Common hreflang errors and how to fix them

Hreflang is a powerful tool for multilingual SEO, but markup errors are common. Google may ignore incorrect hreflang or interpret it incorrectly. This article covers common errors and how to fix them.

Error 1: Missing self-reference

Each page in a hreflang set must link to itself. Many people forget to add a link with the hreflang value for the current language.

Incorrect

<!-- На странице /ru/page — нет ссылки на саму себя -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/en/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="de" href="https://example.com/de/page" />

Correct

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

Why this matters

Google uses the self-reference to verify the set. Without it, the markup may be ignored.

Error 2: Incomplete reciprocal linking

All versions must link to one another. If /ru/page links to /en/page, then /en/page must also link to /ru/page.

Typical scenario

A site has ru, en, and de versions. The Russian page lists all three. The English page lists only en and x-default. The German page lists only de. The set is incomplete.

Solution

Create a single markup template and apply it to all pages in the set. Check each version with the hreflang tool on reChecker.

<!-- Шаблон для КАЖДОЙ страницы в наборе -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="ru" href="https://example.com/ru/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/en/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="de" href="https://example.com/de/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://example.com/en/page" />

Error 3: Incorrect language and region codes

Using non-standard codes is a common reason for markup to be ignored.

Incorrect codes

Reference

• Language: ISO 639-1 (two letters)
• Region: ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 (two letters)
• Format: язык or язык-регион

<!-- Правильно -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-GB" href="https://example.com/uk/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-US" href="https://example.com/us/page" />

Error 4: Missing x-default

x-default specifies the default version when the user's language does not match any available option. Without x-default, Google selects a version itself, often not the most suitable one.

Incorrect

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="ru" href="https://example.com/ru/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/en/page" />
<!-- Нет x-default -->

Correct

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

Typically, x-default points to the English or international version.

Error 5: Relative URLs

Google recommends absolute URLs. Relative URLs may work, but can cause problems in some cases.

Incorrect

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="/en/page" />

Correct

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/en/page" />

This is especially important for sites with multiple domains (example.ru, example.de), where a relative path is ambiguous.

Error 6: Conflict between canonical and hreflang

Canonical should not point to a version in another language. Each language version is a separate page, and canonical should point to itself.

Incorrect

<!-- На русской странице -->
<link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/en/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="ru" href="https://example.com/ru/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/en/page" />

The Russian page is canonicalized to the English page, so Google may index only the English version for all regions.

Correct

<!-- На русской странице -->
<link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/ru/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="ru" href="https://example.com/ru/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/en/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://example.com/en/page" />

Error 7: Different sets on pages in the same language

All pages in a set must link to the same set of versions. If /ru/page1 links to en and de, while /ru/page2 links only to en, this is a configuration error.

Cause

This often happens when hreflang is added manually or when different templates are used for different page types. Check that the generation logic is consistent.

Error 8: Hreflang pointing to nonexistent pages

The link points to a URL that returns 404 or redirects. Google will not be able to use the set.

Check

Check all URLs in the hreflang markup:

curl -I https://example.com/en/page
curl -I https://example.com/de/page

Make sure they all return 200 and that the content is accessible.

Error 9: Duplicate hreflang in one document

Multiple link blocks with hreflang for one page create ambiguity. Keep one complete set.

Incorrect

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="ru" href="https://example.com/ru/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/en/page" />
<!-- ... где-то ниже в документе ... -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="ru" href="https://example.com/ru/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="de" href="https://example.com/de/page" />

Correct

One block with all versions in the head.

Error 10: Hreflang in both markup and sitemap with discrepancies

If you use both HTML and a sitemap, the data must match. Discrepancies can confuse the crawler.

Recommendation: choose one method (HTML is preferred) and stick to it.

Error-fixing checklist

Validation tools

The hreflang tool on reChecker checks markup for common errors and provides a report with recommendations. For a comprehensive check of a multilingual site, use the technical audit.

Google Search Console shows hreflang issues in the “International Targeting” report if they affect indexing.

Error-fixing plan

Step 1: Audit

Check all language versions of key pages. Make a list of URLs with errors. Identify patterns (the same error on every page indicates a template problem).

Step 2: Fix templates

If the error is systemic (for example, a missing self-reference on every page), fix the template or generation logic. One fix will resolve all instances.

Step 3: Manual fixes

For isolated errors (an incorrect URL on a specific page), fix them manually or through the CMS.

Step 4: Validation

Check again using the tools. Make sure the errors have been resolved.

Step 5: Monitoring

After the fixes, Google will recrawl the pages. Check Search Console after 1–2 weeks; the status of international targeting should improve.

Preventing errors

Templates and generation

Use a single template to generate hreflang. Include variables for the current language, the list of languages, and the base URL. Test on staging before deployment.

Documentation

Document the rules: which codes are used, which URL is x-default, and the structure. New teams and developers will be able to follow the standards.

Regular checks

Include hreflang checks in a monthly or quarterly audit. New pages and new languages are sources of new errors.

Related materials

For the basic setup guide, see Hreflang: a complete guide. The multilingual promotion strategy is covered in the international SEO guide.