SEO Glossary · Technical SEO

What Is Hreflang?

Hreflang is an HTML attribute that tells search engines which language and regional version of a page to serve to which users. It prevents the wrong-language version of your content from appearing in search results.

Hreflang rules that matter

Hreflang must be reciprocal: if page A references page B, page B must reference page A. Use an x-default value for users you have not explicitly targeted. Crucially, each language version should canonicalise to itself - canonicalising across languages cancels out hreflang entirely.

Pro tip
Missing return tags are the most common hreflang error. Every alternate page must reference every other version, including itself.
Key takeaways
Hreflang tells Google which language or region version to show.
Tags must be reciprocal - A points to B, and B back to A.
Use x-default for users you have not explicitly targeted.
Each language version must canonicalise to itself.

Put it into practice with Soro

Understanding hreflang is one thing - applying it across every page is another. Soro automates SEO content end to end, researching keywords and publishing optimised articles so your site ranks on Google and gets cited by AI. See how Soro works.

Frequently asked questions

How do hreflang and canonical tags work together?

Each language version needs a self-referencing canonical, while hreflang points to the alternates. Canonicalising across languages breaks hreflang.

What is x-default in hreflang?

x-default specifies the fallback page for users whose language or region you have not targeted - often a language selector or your primary version.

Keep learning

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