Hreflang Validator
Paste your hreflang tags and get instant validation. Catches invalid language codes, missing x-default, malformed URLs, and duplicate entries.
Paste your hreflang tags
Full <link rel="alternate"> HTML lines.
Click validate
We check format and best practices.
Fix issues
Use our Hreflang Generator to rebuild.
Validate hreflang
Common hreflang mistakes
- Invalid language codes: Use ISO 639-1 (e.g., "en", not "eng").
- Wrong region codes: Use ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 (e.g., "US", not "USA").
- Relative URLs: Always use absolute URLs with https://.
- Missing return tags: Each page must reference all alternates including itself.
- No x-default: Recommended for fallback when no language matches.
- Duplicate hreflang: Each language-region combo should appear once.
Frequently asked questions
What does the validator check?
Tag syntax, language code format, region code format, URL validity, x-default presence, and duplicate entries.
Can it check return tags?
Not from one paste. Return tag checking requires fetching each language alternate to verify reciprocity. Use Google Search Console for that.
What is x-default for?
Fallback when none of the language alternatives match the user. Usually points to the international or English version.
Why does this say my hreflang is "unusual"?
The language or region code is not in the standard short list. Verify it is a real ISO code. Some are uncommon (e.g., Catalan "ca") but legitimate.
Can hreflang go in the sitemap instead?
Yes. Hreflang in sitemap is recommended for large sites. This validator checks head tags only.