Web tool / 18
Hreflang Checker
Inspect language alternate links, x-default coverage, duplicates, and unusual language values.
Hreflang Checker: TOEA parses link rel=alternate elements with hreflang, resolves relative URLs, checks value shape, and flags duplicate languages. Processed securely on demand.
- Category
- Web tools
- Runs
- On TOEA's server
- Cost
- Free · no sign-up
- Availability
- Ready to use
hreflang rules that decide whether it works
| Rule | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Every version lists every version, including itself | A page with no self-reference, or a set that differs page to page, is read as incomplete. |
| Links must be reciprocal | If the English page names the German one, the German page must name the English one back, or the pair is ignored. |
| Codes are ISO 639-1 language, optionally with an ISO 3166-1 region | en, en-GB, pt-BR and ja are valid; en-UK, jp and eu are not. |
x-default names the fallback | Used for visitors whose language matches none of the listed versions, often a language picker or the main site. |
| Absolute URLs to canonical, indexable pages | Alternates that redirect, return errors, carry noindex, or canonicalize elsewhere send conflicting signals. |
| One method per site | Declare alternates in HTML <link> elements, HTTP Link headers, or the XML sitemap; mixing them invites disagreement. |
Example
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/pricing" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="de" href="https://example.com/de/pricing" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="ja" href="https://example.com/ja/pricing" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://example.com/pricing" />The same four lines appear on all three pages.
Checking a whole set
This checker reads one page. To confirm reciprocity, run it on each alternate and compare the lists. Pair it with the canonical checker — each alternate should canonicalize to itself — and the noindex checker.
How to use it
- Enter a public page URL.
- Choose Inspect hreflang.
- Review every server-rendered alternate language URL.
Privacy & limitations
The page is fetched through TOEA’s API and not stored. The tool inspects one page and does not verify reciprocal links on every alternate.
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
Does it test return tags?
No. This page-level report does not crawl each alternate URL for reciprocity.
Is x-default required?
No, but it is often useful as a fallback for unmatched languages or regions.
What is the difference between hreflang and canonical?
Canonical names the preferred URL among duplicates; hreflang links equivalent pages written for different languages or regions. Each language version should canonicalize to itself and list the others with hreflang.
Which code do I use for British English?
en-GB. Region codes follow ISO 3166-1, so en-UK is invalid; a language code alone, such as en, is also fine when the region does not matter.
Free tool · runs on toea's server · no account required