For a multilingual website, hreflang tags play an important role in informing search engines about the website’s language and the intended geographical region.
To check these, there are various types of hreflang validator tools available on the internet.
But I have curated a list of the 10 best hreflang tag testing tools to make your work easier and ensure proper implementation of hreflang tags on your website.
These tag testing tools help websites check whether the hreflang tags are putted correctly or not, ensuring proper language and regional targeting for search engines.
Top 10 Tools to Check Hreflang Tags
1. SEMrush Hreflang Checker
Semrush’s Site Audit tool helps ensure correct hreflang implementation for multinational sites. It detects errors like incorrect language codes, missing tags, and conflicts in page source.
The tool provides detailed reports with metrics, including the number of pages missing hreflang tags.
This update simplifies website indexing and improves user experience by directing visitors to the right language version.
Key Features:
- Scans for missing, incorrect, or conflicting hreflang tags.
- Provides a comprehensive hreflang report within the Site Audit tool.
- Offers detailed suggestions on fixing errors.
- Integrates with Google Search Console for better insights.
Pros:
✔️ Part of a powerful all-in-one SEO suite.
✔️ Easy-to-use interface with clear reports.
✔ ️ Automated crawling and issue detection.
✔️ Trusted by SEO professionals worldwide.
Cons:
❌ Requires a paid SEMrush subscription.
❌ May not be ideal for small businesses with limited SEO budgets.
| Feature | Details |
| Launch Date | 2008 |
| Starting Price | $129.95/mo |
| Capabilities | Full hreflang audit, error detection, fixes |
| Public Reception | Highly rated among SEO professionals |
| Best For | Agencies, enterprises, large multilingual websites |
2. Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Screaming Frog is a well-known SEO tool that helps you audit websites for common issues like broken links, redirects, and missing meta tags.
It allows you to crawl websites of any size, gather key data, and analyze it in real-time. The tool is trusted by many SEOs and agencies globally for its ability to spot problems and provide clear reports.
With its paid version, you can access advanced features like crawling JavaScript-heavy sites, Google Analytics integration, and XML sitemap generation.
Key Features:
- Extracts and audits hreflang tags efficiently.
- Checks for missing return links, incorrect codes, and self-referencing issues.
- Supports XML sitemaps with hreflang attributes.
- Exports hreflang reports for further analysis.
Pros:
✔ ️ Offers deep website crawling with extensive SEO data.
✔️ Can be used for free (with limits).
✔️ Works offline and supports integration with Google tools.
Cons:
❌ The free version is limited to 500 URLs.
❌ Requires technical knowledge to interpret results effectively.
Screaming Frog is a powerful tool for those who want detailed hreflang auditing combined with overall SEO insights. While it provides thorough analysis, it may be overwhelming for beginners unfamiliar with SEO crawlers.
| Feature | Details |
| Launch Date | 2010 |
| Starting Price | £199/year |
| Capabilities | Advanced crawling, hreflang auditing, exportable reports |
| Public Reception | Trusted by SEO experts and agencies |
| Best For | Technical SEOs, webmasters |
3. Ahrefs Site Audit – Hreflang Checker
Ahrefs Site Audit helps you identify and fix over 170 technical and on-page SEO issues on your website.
It scans your site’s pages, checks for problems like slow loading, missing titles, duplicate content, and broken links, and provides clear instructions to resolve them.
You can visualize key data with charts and track your site’s health score.
Key Features:
- Automatically detects hreflang errors, including incorrect return links.
- Checks for incorrect language or region codes.
- Allows comparison of hreflang implementation with competitors.
- Provides a visual representation of hreflang mappings.
Pros:
✔️ Integrated with a powerful SEO suite.
✔ ️ Offers in-depth hreflang analysis.
✔️ Simple and user-friendly reporting interface.
Cons:
❌ Requires an active Ahrefs subscription.
❌ Not as customizable as dedicated hreflang tools.
| Feature | Details |
| Launch Date | 2010 |
| Starting Price | $99/month |
| Capabilities | Hreflang checks, SEO auditing, competitor analysis |
| Public Reception | Highly rated by digital marketers |
| Best For | SEO professionals, agencies |
4. Sitebulb
Sitebulb is a powerful website crawler designed to simplify technical SEO audits. Whether you’re a freelancer, part of an in-house team, or working at an agency, Sitebulb has a version to suit your needs.
It allows you to crawl up to 500,000 URLs per audit with clear visualizations and prioritized recommendations for over 300 SEO issues.
The desktop version provides in-depth insights, while Sitebulb Cloud allows for larger-scale crawls and real-time collaboration, making it perfect for teams.
Key Features:
- Identifies hreflang errors, missing return links, and inconsistent language codes.
- Provides interactive visualizations of hreflang setups.
- Supports large-scale site crawling with detailed reports.
- Integrates with Google Search Console and XML sitemaps.
Pros:
✔ ️ Easy-to-understand hreflang insights with visual mapping.
✔️ Highly customizable crawl settings.
✔️ Affordable compared to premium SEO tools.
Cons:
❌ Desktop-based (no cloud version).
❌ Requires a learning curve for beginners.
| Feature | Details |
| Launch Date | 2017 |
| Starting Price | £10/month |
| Capabilities | Advanced SEO crawling, hreflang audits, visual mapping |
| Public Reception | Growing popularity in technical SEO |
| Best For | SEO experts, agencies |
5. Ryte Hreflang Checker
Ryte is a search-optimization firm that helps websites improve their international reach using the hreflang attribute.
By implementing hreflang, websites can direct users to the appropriate language version based on their region, ensuring a better user experience.
This tactic reduces bounce rates and increases engagement, which indirectly supports search optimization.
Key Features:
- Automatically detects and audits hreflang tags.
- Highlights missing return tags and incorrect codes.
- Provides detailed hreflang issue reports.
- Cloud-based with team collaboration options.
Pros:
✔️ Cloud-based and easy to use.
✔️ Includes a full suite of website optimization tools.
✔ ️ Provides hreflang insights alongside technical SEO audits.
Cons:
❌ More expensive than standalone hreflang checkers.
❌ Lacks detailed competitor analysis.
| Feature | Details |
| Launch Date | 2012 |
| Starting Price | €99/month |
| Capabilities | Hreflang validation, SEO analysis, site optimization |
| Public Reception | Well-received among enterprises |
| Best For | Large businesses, SEO teams |
6. Merkle Hreflang Tags Testing Tool
Merkle’s Hreflang Tags Testing Tool is a free and simple online tool that helps website owners check hreflang implementation on their webpages.
They have earned recognition from industry experts like Everest, IDC, and PAC for their work in Adobe, Loyalty, and Commerce services.
With over 30 years of experience, Merkle uses data-driven strategies to personalize customer journeys and build brand loyalty.
Key Features:
- Free web-based hreflang checker.
- Supports both on-page hreflang tags and XML sitemaps.
- Highlights incorrect language/region codes.
- Detects missing return links.
- Provides a clean and easy-to-understand report.
Pros:
✔️ Completely free to use.
✔️ No need for installation or account signup.
✔️ Instant results with clear insights.
Cons:
❌ Limited to checking one URL at a time.
❌ No deep crawling or bulk analysis.
| Feature | Details |
| Launch Date | 2017 |
| Starting Price | Free |
| Capabilities | Hreflang validation, on-page & XML sitemap support |
| Public Reception | Highly rated for simplicity |
| Best For | Small businesses, solo SEOs |
7. Hreflang Generator & Checker by SISTRIX
SISTRIX to optimize multilingual websites with the hreflang attribute, preventing duplicate content.
By ensuring bidirectional linking, all equivalent pages are properly connected, allowing Google to easily understand the site’s structure.
Key Features:
- Free hreflang tag validation and generation tool.
- Supports multiple language and region combinations.
- Checks for errors like missing self-referencing hreflang tags.
- Offers both on-page and XML sitemap validation.
Pros:
✔️ Free and easy to use.
✔ ️ Generates correct hreflang markup.
✔️ No signup required.
Cons:
❌ Limited in-depth analysis features.
❌ No bulk URL support.
| Feature | Details |
| Launch Date | 2018 |
| Starting Price | Free |
| Capabilities | Hreflang validation & generation |
| Public Reception | Positive among small businesses |
| Best For | Small businesses, webmasters |
8. DeepCrawl Hreflang Analysis
DeepCrawl’s Hreflang tags are essential for managing multi-language websites, helping search engines understand the relationship between different language or region-based pages.
These tags target both language and region, preventing content duplication by signaling the correct version of a page to show to users in specific regions or languages.
For example, hreflang tags like “en-us” target English speakers in the US, while “de-at” targets German speakers in Austria.
Key Features:
- Full-site crawling for hreflang tag detection.
- Checks for errors like missing return links and incorrect codes.
- Identifies hreflang conflicts with canonical tags.
- Generates detailed reports with recommendations.
Pros:
✔️ Cloud-based, no software installation required.
✔️ Supports large-scale enterprise websites.
✔ ️ Provides automated hreflang reports.
Cons:
❌ Expensive for small businesses.
❌ Requires a subscription to access hreflang features.
| Feature | Details |
| Launch Date | 2012 |
| Starting Price | $89/month |
| Capabilities | Enterprise-level crawling, hreflang validation |
| Public Reception | Highly rated by enterprise SEOs |
| Best For | Large websites, agencies |
9. Google Search Console – Hreflang Reports
To check hreflang tags in Google Search Console, you can access the “International Targeting” report.
Although this feature is part of the old system and not available in the new console, it can still be accessed through a URL-Prefix property.
The report helps ensure that your hreflang tags are properly configured for international targeting.
Key Features:
- Identifies hreflang errors in XML sitemaps.
- Provides International Targeting reports.
- Highlights missing or incorrect hreflang annotations.
- Direct insights from Google’s indexing system.
Pros:
✔️ Completely free.
✔️ Direct data from Google itself.
✔️ No need for additional software installation.
Cons:
❌ Doesn’t detect on-page hreflang tags.
❌ Limited in-depth analysis compared to paid tools.
| Feature | Details |
| Launch Date | 2015 |
| Starting Price | Free |
| Capabilities | Hreflang issue reporting (XML sitemaps) |
| Public Reception | Essential tool for all webmasters |
| Best For | Small to large businesses |
10. Hreflang.ninja
Hreflang.ninja is a tool that helps you check if your rel-alternate-hreflang annotations on a page are correct.
By simply entering the URL of your website, you can easily ensure that your language and regional targeting are set up properly.
It’s a great way to make sure your site is accessible to a global audience in the right language and region.
Key Features:
- Free, no-signup online hreflang checker.
- Checks hreflang tag implementation across multiple languages.
- Highlights common errors like incorrect return links.
- Works with both on-page and XML hreflang configurations.
Pros:
✔️ Free and easy to use.
✔️ Instant results for quick validation.
✔️ No software installation required.
Cons:
❌ Limited to one URL at a time.
❌ Lacks in-depth reports for large-scale SEO audits.
| Feature | Details |
| Launch Date | 2019 |
| Starting Price | Free |
| Capabilities | Quick hreflang validation |
| Public Reception | Well-received by beginners |
| Best For | Small businesses, bloggers |
Conclusion
Hreflang checker tools are invaluable for businesses and SEO professionals looking to optimize their multilingual websites. Whether you are a small website owner or part of a large enterprise, there’s a tool suited to your needs—from free, simple tools like Hreflang.ninja and Merkle to comprehensive platforms like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and DeepCrawl.
FAQs
1. What is an hreflang checker tool?
An hreflang checker tool scans a website to detect errors in hreflang tag implementation, ensuring that the right language or region-specific pages are served to the appropriate audience.
2. Why is hreflang important for SEO?
Hreflang tags help search engines understand which version of a webpage to display to users based on language or location, preventing duplicate content issues and improving user experience.
3. Are there free hreflang checker tools available?
Yes, tools like Hreflang.ninja, Merkle, and SISTRIX offer free services for checking hreflang tags and identifying common implementation errors.
4. Which tool is best for large websites?
For large websites or enterprise-level sites, tools like DeepCrawl (Lumar), SEMrush, or Ryte offer comprehensive hreflang audits and advanced features.
5. Can I use Google Search Console to check hreflang?
Yes, Google Search Console provides insights into hreflang errors, especially when the hreflang tags are included in your XML sitemaps, making it a valuable free tool for basic checks.
