in your set, usually your main version or a language picker. Without it, Google picks one itself.

Should each page reference itself in hreflang?

Yes. Every page in the set should carry the full list of annotations, including one pointing at itself.

Can I put hreflang in the sitemap instead?

Yes. Google reads hreflang from HTML link tags, HTTP headers or the XML sitemap, and any one method is enough. This checker reads the page and its headers. The sitemap checker counts the URLs that carry alternates in your sitemap.

Is the hreflang checker free?

Yes, with no signup.

Need to check more than one issue? Run our free SEO audit tool for 210 automated SEO and AI search checks, with evidence and priority fixes in a shareable report. No email or signup required.