hreflang Tags Generator

Q: What is hreflang and when do I need it?

Use hreflang when you have pages that are the same or very similar but targeted to different languages and/or regions. It signals to search engines which version to show to which users.

Q: Do I need x-default and what should it point to?

x-default is optional but recommended when you have a language/region selector or a global fallback page. Point it to a neutral, non-localized destination.

Q: Where should I place hreflang annotations?

Use either HTML head link elements on every localized page or a dedicated Sitemap XML with xhtml:link entries. Choose one method for simpler maintenance.

Q: What are the most common hreflang mistakes?

Missing reciprocity, wrong country codes (for example, using uk instead of gb), mixing http/https or trailing slashes inconsistently, pointing to non-canonical URLs, and forgetting self-references.

Pick a language and (optionally) a country for each URL. We output lowercase tags like en-gb, de-ch to match widely used examples in Search Central.

Language / Country / URL

x-default

None

Use one of the above locales

Custom URL

Permalink

Tip: Put the same hreflang block on every localized version. Each version should also canonicalize to itself.

Official references (Search Central):

Hreflang annotations

HTML <head> block

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es-es" href="https://example.com/es/">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="ar" href="https://example.com/ar/">

Sitemap XML (with xhtml:link)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9" xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
  <url>
    <loc>https://example.com/</loc>
    <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/"/>
    <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="es-es" href="https://example.com/es/"/>
    <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="ar" href="https://example.com/ar/"/>
  </url>
  <url>
    <loc>https://example.com/es/</loc>
    <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/"/>
    <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="es-es" href="https://example.com/es/"/>
    <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="ar" href="https://example.com/ar/"/>
  </url>
  <url>
    <loc>https://example.com/ar/</loc>
    <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/"/>
    <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="es-es" href="https://example.com/es/"/>
    <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="ar" href="https://example.com/ar/"/>
  </url>
</urlset>

Why hreflang matters for international SEO:

Helps search engines serve the correct language/region version to users, improving relevance and CTR.
Reduces duplicate-content confusion between similar localized pages (e.g., en-us vs en-gb).
Clarifies relationships across locales, supporting stable rankings during expansions and migrations.

How to use this tool effectively

Add every locale URL for the same content. Use language-only when content is identical across regions (e.g., en), and language+country when there are regional differences (e.g., en-gb pricing).
Keep tags reciprocal: each version must list itself and all others. If A links to B, B must link back to A.
Use lowercase codes like en-gb, de-ch for consistency with common examples. Codes are case-insensitive, but consistency helps audits.
Add x-default for a global fallback (language/region selector or generic page).
Prefer a single method: HTML or Sitemap XML. (HTTP Link headers are an alternative but less commonly used.)
Use valid ISO codes: language in ISO-639-1 and region in ISO-3166-1 alpha-2 (for example, use gb, not uk).
Self-canonicalize every localized page; don’t canonicalize across locales.

See the official references above for full details and examples.

FAQ: hreflang & international SEO

1) What is hreflang and when do I need it?
Use hreflang when you have pages that are the same or very similar but targeted to different languages and/or regions. It signals to search engines which version to show to which users.

2) Language-only vs language+country: which should I use?
If the content is identical for all regions of a language, use language-only (e.g., en). If you localize by market (currency, shipping, legal copy), use language+country (e.g., en-gb, en-au).

3) Do I need x-default and what should it point to?
x-default is optional but recommended when you have a language/region selector or a global fallback page. Point it to a neutral, non-localized destination.

4) Where should I place hreflang annotations?
Use either the HTML <head> links on every localized page or a dedicated Sitemap XML with xhtml:link entries. Pick one method for simpler maintenance.

5) What are the most common hreflang mistakes?
Missing reciprocity, wrong country codes (e.g., using uk instead of gb), mixing http/https or trailing slashes inconsistently, pointing to non-canonical URLs, and forgetting self-references.

Usage note: This generator formats hreflang annotations from the rows you enter; it doesn’t fetch or store any pages. Ensure each URL returns a live 200 and is canonical to itself. To validate reciprocity and live pages, try our Hreflang Tags Validator.