Localization
The page language and hreflang alternates.
The canonical page declares a different language
Section titled “The canonical page declares a different language”localization.canonical.locale_mismatch · Review signal (Needs review) · Severity: Info
Why it matters. Review conflicting captured language declarations. Content language, HTTP/sitemap alternates and business intent are not inferred.
How to fix. Review the captured evidence and the documented measurement limitations; verify any change using the same source.
A hreflang locale is declared more than once
Section titled “A hreflang locale is declared more than once”localization.hreflang.duplicate · Review signal (Needs review) · Severity: High
Why it matters. Duplicate targets for one locale create conflicting instructions about which page search engines should serve.
How to fix. Remove duplicate hreflang entries and keep one canonical alternate per language-region pair.
A hreflang alternate is invalid
Section titled “A hreflang alternate is invalid”localization.hreflang.invalid · Issue · Severity: High
Why it matters. Invalid hreflang data can be ignored, preventing search engines from connecting the correct language or regional page variants.
How to fix. Correct the hreflang language-region value and validate the published tags.
An alternate page may lack hreflang links
Section titled “An alternate page may lack hreflang links”localization.hreflang.missing · Review signal (Needs review) · Severity: Info
Why it matters. Review conflicting captured language declarations. Content language, HTTP/sitemap alternates and business intent are not inferred.
How to fix. Review the captured evidence and the documented measurement limitations; verify any change using the same source.
The hreflang relationship is not reciprocal
Section titled “The hreflang relationship is not reciprocal”localization.hreflang.not_reciprocal · Issue · Severity: High
Why it matters. One-way hreflang relationships can be ignored and may prevent search engines from confidently connecting the localized pages.
How to fix. Add the matching return reference on the alternate page or remove the invalid relationship.
The hreflang set has no self-reference
Section titled “The hreflang set has no self-reference”localization.hreflang.self_reference_missing · Review signal (Needs review) · Severity: High
Why it matters. Without a self-reference, search engines may treat the localized set as incomplete or ambiguous.
How to fix. Add the page’s own language-region reference where the localization strategy requires it.
A hreflang target is not reachable
Section titled “A hreflang target is not reachable”localization.hreflang.target_unreachable · Issue · Severity: High
Why it matters. An unreachable localized target leaves search engines and visitors without a valid page for that language or region.
How to fix. Publish or correct the alternate URL so it is reachable in the intended locale.
The hreflang set has no x-default target
Section titled “The hreflang set has no x-default target”localization.hreflang.x_default_missing · Review signal (Needs review) · Severity: Low
Why it matters. Without x-default, visitors whose language does not match a declared locale may be sent to an arbitrary or less suitable version.
How to fix. Add an x-default alternate when the project has a language-selection or fallback URL strategy.
A localized page has no language declaration
Section titled “A localized page has no language declaration”localization.html_lang.missing · Review signal (Needs review) · Severity: Medium
Why it matters. Without a language declaration, assistive technologies may use the wrong pronunciation rules and search engines have less reliable locale context.
How to fix. Set the default document language and verify it matches the primary page language.
Hreflang differs from the page’s declared language
Section titled “Hreflang differs from the page’s declared language”localization.locale_mismatch · Review signal (Needs review) · Severity: Info
Why it matters. Review conflicting captured language declarations. Content language, HTTP/sitemap alternates and business intent are not inferred.
How to fix. Review the captured evidence and the documented measurement limitations; verify any change using the same source.