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Pulseseo

Document Has a Valid hreflang

What This Audit Checks

This audit validates that your hreflang annotations use correct language codes and point to reachable URLs. It fails when hreflang values contain invalid language or region codes, or when the linked alternate pages do not reciprocate the annotation.

Why It Matters

If you serve content in multiple languages or target different regions, hreflang tells search engines which version to show each user. Invalid annotations can cause search engines to show the wrong language version, leading to a poor user experience and reduced rankings in regional search results.

How to Fix It

  • Use valid ISO 639-1 language codes and optional ISO 3166-1 region codes. The format is language or language-region:

    <link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="nl" href="https://example.com/nl/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-GB" href="https://example.com/en-gb/" />

  • Always include an x-default annotation. This tells search engines which page to show when no language matches:

    <link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://example.com/" />

  • Ensure bidirectional references. Every page listed in a set of hreflang annotations must reference all other pages in the set, including itself.

  • Use absolute URLs. Relative paths are not valid in hreflang annotations. Always use the full URL including protocol and domain.

  • Validate with Search Console. Check the International Targeting report for hreflang errors after deployment.

How Pulse Tracks This

Pulse validates hreflang annotations on every audited page, checking for correct syntax and valid language codes. Invalid annotations are surfaced in the SEO audit details.

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