Hreflang Language and Region Codes: How to Get Them Right

Hreflang values use a two-letter language code, optionally followed by a two-letter country code, such as en, en-gb or fr-ca. The most common mistake is writing en-uk instead of en-gb. A country code on its own is not valid, and a wrong code means the tag is ignored.

The format

• Language only: en, fr, de, ar.
• Language and region: en-gb, en-us, fr-ca, es-mx.

The language comes from the ISO 639-1 list and the region from the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 list.

Use a language alone when region does not matter

If one French page serves all French speakers, use fr. Add a region only when you have separate versions for different countries, such as different pricing or wording.

Common mistakes

• en-uk instead of en-gb.
• A region without a language, such as gb or us.
• Using the wrong separator, such as an underscore.
• Choosing a language you do not actually provide.

Region is not the same as language

Targeting a country does not mean a different language. Think about which visitors each page is for. The full planning process is in multi-country website SEO, and wording issues are covered in international keyword research.

Validate before you publish

My hreflang tag generator and checker validates codes against the standard lists, so typos are caught before they go live.

Frequently asked questions

Next steps

Setting up several languages? Read the multilingual SEO guide or contact me here.

More in this series (hreflang questions): start with Free Hreflang Tag Generator and Checker, then explore:

• Hreflang x-default Explained: What It Is and When to Use It
• Hreflang Return Tag Errors: What They Mean and How to Fix Them