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Language targeting tags are missing or incorrect

What this means for your business

International language or region settings are misconfigured. Visitors from certain countries or language preferences may land on the wrong version of your site.

How to fix it
Hard
1–3 hours

  1. 1Hreflang tags tell Google which version of a page to show for different languages or regions. Misconfigured tags are usually caused by missing reciprocal links.
  2. 2Every language version of a page must link to all other versions — including itself. If English links to French, French must also link back to English.
  3. 3Format: <link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" href="https://yoursite.com/fr/page/">
  4. 4Always include an x-default tag pointing to your default language page: <link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://yoursite.com/page/">
  5. 5Validate your hreflang implementation using the free tool at hreflang.org/checker.
  6. 6If you don't have a multilingual site and these tags appeared by mistake, remove them entirely from your pages.

On WordPress

Use the WPML or Polylang plugin — both generate correct hreflang tags automatically when you translate pages. Don't set hreflang tags manually unless you know the full specification.

On Shopify

Shopify Markets automatically adds hreflang tags when you sell to multiple regions. If using a custom international setup, check the Translate & Adapt app.

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