Guide · Agent skill
How to use the hreflang Multilingual SEO Checker agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The hreflang skill gives an AI agent a checklist for hreflang tags, the markup that tells search engines which language and regional version of a page to show each user. This guide explains what the skill makes the agent do, how to install it, and how to ask for checks and fixes in plain language. By the end you will be able to run a multilingual audit and understand the results.
hreflang Multilingual SEO Checkerthedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Get the hreflang skill ZIP from the skill's page on the directory.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Extract it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into .claude/skills/ in your project.
- 3Or upload in the Claude apps. Go to Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the ZIP.
- 4Describe your multilingual task. Ask in plain language, mentioning hreflang, language versions or regional targeting.
- 5Review the agent's findings. Check the reported missing, non-reciprocal or incorrect tags and the x-default setting.
- 6Verify the final output. Confirm the rendered HTML and HTTP response show the corrected tags before relying on them.
What the hreflang skill makes the agent do
Agent skills are folders of instructions that an AI agent loads when a task matches them. The hreflang skill covers the case where a website has pages in several languages or for several regions. Without hreflang, a French user searching may see your English page instead of the French one.
When you ask the agent to check or fix a multilingual site, it looks at the rendered HTML and HTTP response, not only the source files. It checks that tags are reciprocal, so every page links to all its variations, that x-default is set for fallback or language selector pages, and that ISO language and region codes are used. It then explains or corrects the problems it finds.
- Language codes follow ISO 639-1, for example en or es.
- Region codes follow ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2, for example US, GB or MX.
- x-default marks the default or fallback page.
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-US" href="https://example.com/en/a" />Install the hreflang skill
Download the ZIP from the skill's page on the directory. Unzip it into your personal skills folder at ~/.claude/skills/, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder if you want the skill to apply only to that project.
You can also upload the skill in the Claude apps. Go to Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the ZIP there.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your project
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. Describe the task in normal language that mentions multilingual pages, hreflang, or language and region targeting. The skill's description covers auditing metadata, crawlability, structured data and indexability for hreflang tags on multilingual sites.
The skill has three main modes you can ask for: check, which reviews an existing site; fix, which adds or corrects tags; and explain, which describes how the tags help search engines serve the right version. It also supports a code review mode that flags exact routes or templates where search-facing output breaks the rule.
- Check this multilingual site for hreflang problems.
- Fix the hreflang tags on my product pages.
- Explain how hreflang helps search engines pick the right language version.
- Review my templates for hreflang output and tell me how to verify the final page.
Know the hreflang code formats
Each hreflang value is a language, optionally followed by a region. The skill's reference lists common examples. Use x-default for the page shown when no language matches, such as a language selector page.
Every variation must link to every other variation. If the English page points to the French page, the French page must point back to the English page.
- en: English, any region
- en-US: English, United States
- en-GB: English, United Kingdom
- es: Spanish, any region
- es-ES: Spanish, Spain
- es-MX: Spanish, Mexico
- x-default: default or fallback page
Check the rendered output, not only source files
The skill asks the agent to verify the rendered HTML and the HTTP response. Source files can differ from what a browser or server actually delivers, so a tag that looks correct in a template may be missing or wrong on the live page.
After a fix, ask the agent to describe how to confirm the final page output. The agent can point to the routes or templates to test.
Safety notes: scripts and network access
The skill is instructions only. Its metadata states that it does not run scripts and does not use the network. It cannot measure search results or contact search engines, so it gives guidance only.
Review any changes the agent proposes before deploying them to a live site, since the skill does not test your search rankings.
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: no
- Requires: nothing listed
Tips for better results
Give the agent the page or template paths and the list of languages you publish. Ask it to check both the rendered HTML and the response headers when your site uses HTTP-level tags.
Skip this skill for single-language sites, since hreflang only applies to language variants.
- Name the languages and regions you serve.
- Share the routes or templates to check.
- Ask for the exact tags to add on each page.
What people use it for
- Auditing a company site that serves English, French and Spanish versions.
- Adding x-default to a language selector page.
- Checking that each product page links to all its regional variants.
- Reviewing templates before a multilingual site launch.
- Explaining to a marketing team why a French user might see the English page.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the hreflang agent skill?
Download the ZIP from the skill's page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into .claude/skills/ in a project. You can also upload the ZIP in the Claude apps under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.
What do I need to run the hreflang skill?
The skill lists no requirements. It does not run scripts and does not use the network, so it works by giving the agent instructions.
Is the hreflang skill free?
The skill is released under the MIT licence. The source does not state any price, so check the directory page for current terms.
Does the skill guarantee better search rankings?
No. The skill gives guidance only. It does not measure results or contact search engines, so you need to monitor your own search performance.
Should I use hreflang on a single-language site?
No. The rule applies to language variants, so a single-language site gets nothing from hreflang tags. Use this skill only for multilingual or multi-regional sites.
What is the difference between en and en-US in hreflang?
en targets English in any region, while en-US targets English for users in the United States. Use the more specific region code when you have a region-specific version of a page.
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Our verdict
This skill suits web developers, SEO staff and teams who maintain or launch a site in several languages or regions and want an agent to check tags against the rendered output. It is not useful for single-language sites, and it cannot promise ranking changes or measure results.
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