What is the hreflang attribute?

Hreflang is an HTML attribute (and HTTP header / sitemap annotation) that tells search engines which language and region a page is intended for. It helps Google serve the correct language version to users in different regions, preventing duplicate content issues across localised pages.

What does x-default mean?

The x-default hreflang value designates the fallback URL for users whose browser language does not match any of the specific locale tags. Google recommends pointing it to a language-selection page or to your most widely used locale (typically English).

Which implementation method should I use: HTML, XML, or HTTP headers?

All three methods are equivalent in Google's eyes. HTML tags work for most sites and are the easiest to implement. XML sitemap entries are useful when you cannot modify page HTML (e.g. PDFs). HTTP headers are the only option for non-HTML resources and work well on server-rendered sites with full header control.

Do hreflang tags need to be reciprocal?

Yes — every page in a hreflang group must link back to all the others, including itself. If page A references page B with hreflang, page B must also reference page A. Missing reciprocal tags cause Google to ignore the entire set.

What are common hreflang mistakes?

The most frequent errors are: missing the x-default tag, non-reciprocal annotations, using wrong locale codes (e.g. 'en_US' instead of 'en-US'), duplicate locale codes in the same page, and pointing hreflang URLs to redirecting or non-canonical pages. Use this tool's validation panel to catch these before deployment.

Does Better I18N handle hreflang automatically?

Yes — Better I18N auto-generates hreflang tags for every locale your app supports, using the canonical URLs from your routing configuration. No manual tag management needed as you add or remove languages.

Hreflang Tag Generator & Validator

Generate and validate hreflang tags for multilingual SEO in HTML, XML sitemap, and HTTP header formats.

Free browser-based tool — no sign-up required

HTML <head> snippet

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/en/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" href="https://example.com/fr/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="de" href="https://example.com/de/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://example.com/en/" />

How to use: Paste these tags inside the <head> element of every localised page — each page must self-reference its own locale and include all siblings.

Better I18N auto-generates hreflang for your localized app — no manual tag management required. Get started for free.