Hreflang Tags for International SEO

What is Hreflang?

Hreflang is an HTML attribute that tells search engines and AI platforms which language and regional version of a page to show users. It’s essential for international websites and multilingual content.

Why it matters for AI: AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity use hreflang to serve the correct language version when answering queries in different languages.

Basic Hreflang Syntax

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://asklantern.com">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://asklantern.com/es">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" href="https://asklantern.com/fr">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://asklantern.com">

Components:

rel=“alternate”: Indicates an alternative version
hreflang: Language (and optionally region) code
href: Full URL to that version

Language Codes

Use ISO 639-1 language codes:

<!-- Common languages -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://asklantern.com">       <!-- English -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://asklantern.com/es">   <!-- Spanish -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" href="https://asklantern.com/fr">   <!-- French -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="de" href="https://asklantern.com/de">   <!-- German -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="pt" href="https://asklantern.com/pt">   <!-- Portuguese -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="it" href="https://asklantern.com/it">   <!-- Italian -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="ja" href="https://asklantern.com/ja">   <!-- Japanese -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="zh" href="https://asklantern.com/zh">   <!-- Chinese -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="ko" href="https://asklantern.com/ko">   <!-- Korean -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="ar" href="https://asklantern.com/ar">   <!-- Arabic -->

Regional Targeting

Combine language with region using ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 country codes:

<!-- English variants -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-US" href="https://asklantern.com">        <!-- US English -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-GB" href="https://asklantern.com/uk">     <!-- UK English -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-AU" href="https://asklantern.com/au">     <!-- Australian English -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-CA" href="https://asklantern.com/ca">     <!-- Canadian English -->

<!-- Spanish variants -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es-ES" href="https://asklantern.com/es">     <!-- Spain Spanish -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es-MX" href="https://asklantern.com/es-mx">  <!-- Mexico Spanish -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es-AR" href="https://asklantern.com/es-ar">  <!-- Argentina Spanish -->

<!-- Portuguese variants -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="pt-BR" href="https://asklantern.com/pt-br">  <!-- Brazilian Portuguese -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="pt-PT" href="https://asklantern.com/pt-pt">  <!-- Portugal Portuguese -->

<!-- French variants -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr-FR" href="https://asklantern.com/fr">     <!-- France French -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr-CA" href="https://asklantern.com/fr-ca">  <!-- Canadian French -->

<!-- Chinese variants -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="zh-CN" href="https://asklantern.com/zh-cn">  <!-- Simplified Chinese -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="zh-TW" href="https://asklantern.com/zh-tw">  <!-- Traditional Chinese -->

The x-default Tag

Always include an x-default tag as a fallback:

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://asklantern.com">

This tells AI/search engines which version to show when:

User’s language isn’t available
Language can’t be determined
Default landing page for international visitors

Implementation Methods

1. HTML Link Tags (Recommended)

Add to the <head> section of each page:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Lantern - AI Search Analytics</title>
  
  <!-- Hreflang tags -->
  <link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://asklantern.com">
  <link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://asklantern.com/es">
  <link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" href="https://asklantern.com/fr">
  <link rel="alternate" hreflang="de" href="https://asklantern.com/de">
  <link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://asklantern.com">
</head>
<body>
  <!-- Content -->
</body>
</html>

2. HTTP Headers

Alternative method via HTTP headers:

Link: <https://asklantern.com>; rel="alternate"; hreflang="en",
      <https://asklantern.com/es>; rel="alternate"; hreflang="es",
      <https://asklantern.com/fr>; rel="alternate"; hreflang="fr",
      <https://asklantern.com>; rel="alternate"; hreflang="x-default"

3. XML Sitemap

Include in your sitemap.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"
        xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
  
  <url>
    <loc>https://asklantern.com</loc>
    <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://asklantern.com"/>
    <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://asklantern.com/es"/>
    <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" href="https://asklantern.com/fr"/>
    <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://asklantern.com"/>
  </url>
  
  <url>
    <loc>https://asklantern.com/es</loc>
    <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://asklantern.com"/>
    <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://asklantern.com/es"/>
    <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" href="https://asklantern.com/fr"/>
    <xhtml:link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://asklantern.com"/>
  </url>
  
</urlset>

Best Practices

Bidirectional linking

All language versions must reference each other:

<!-- On EN page -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://asklantern.com">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://asklantern.com/es">

<!-- On ES page -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://asklantern.com">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://asklantern.com/es">

Use absolute URLs

Always use full URLs, not relative paths:

<!-- Good -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://asklantern.com/es">

<!-- Bad -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="/es">

Self-reference pages

Each page should include a link to itself:

<!-- On the English page -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://asklantern.com">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://asklantern.com/es">

Use valid codes

Only use valid ISO 639-1 and ISO 3166-1 codes:

<!-- Good -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-US" href="https://asklantern.com">

<!-- Bad: Invalid code -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="english" href="https://asklantern.com">

Always include x-default

Provide a default fallback version:

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://asklantern.com">

Common URL Structures

Subdirectories (Recommended)

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://asklantern.com">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://asklantern.com/es">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" href="https://asklantern.com/fr">

Pros: Easy to manage, good for SEO, clear structure Cons: Requires content organization

Subdomains

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://asklantern.com">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://es.asklantern.com">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" href="https://fr.asklantern.com">

Pros: Clear separation, can use different servers Cons: Harder to manage, separate analytics

Separate Domains (ccTLDs)

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-US" href="https://asklantern.com">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-GB" href="https://asklantern.co.uk">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es-ES" href="https://asklantern.es">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr-FR" href="https://asklantern.fr">

Pros: Strong local signal, trust from users Cons: Expensive, complex management

Parameters (Not Recommended)

<!-- Avoid this approach -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://asklantern.com?lang=es">

Why avoid: Parameters can be ignored, less clear for AI

Complete Multi-Language Setup

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  
  <!-- Page title and meta -->
  <title>Lantern - AI Search Analytics Platform</title>
  <meta name="description" content="Track your brand visibility across AI platforms">
  
  <!-- Hreflang tags for all language versions -->
  <link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://asklantern.com">
  <link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://asklantern.com/es">
  <link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" href="https://asklantern.com/fr">
  <link rel="alternate" hreflang="de" href="https://asklantern.com/de">
  <link rel="alternate" hreflang="pt-BR" href="https://asklantern.com/pt-br">
  <link rel="alternate" hreflang="ja" href="https://asklantern.com/ja">
  <link rel="alternate" hreflang="zh-CN" href="https://asklantern.com/zh-cn">
  
  <!-- Regional variants -->
  <link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-US" href="https://asklantern.com">
  <link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-GB" href="https://asklantern.com/uk">
  <link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-AU" href="https://asklantern.com/au">
  
  <!-- Default fallback -->
  <link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://asklantern.com">
  
  <!-- Canonical URL -->
  <link rel="canonical" href="https://asklantern.com">
</head>
<body>
  <!-- Content -->
</body>
</html>

Hreflang for Different Page Types

Homepage

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://asklantern.com">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://asklantern.com/es">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" href="https://asklantern.com/fr">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://asklantern.com">

Product Pages

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://asklantern.com/products/analytics">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://asklantern.com/es/productos/analiticas">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" href="https://asklantern.com/fr/produits/analytique">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://asklantern.com/products/analytics">

Blog Posts

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://asklantern.com/blog/ai-search-guide">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://asklantern.com/es/blog/guia-busqueda-ia">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" href="https://asklantern.com/fr/blog/guide-recherche-ia">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://asklantern.com/blog/ai-search-guide">

Common Errors and Fixes

Missing return tags

Error: Spanish page doesn’t link back to English Fix: Add all hreflang tags to all versions

No self-reference

Error: Page doesn’t include link to itself Fix: Add self-referential hreflang tag

Wrong URL

Error: Relative URLs or broken links Fix: Use absolute URLs and verify they work

Missing x-default

Error: No fallback version specified Fix: Add x-default pointing to primary version

Invalid codes

Error: Using made-up language codes Fix: Use valid ISO codes only

Mixed with canonical

Error: Conflicting canonical and hreflang Fix: Canonical should match current page

Testing Hreflang Implementation

Google Search Console

Check for hreflang errors in International Targeting report

Hreflang Validator

Use tools like hreflang.org to validate

View page source

Manually verify tags are present in HTML

Check all pages

Ensure consistency across all language versions

Monitor with Lantern

Track how AI platforms handle your language versions

Dynamic Hreflang Implementation

JavaScript/Node.js

const languages = ['en', 'es', 'fr', 'de', 'pt-BR'];
const baseUrl = 'https://asklantern.com';
const currentPath = '/products/analytics';

function generateHreflang(lang, path) {
  const langPath = lang === 'en' ? '' : `/${lang}`;
  return `<link rel="alternate" hreflang="${lang}" href="${baseUrl}${langPath}${path}">`;
}

// Generate all hreflang tags
languages.forEach(lang => {
  console.log(generateHreflang(lang, currentPath));
});

// Add x-default
console.log(`<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="${baseUrl}${currentPath}">`);

React/Next.js

import Head from 'next/head';

export default function Page({ languages, currentPath }) {
  return (
    <Head>
      {languages.map(lang => (
        <link
          key={lang}
          rel="alternate"
          hreflang={lang}
          href={`https://asklantern.com${lang === 'en' ? '' : `/${lang}`}${currentPath}`}
        />
      ))}
      <link
        rel="alternate"
        hreflang="x-default"
        href={`https://asklantern.com${currentPath}`}
      />
    </Head>
  );
}

Hreflang Checklist

All versions linked

✅ Every language version references all others

Self-referential

✅ Each page includes link to itself

Absolute URLs

✅ All URLs are complete (https://…)

Valid codes

✅ Using correct ISO language/country codes

x-default included

✅ Default fallback version specified

Bidirectional

✅ Links go both ways between versions

Consistent

✅ Same structure on all language pages

Important: Hreflang doesn’t translate your content - it only tells AI/search engines which version to show. You still need actual translated content.

Impact on AI Search

When properly implemented, hreflang helps AI platforms:

🌍 Serve the right language to users
📍 Understand regional targeting
🔍 Avoid duplicate content issues
✅ Index all language versions correctly
💬 Cite the appropriate language version in responses

Next Steps

Back to Content Structure

Review the complete content optimization guide

Getting started

Agents

Technical Optimization

Content Structure

GEO Strategy

Documentation Index

​What is Hreflang?

​Basic Hreflang Syntax

​Components:

​Language Codes

​Regional Targeting

​The x-default Tag

​Implementation Methods

​1. HTML Link Tags (Recommended)

​2. HTTP Headers

​3. XML Sitemap

​Best Practices

​Common URL Structures

​Subdirectories (Recommended)

​Subdomains

​Separate Domains (ccTLDs)

​Parameters (Not Recommended)

​Complete Multi-Language Setup

​Hreflang for Different Page Types

​Homepage

​Product Pages

​Blog Posts

​Common Errors and Fixes

Missing return tags

No self-reference

Wrong URL

Missing x-default

Invalid codes

Mixed with canonical

​Testing Hreflang Implementation

​Dynamic Hreflang Implementation

​JavaScript/Node.js

​React/Next.js

​Hreflang Checklist

​Impact on AI Search

​Next Steps

Back to Content Structure

What is Hreflang?

Basic Hreflang Syntax

Components:

Language Codes

Regional Targeting

The x-default Tag

Implementation Methods

1. HTML Link Tags (Recommended)

2. HTTP Headers

3. XML Sitemap

Best Practices

Common URL Structures

Subdirectories (Recommended)

Subdomains

Separate Domains (ccTLDs)

Parameters (Not Recommended)

Complete Multi-Language Setup

Hreflang for Different Page Types

Homepage

Product Pages

Blog Posts

Common Errors and Fixes

Testing Hreflang Implementation

Dynamic Hreflang Implementation

JavaScript/Node.js

React/Next.js

Hreflang Checklist

Impact on AI Search

Next Steps