LAN Media

Free SEO tool

Free hreflang checker

Paste one URL or a short list. We fetch the pages, read HTML and HTTP Link tags, follow declared alternates, and tell you if the cluster actually points both ways.

Up to 12 public http(s) pages. About 8 seconds each, 3 at a time. We cache a URL for 10 minutes so a second look is cheap.

What this checker reports

Hreflang only works as a set. A tag on one page that nobody returns is dead annotation. This tool is built around that fact.

  • Return tags. If A lists B, B must list A.
  • Self-referencing tags. Each page should include a hreflang pointing to itself.
  • x-default. Warns if the cluster has none.
  • Language codes. ISO 639-1 plus optional ISO 3166-1 region. en-UK fails; en-GB passes. x-default is allowed.
  • Where the tags live. HTML <link rel="alternate" hreflang> and HTTP Link headers.
  • HTTP failures and pages that announce hreflang while also using noindex.

How a check works

Paste one page or a short list. We fetch those URLs, read rel="alternate" hreflang from the HTML and from HTTP Link headers, then follow the declared language alternates, up to 12 pages in total.

The report is grouped: return tags first, then self-references, language codes, x-default, and HTTP failures. Bookmark a check with ?url= to run the same page again later.

Limits, on purpose

We do not render JavaScript, we do not crawl your whole sitemap, and we do not follow private or local addresses. Each run is rate-limited. That keeps the tool snappy for the next person, including you tomorrow.

Frequently asked questions

What does a hreflang checker test?

It fetches each URL, reads rel="alternate" hreflang from HTML and HTTP Link headers, then reports missing return tags, missing self-references, invalid language or region codes, HTTP errors and a missing x-default.

What is a hreflang return tag?

If page A points to page B as an alternate, page B must point back to page A. Google ignores one-way annotations. This checker flags those broken pairs inside the URLs it fetched.

Is x-default required?

Google treats x-default as optional but recommended. It is the fallback for unmatched languages. We warn when none of the checked pages include it.

Why is en-UK invalid?

Region codes use ISO 3166-1. The United Kingdom is GB, not UK. Use en-GB.

How many URLs can I check?

Twelve per run, with short timeouts and a per-network rate limit. That is enough for a typical language cluster.

This tool is free and logs the requesting IP only to enforce the rate limit. URLs you submit are fetched so we can build the report. See the privacy policy.