Many Pakistani businesses now run websites in English and Urdu, or target customers in Pakistan, the Gulf and the UK with different pages. Without hreflang tags, Google may show your English page to Urdu searchers or your UK price page to visitors in Karachi. Hreflang tells Google which version belongs to which audience.
What are hreflang tags
Hreflang tags are link elements in the head of a page that list all language or regional versions of that page. Each version lists every other version and itself. The tags use language codes like en and ur, optionally combined with a country code like en-gb or ur-pk.
How our generator works
The Hreflang Tag Generator lets you enter each version on its own line in the format language-region | URL, plus an optional x-default URL. It creates the complete set of tags instantly and warns you if a language code looks wrong.
How to use it
- Open the Hreflang Tag Generator.
- Enter each version, for example en | https://yoursite.com/ and ur-pk | https://yoursite.com/ur/.
- Add an x-default URL for visitors who match none of the versions.
- Copy the tags.
- Add the same complete set to the head of every version.
Hreflang rules to remember
- Every version must list all versions, including itself.
- Links must be reciprocal. If the English page points to the Urdu page, the Urdu page must point back.
- Use correct codes. Language first in ISO 639-1, then country in ISO 3166-1, for example en-ae for English in the UAE.
- Use full absolute URLs with https.
- Point to canonical URLs that return status 200.
When to use x-default
The x-default tag tells Google which page to show when no language or region matches, often your main English page or a language selection page.
Language versus region
If your English content is the same for all countries, use en only. Use en-pk, en-gb or en-ae only when content, prices or currency differ by country. Overly specific tags without real differences create extra work without benefit.
Check your setup
After adding tags, review the live page with the Meta Tags Analyzer or the Technical SEO Checker, which counts hreflang tags. Google Search Console may also report hreflang errors over time.
A real example
An online store selling modest fashion had an English site for the UK and an English site with PKR prices for Pakistan, plus an Urdu version. Google kept showing UK prices to Pakistani shoppers. We added hreflang tags with en-gb, en-pk and ur-pk versions and an x-default pointing to the UK homepage. After a few weeks, Pakistani searchers mostly saw the PKR pages, and complaints about wrong prices stopped.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common hreflang problems are missing return links, wrong codes like uk instead of gb, pointing to redirected URLs and forgetting the page itself in the list. Another mistake is adding hreflang on pages that are not actually translated. Only connect pages that are true equivalents in different languages or regions.
Translation quality matters
Hreflang helps the right page appear, but the page still needs good content. Machine translated pages with errors can hurt trust. Have a native speaker review important Urdu or Arabic pages before connecting them with hreflang.
Frequently asked questions
Does hreflang improve rankings
It does not boost rankings directly, but it helps the right page appear for the right audience.
Can I use hreflang in a sitemap instead
Yes, hreflang can also be placed in XML sitemaps or HTTP headers. Head tags are the simplest for small sites.
What is the code for Urdu
Use ur, or ur-pk for Urdu in Pakistan.
Create correct tags now with the free Hreflang Tag Generator.