# Hreflang tags

> Hreflang tags tell search engines which language or regional version of a page to show to which users on a multilingual website.

- **Check ID:** S28
- **Area:** [SEO](https://be1st.ai/glossary/seo)
- **Tool:** [SEO + Security + Performance](https://be1st.ai/tools/ssp-audit)
- **Page:** https://be1st.ai/glossary/seo/hreflang-tags

## Why it matters

Without hreflang tags, Google may display the Czech version of a page to a Slovak user or vice versa. Hreflang ensures that the correct language version is shown to the right audience.

## In practice

IKEA.com uses hreflang for dozens of countries: hreflang='sk' for Slovakia, hreflang='cs' for the Czech Republic, hreflang='de-AT' for Austria. Without hreflang tags, Google could show the German version to Czech users, leading to a high bounce rate.

## How be1st checks it

Checks for the presence of hreflang tags on multilingual websites. The hreflang attribute informs search engines about language and regional variants of a page (e.g., sk, cs, en). A single-language site without hreflang gets half the points, not zero.

[SEO + Security + Performance](https://be1st.ai/tools/ssp-audit), SEO tab.

Every check ends as: Pass, Warning, Fail.

## Sources

- [Localized Versions of Pages](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/localized-versions) (Google Search Central)
- [HTML `<link>` Element](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Reference/Elements/link) (MDN Web Docs)

## Related terms

- [Pagination (rel prev / next)](https://be1st.ai/glossary/seo/pagination-rel-prev-next): Pagination splits a long list across several pages. The rel='prev' and rel='next' links mark how those pages follow each other.
- [Breadcrumb navigation](https://be1st.ai/glossary/seo/breadcrumb-navigation): Breadcrumb navigation is the trail of links (Home / Category / Page) that shows where a page sits in the structure of a website.
- [Title tag](https://be1st.ai/glossary/seo/title-tag): The title tag is the HTML `<title>` element that names a page. Browsers show it in the tab and search engines usually use it as the clickable headline of a result.
- [Title length](https://be1st.ai/glossary/seo/title-length): Title length is the number of characters in a page's title tag. A short title wastes space in search results, a long one gets cut off with an ellipsis.
- [H1 heading](https://be1st.ai/glossary/seo/h1-heading): The H1 is the main heading of a page, the `<h1>` element. It tells readers and search engines what the page is about, so each page should have exactly one.
- [Heading hierarchy](https://be1st.ai/glossary/seo/heading-hierarchy): Heading hierarchy is the order of headings from H1 to H6. A correct outline nests them by level without skipping any, like the chapters and sections of a book.