How to Check hreflang Tags on Many Websites at Once

Hreflang mistakes are easy to spot on one site and tedious across fifty: bad codes, repeats and a missing self-reference all hide in the page head. The bulk hreflang checker does this for up to 100 domains at once, or 500 after a free Google sign-in, and lists the language codes each site declares.

It reads only the home page's own tags, so it can't confirm that every alternate page links back.

What hreflang is

Hreflang tags tell search engines which language or region version of a page to show to which visitors, and x-default names the fallback page. Google documents the format in its localized versions guide.

The by-hand way

1. View the home page source and search for hreflang.
2. Check each code looks well formed, for example de or en-gb.
3. Check no code appears twice and that the page lists itself.
4. Note whether an x-default is set.

Step 1: paste the domains

One per line, or a CSV. Emails and URLs work too.

Step 2: run the check

One request per home page, five at a time.

Step 3: filter to issues

The tool checks that codes look well formed, that none is listed twice, that the page lists itself and whether an x-default is set. A missing x-default is optional. Filter to the rows with issues and download the CSV. If you also want each site's language, use the bulk website language checker.

What this check cannot do

• Only the home page's HTML is read.
• Return links on alternate pages aren't checked.
• Hreflang in HTTP headers or a sitemap isn't seen.
• Each row is a signal read from the site, not a certainty.

To confirm the sites are online before you audit them, see check if a list of websites is online.

Next: emails on the same list

For contact emails, the verify page gives the first 100 checks free with a Google sign-in.

Try it now

Paste your domains into the bulk hreflang checker.