Hreflang Tag Checker

🌐 Hreflang Checker for International SEO Audits

SEO specialists, developers, and site owners can use Hreflang Checker to audit public pages. It returns requested and final URLs, HTTP status, page details, hreflang declarations, coverage, findings, and a compliance grade in a dataset, so you can review international SEO setup in one place.

• Review page declarations with Hreflang Checker.
• Inspect language and region codes with Hreflang Tag Checker.
• Run a hosted page check with Hreflang Checker Online.
• Check self-reference, x-default, and findings before a release with Hreflang Testing Tool.
• Compare missing codes and target URLs across pages with Hreflang Audit Tool.
• Review code validity and the page grade with Hreflang Validator.

📦 Page Audit Data

Each saved row covers one distinct publicly reachable page, including a page where no hreflang declarations are found. The row includes the requested and final URLs, response status, available page metadata, declarations from HTML or HTTP Link headers, coverage, findings, and a compliance grade.

🔎 Running Hreflang Page Audits

Add public page URLs, choose the checks for the run, and open the dataset after the run finishes. All submitted pages use the same options. By default, the Actor audits the URLs you submit; you can also follow same-site links and optionally check whether alternate targets link back.

⚙️ Input

Add one or more public HTTP or HTTPS page URLs. The same options apply to every page in the run.

Field	Type	What it does
pageUrls	array	Required. The public pages to audit. Add one or more items.
pageUrls[].url	string	Required. The public page URL to audit.
verifyReciprocalLinks	boolean	Optional, default false. When true, checks whether each alternate target links back to the source page.
expandSameSiteAudit	boolean	Optional, default false. When true, follows same-site links to audit pages beyond the URLs you submit.
maxPages	integer	Optional positive limit for pages audited through same-site links. It is used only when expandSameSiteAudit is on. Leave it empty to return all available results until the source is exhausted.
crossDomainPolicy	string (flag or accept)	Optional, default flag. Choose whether an alternate URL on another domain is accepted or flagged in the findings.

The example below is the public input from a successful current beta run:

{
  "pageUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.bbc.com/"
    }
  ],
  "verifyReciprocalLinks": false,
  "expandSameSiteAudit": false,
  "maxPages": 50,
  "crossDomainPolicy": "flag"
}

🧾 Output

The run output exposes datasetUrl, which links to the page audit rows. The dataset uses one row shape for normal audits, optional reciprocal checks, and cross-page comparisons. Optional fields are omitted when the related data is not available or the option was not used.

Field	Type	What it does
datasetUrl	string	Run output link to the page audit dataset.
requestedUrl	string	URL submitted for the page audit.
finalUrl	string	Final page URL after redirects.
httpStatus	integer	HTTP response status for the final page.
pageTitle	string (optional)	Page title when it is available.
domain	string	Domain of the final page URL.
canonicalUrl	string (optional)	Canonical URL declared by the page when it is available.
declarations	array	Hreflang declarations found on the page.
declarations[].hreflang	string	Language or region code in the declaration.
declarations[].targetUrl	string	Absolute URL targeted by the declaration.
declarations[].codeValidity	string (valid, invalid, or unknown)	Validity assessment for the language or region code.
declarations[].declarationSource	string (html, httpHeader, or both)	Where the declaration was found.
declarations[].reciprocalCheck	object (optional)	Result of checking whether the target links back to the source page.
declarations[].reciprocalCheck.status	string	Reciprocal check result: linksBack, doesNotLinkBack, or unreachable.
declarations[].reciprocalCheck.finalUrl	string (optional)	Final URL reached when the target was checked.
declarations[].reciprocalCheck.httpStatus	integer (optional)	HTTP response status from the target check.
coverage	object	Summary of the page's hreflang coverage.
coverage.declarationCount	integer	Number of hreflang declarations found.
coverage.hasXDefault	boolean	Whether the page has an x-default declaration.
coverage.hasSelfReference	boolean	Whether a declaration points back to the page.
findings	array	Warnings and errors found during the page audit.
findings[].severity	string (warning or error)	Severity of the finding.
findings[].code	string	Stable code for the finding.
findings[].message	string	Plain-language explanation of the finding.
findings[].hreflang	string (optional)	Hreflang code linked to the finding, when applicable.
complianceGrade	string (A, B, C, D, or F)	Page-level grade based on the audit findings.
crossPageComparison	object (optional)	Differences found when the page is compared with peer pages in the run.
crossPageComparison.missingHreflang	string[]	Codes found on peer pages but missing here.
crossPageComparison.missingTargetUrls	string[]	Alternate target URLs found on peer pages but missing here.

A no-declaration page audit row from the current beta:

{
  "requestedUrl": "https://www.w3.org/International/questions/qa-html-language-declarations",
  "finalUrl": "https://www.w3.org/International/questions/qa-html-language-declarations",
  "httpStatus": 200,
  "domain": "www.w3.org",
  "pageTitle": "Declaring language in HTML",
  "declarations": [],
  "coverage": {
    "declarationCount": 0,
    "hasXDefault": false,
    "hasSelfReference": false
  },
  "findings": [
    {
      "severity": "warning",
      "code": "missing-declarations",
      "message": "No hreflang declarations were found in the HTML or HTTP Link headers."
    }
  ],
  "complianceGrade": "B",
  "crossPageComparison": {
    "missingHreflang": [],
    "missingTargetUrls": []
  }
}

A header-based page audit row from the current beta:

{
  "requestedUrl": "https://httpbin.org/response-headers?Link=%3Chttps%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2Fen%3E%3B%20rel%3D%22alternate%22%3B%20hreflang%3D%22en%22",
  "finalUrl": "https://httpbin.org/response-headers?Link=%3Chttps%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2Fen%3E%3B%20rel%3D%22alternate%22%3B%20hreflang%3D%22en%22",
  "httpStatus": 200,
  "domain": "httpbin.org",
  "declarations": [
    {
      "hreflang": "en",
      "targetUrl": "https://example.com/en",
      "codeValidity": "valid",
      "declarationSource": "httpHeader"
    }
  ],
  "coverage": {
    "declarationCount": 1,
    "hasXDefault": false,
    "hasSelfReference": false
  },
  "findings": [
    {
      "severity": "warning",
      "code": "cross-domain-alternate",
      "message": "The en alternate target is on another hostname.",
      "hreflang": "en"
    },
    {
      "severity": "warning",
      "code": "missing-x-default",
      "message": "No x-default declaration was found.",
      "hreflang": "x-default"
    },
    {
      "severity": "warning",
      "code": "missing-self-reference",
      "message": "No hreflang declaration points back to the fetched page."
    }
  ],
  "complianceGrade": "C",
  "crossPageComparison": {
    "missingHreflang": [],
    "missingTargetUrls": []
  }
}

A reciprocal-check row from the current beta:

{
  "requestedUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/",
  "finalUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/",
  "httpStatus": 200,
  "domain": "www.bbc.com",
  "pageTitle": "BBC Home - Breaking News, World News, US News, Sports, Business, Innovation, Climate, Culture, Travel, Video & Audio",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/",
  "declarations": [
    {
      "hreflang": "en",
      "targetUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/",
      "codeValidity": "valid",
      "declarationSource": "html",
      "reciprocalCheck": {
        "status": "linksBack",
        "finalUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/",
        "httpStatus": 200
      }
    },
    {
      "hreflang": "en-gb",
      "targetUrl": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/",
      "codeValidity": "valid",
      "declarationSource": "html",
      "reciprocalCheck": {
        "status": "linksBack",
        "finalUrl": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/",
        "httpStatus": 200
      }
    }
  ],
  "coverage": {
    "declarationCount": 2,
    "hasXDefault": false,
    "hasSelfReference": true
  },
  "findings": [
    {
      "severity": "warning",
      "code": "cross-domain-alternate",
      "message": "The en-gb alternate target is on another hostname.",
      "hreflang": "en-gb"
    },
    {
      "severity": "warning",
      "code": "missing-x-default",
      "message": "No x-default declaration was found.",
      "hreflang": "x-default"
    }
  ],
  "complianceGrade": "C",
  "crossPageComparison": {
    "missingHreflang": [],
    "missingTargetUrls": []
  }
}

A cross-page comparison row from the current beta:

{
  "requestedUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/watch-live-news",
  "finalUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/watch-live-news",
  "httpStatus": 200,
  "domain": "www.bbc.com",
  "pageTitle": "BBC News Channel | Watch Live Breaking News",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/watch-live-news",
  "declarations": [
    {
      "hreflang": "en",
      "targetUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/watch-live-news",
      "codeValidity": "valid",
      "declarationSource": "html"
    }
  ],
  "coverage": {
    "declarationCount": 1,
    "hasXDefault": false,
    "hasSelfReference": true
  },
  "findings": [
    {
      "severity": "warning",
      "code": "missing-x-default",
      "message": "No x-default declaration was found.",
      "hreflang": "x-default"
    }
  ],
  "complianceGrade": "B",
  "crossPageComparison": {
    "missingHreflang": [
      "en-gb"
    ],
    "missingTargetUrls": [
      "https://www.bbc.co.uk/",
      "https://www.bbc.com/"
    ]
  }
}

💳 Pricing

The Actor uses pay-per-event pricing. The Hreflang audit event covers one publicly reachable page audit with its hreflang findings.

Event	Price	What it covers
Hreflang audit	$0.0009	One publicly reachable page audit with hreflang findings saved.

🔌 Integrations

Use the dataset URL to export audit rows or read them through the Apify API. This walkthrough shows an Apify integration:

❓ FAQ

Can it audit a page with no hreflang declarations?

Yes. The Actor keeps an outcome for a publicly reachable page even when no hreflang declarations are found, and the findings explain that result.

Does it inspect HTML and HTTP Link headers?

Yes. Each declaration records whether it came from HTML, an HTTP Link header, or both.

Does it check x-default and self-reference?

Yes. The coverage object reports whether the page has an x-default declaration and whether it points back to itself. Findings can also flag missing coverage.

What does reciprocal checking do?

Set verifyReciprocalLinks to true to check whether each alternate target links back to the source page. The output can include the check status, final target URL, and target HTTP status.

Can it compare several pages in one run?

Yes. Add multiple pageUrls items. The output can compare peer pages and list hreflang codes or target URLs missing from the page.

What happens when same-site audit expansion is on?

When expandSameSiteAudit is true, the Actor follows same-site links beyond the submitted URLs. maxPages limits those pages; leave it empty to return all available results until the source is exhausted.

Does it crawl my whole website?

No. By default it audits the submitted pages. Same-site expansion can extend the run, but the Actor does not discover a complete URL inventory from XML sitemaps or crawl unrelated external sites.

Does it check alternate pages for broken links or redirects?

No. It reports the absolute target URLs it finds. Reciprocal checking can inspect whether a target links back, but this Actor does not validate target-page content, broken links, or redirect chains as a separate audit.

Can it find tags that are missing from the fetched response?

No. It reports declarations present in the fetched public response. A declaration that is not present there may not be found.

Do I need source-site login credentials or an external API key?

No. The Actor audits publicly reachable pages without source-site login credentials or external API keys.

📝 Changelog

0.0: Initial release

🆘 Support

For issues, questions, or feature requests, file a ticket and I'll fix or implement it in less than 24h 🫡

🔗 Related Actors

• Website URL Crawler & Link Extractor — Build a public URL inventory from links and sitemaps before choosing hreflang pages to audit.
• Sitemap Sniffer — Find public sitemap files and export listed URLs before a multilingual page audit.
• XML Sitemap Health Validator — Check sitemap-listed URLs for HTTP status, redirects, and issue details alongside hreflang findings.
• Broken Link Checker & Site Auditor — Check page links and resources when an hreflang target needs a separate link audit.
• URL Redirect Chain & Loop Analyzer — Trace alternate target redirects when a page audit shows a URL that may change.

Made with ❤️ by Maxime Dupré