Website Hreflang Checker
Make sure search engines can use your language versions. The checker reads hreflang annotations from the page’s HTML and Link header, validates each language and region code, finds codes that point to two URLs, confirms the page lists itself and has x-default, and compares hreflang with the canonical. It then fetches up to 15 alternate pages and checks that each one links back – the most common reason hreflang is ignored.
- Encrypted connection
- No sign-up
- Free to use
How to use Website Hreflang Checker
- Enter the page address.
- Click “Check hreflang”.
- Review the checks on the page.
- Fix alternates without return links.
Website Hreflang Checker features
Code validation
ISO 639-1 and ISO 3166-1.
Return links
Up to 15 alternates fetched.
Self and x-default
Checked.
HTML and headers
Both read.
Safe fetching
Public addresses only, with size and time limits.
Fix hints
Such as en-UK → en-GB.
When to use Website Hreflang Checker
- International site launches.
- Fixing hreflang errors in Search Console.
- Checking CMS language plugins.
- Auditing regional shops.
Website Hreflang Checker FAQ
What is a return link?
If page A lists page B as an alternate, page B must list page A as well; otherwise search engines ignore the pair.
Does it read hreflang in sitemaps?
No, only the HTML and HTTP headers of the pages.
Why must the page list itself?
Each page’s set of alternates must be complete, including itself.
What about canonical tags?
Hreflang should be on canonical URLs; a canonical to another page undermines it.
Hreflang that works
Hreflang is easy to get almost right and still be ignored. Invalid codes, missing return links and non-canonical URLs are the usual culprits.
Generate a consistent set with the Hreflang Generator and add it to every version.
How it works: our server downloads the page once through a guarded fetcher that only connects to public addresses, follows a limited number of redirects and stops after a size and time limit. The HTML is then analysed in your browser as inert text – scripts on the page never run and nothing is stored.
What it cannot see: content and resources that a page adds with JavaScript after it loads, pages behind a login, and servers that block automated requests. For those, open the page in your browser, use its developer tools, or paste the page source where the tool offers a paste option.
Use the results as a starting point: fix the items marked red first, review the yellow warnings in context, and run the check again after a change. Requests are rate-limited to keep the service fair; if you check many pages in a row, wait a few minutes.
Related checks on this site cover the rest of a technical review – speed and Core Web Vitals, security headers, structured data, accessibility and SEO signals – so you can work through a whole site audit one topic at a time.
Who it is for: site owners checking their own pages, developers debugging a release, SEO and marketing teams auditing clients or competitors, and students learning how the web works. No account or installation is needed, and the results are plain text and tables you can copy into a report or ticket.