Internationalisation (Hreflang)
Implement hreflang tags for multilingual SEO to help search engines serve the correct language version of your pages
Overview
ProRank SEO's Internationalisation feature provides comprehensive hreflang tag management for multilingual websites. It helps search engines understand language and regional variations of your content, ensuring users see pages in their preferred language while avoiding duplicate content penalties.
Supporting both automatic integration with popular multilingual plugins (WPML, Polylang) and manual configuration, this feature ensures proper international SEO implementation regardless of your site's setup.
Key Features
Core Features
- Automatic hreflang tag generation
- WPML & Polylang integration
- Manual URL configuration
- x-default tag support
- XML sitemap integration
- Content type filtering
Business+ Features
- Validation & testing tools
- Live tag preview
- Debug mode for testing
- Post-level manual editing
- Conflict detection
- API access
What are Hreflang Tags?
Hreflang tags are HTML attributes that tell search engines which language and regional version of a page to show to users. They're essential for:
- •Preventing duplicate content issues across language versions
- •Improving user experience by serving content in the user's language
- •Maintaining SEO value across all language variations
- •Targeting specific regions with localized content
Quick Start Guide
- Access Internationalisation Settings:Navigate to ProRank SEO → Technical SEO → Internationalisation
- Enable Hreflang Tags:Toggle "Enable Hreflang Tags" to activate the feature
- Choose Generation Mode:• Automatic: If you have WPML or Polylang installed• Manual: For custom language URL management
- Configure Settings:• Enable x-default tag for fallback language• Add hreflang to XML sitemaps• Select content types to include
- Save and Validate:Click "Save Settings" then use "Validate Configuration" to check setup
Automatic Mode (WPML/Polylang)
Automatic Integration
When WPML or Polylang is detected, ProRank SEO automatically generates hreflang tags based on your existing translations:
WPML Integration
- • Automatically detects all active languages
- • Pulls translations for posts, pages, and taxonomies
- • Respects WPML language settings and fallbacks
- • Syncs with WPML's language switcher
Polylang Integration
- • Works with Polylang Free and Pro
- • Supports all Polylang URL modes
- • Handles custom language codes
- • Compatible with Polylang's content duplication
Automatic mode requires no additional configuration. Simply enable hreflang tags and your multilingual plugin's translations will be used automatically.
Manual Mode Configuration
Manual URL Management
Manual mode allows custom hreflang URL configuration for each page:
- Switch to Manual Mode:In settings, select "Manual" generation mode
- Edit a Post/Page:Open any post or page in the WordPress editor
- Find Hreflang Tab:Look for the "Hreflang" tab in the ProRank SEO meta box
- Add Language URLs:• Select language code (e.g., en, es, fr-CA)• Enter the full URL for that language version• Click "Add" to save the entry
- Validate and Save:Use the validation button to check your configuration
Supported Language Codes:
Use ISO 639-1 language codes (en, es, fr) or combine with ISO 3166-1 country codes (en-US, fr-CA, es-MX)
Advanced Settings
x-default Tag
Specifies the default page for users whose language preference doesn't match any available version.
Typically points to your main language or international version.
XML Sitemap Integration
Adds alternate language URLs to XML sitemaps using xhtml:link elements.
Helps search engines discover all language versions efficiently.
Debug Mode
Wraps hreflang tags in HTML comments for testing without affecting display.
Useful for development and troubleshooting.
Content Type Filtering
Choose which content types should have hreflang tags.
Posts, Pages, Categories, Tags, Homepage
Validation & Testing
Built-in Validation Tools
ProRank SEO includes comprehensive validation to ensure proper hreflang implementation:
Automatic Checks
- ✓ Self-referencing tag verification
- ✓ Language code format validation
- ✓ Duplicate URL detection
- ✓ Circular reference checking
- ✓ URL accessibility (200 status)
Testing Features
- ✓ Live preview of generated tags
- ✓ Per-page validation reports
- ✓ Error and warning details
- ✓ Export validation results
- ✓ Bulk validation for all pages
How to Validate: Click "Validate Configuration" in settings or use the validation button in the post editor's Hreflang tab.
Common Use Cases
Multi-Language Blog
For blogs with content in multiple languages:
Regional Targeting
For businesses targeting specific regions:
E-commerce Sites
For online stores with regional pricing and inventory:
Best Practices
Do's
- ✓ Include self-referencing hreflang tags
- ✓ Use proper ISO language/country codes
- ✓ Ensure bidirectional linking between versions
- ✓ Include x-default for international users
- ✓ Validate all URLs return 200 status
- ✓ Keep tags consistent across all versions
- ✓ Test implementation before going live
Don'ts
- ✗ Don't mix language and country codes incorrectly
- ✗ Don't point to redirecting URLs
- ✗ Don't use hreflang for non-translated content
- ✗ Don't forget the self-referencing tag
- ✗ Don't use incorrect language codes
- ✗ Don't create conflicting signals
- ✗ Don't ignore validation warnings
Troubleshooting
No hreflang tags appearing
- • Check if hreflang is enabled in settings
- • Verify the content type is selected in settings
- • In automatic mode, ensure translations exist
- • In manual mode, check if URLs are configured for the page
- • Clear any caching plugins after changes
Validation errors
- • "Missing self-reference" - Add current page's language to hreflang URLs
- • "Invalid language code" - Use proper ISO 639-1 format (en, es, fr)
- • "Duplicate URLs" - Each language should point to a unique URL
- • "URL not accessible" - Ensure target URLs return 200 status
WPML/Polylang not detected
- • Ensure the multilingual plugin is activated
- • Check plugin compatibility and version
- • Try switching to manual mode as alternative
- • Clear WordPress object cache
Performance Considerations
Optimized Implementation
The Internationalisation feature is designed for minimal performance impact:
Caching
- • Translation lookups are cached
- • Manual URLs stored in post meta
- • Validation results cached for 1 hour
- • Compatible with page caching plugins
Processing
- • Tags generated only when needed
- • Lightweight head insertion
- • No database queries on cached pages
- • Async validation processing
License Requirements
Feature Availability
Business+ License Required
The Internationalisation feature is available exclusively with Business+ and Agency licenses:
- • Full automatic and manual modes
- • Unlimited language variations
- • Validation and testing tools
- • Post-level configuration
- • XML sitemap integration
- • API access for custom implementations
- • Priority support for multilingual SEO
External Resources
Google Documentation: For detailed specifications and requirements, refer to Google's official hreflang documentation for multilingual and multi-regional sites.