Hreflang Tags: Set Up Language Alternatives Correctly
Create hreflang tags for language and regional page versions, use reciprocal references, and validate each destination URL. Read the steps and example.
Hreflang annotations help search engines understand that pages are localized alternatives for different languages or regions. They do not translate a page or guarantee that a search result will show a particular version. Each localized page should identify itself and its alternate versions with consistent, fully qualified URLs. Plan the language-region mapping before adding tags, then check that every referenced page exists, is indexable, and returns a successful response.
Use valid language and region codes
Write a BCP 47 language tag such as en, es, or en-GB. The language code is required; a region is optional and should represent the intended audience. Avoid inventing codes from country names or using a region where you mean only a language. Include an x-default URL when you have a suitable fallback page. Keep each mapping aligned with a real alternate page rather than pointing all locales to one generic destination.
Make alternate references reciprocal
If page A lists page B as an alternate, page B should list page A as well as itself and the other relevant versions. Use absolute canonical URLs and keep the set consistent across HTML link elements, HTTP headers, or an XML sitemap. Choose one implementation method where possible to reduce conflicting data. Every localized version should have a self-reference so search engines can identify the page’s own language and region.
Validate destinations and content
Open every URL in the mapping and confirm it loads the intended localized page, not a redirect to a different locale or a 404. Hreflang is an annotation, not a substitute for localized content or navigation. Ensure canonical tags do not contradict the alternate relationship. After publishing, inspect Search Console reports and check a sample of language-region pairs. Changes can take time to be recrawled, so do not expect an immediate result.
Worked example
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/en/">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://example.com/es/">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://example.com/">Does hreflang redirect visitors to another language?
No. Hreflang annotations help search engines choose among alternate URLs; your site’s own navigation or locale logic controls the visitor experience.
Reference and further reading
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