hreflang matrix
validator
One missing return link and Google throws the whole language pair away. Paste each page's hreflang tags and see the full reciprocity matrix - every gap, bad code and forgotten x-default, flagged in plain words.
Does every page
link back?
On Yetty every translated page is paired with its siblings automatically - hreflang, return links and x-default written correctly on every publish.
hreflang is a handshake,
not an announcement
Both sides must agree
If page A claims B as its Spanish version but B never claims A back, Google discards the pair. One-way hreflang is invisible hreflang.
The self-reference rule
Every page must list itself in its own set. It feels redundant - it is required. Forget it and the cluster quietly weakens.
Codes are strict
It is ISO language, optionally with a region: en, en-GB, pt-BR. Made-up codes like "uk" for the United Kingdom or "latam" are silently ignored.
x-default is the fallback
It names the page for everyone your languages do not cover. Without it, a French searcher may land on your Japanese page.
Absolute URLs only
hreflang hrefs must carry the full https:// address. Relative paths are dropped without a warning in any search console.
Wrong-language rankings
The symptom of broken hreflang is subtle: the wrong language version ranks in the wrong country, and your real page cannibalizes itself.
People also ask
What is a hreflang return link and why does mine break?
hreflang only counts when it is mutual. If your English page says "my Spanish version is /es/" then the Spanish page must say "my English version is /en/" back. When that return link is missing, Google ignores the pair entirely - the single most common hreflang bug, and the exact thing the matrix on this page makes visible at a glance.
Do I really need an x-default tag?
It is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended. x-default tells search engines which version to show people whose language you do not cover - usually your main page or a language picker. Without it, Google guesses, and it may guess a version that reads like gibberish to that visitor.
Can hreflang tags use relative URLs like /es/about?
No. Google requires fully-qualified absolute URLs, including the https:// and the domain. Relative hrefs are silently ignored, which means the whole cluster loses its pairing. This tool flags every relative href it finds so you can fix them before Google quietly drops them.