Why it matters
Missing return links and missing self-references are common hreflang mistakes, and Google ignores annotations that point only one way, since otherwise any site could claim to be a version of someone else's. Alternate URLs must be fully qualified, including https://, and may be on other domains. A brand-only query reveals no language, so Google falls back on the user's location and browser settings and sometimes shows the wrong language version; complete hreflang is what lets it swap in the right one.
How to meet it
Every page in a set lists itself and every alternate with an identical block, plus x-default for the fallback or selector page. Point only at canonical, indexable 200 URLs and generate the block for all versions from one data source. If keeping every pair is impractical, at least link new versions both ways with the original or dominant language.
How to test it
An hreflang audit in a crawler reports, per cluster, no missing return links, no missing self-references, no non-200 or non-canonical targets and no relative URLs.
How Regensbot covers it
Decided automatically once Regensbot crawls your verified site.
The crawl is polite: sitemap first, one request per second per host. A problem it finds is definite, and “none found” passes only on a complete crawl.
Sources
Google documents02
- 01Tell Google about localized versions of your pageGoogle Search Central (opens in a new tab)
- 02How Google knows what language to show in search resultsGoogle Search Help (opens in a new tab)
Claims in the knowledge base12
- D2-C565ConfirmedFocusing on Internationalisation and LocalisationShown on screen
- D2-C566ConsistentFocusing on Internationalisation and LocalisationSaid on stage
- D2-C570ConfirmedFocusing on Internationalisation and LocalisationSaid on stage
- D2-C572ConfirmedFocusing on Internationalisation and LocalisationSaid on stage
- D2-C573SourceFocusing on Internationalisation and LocalisationGoogle's documentation
- D2-C564ConfirmedFocusing on Internationalisation and LocalisationShown on screen
- D2-C571SourceFocusing on Internationalisation and LocalisationGoogle's documentation
- D2-C574n/aFocusing on Internationalisation and LocalisationThe author's interpretation
- D3-C007ConsistentMaking sense of users' queriesSaid on stage
- D3-C008ConsistentMaking sense of users' queriesSaid on stage
- D3-C009ConsistentMaking sense of users' queriesSaid on stage
- D3-C010n/aMaking sense of users' queriesThe author's interpretation
Claim IDs refer to the Search Central Live 2026 knowledge base. The knowledge base (opens in a new tab)
- Confirmed
- Google's documentation states the same thing.
- Consistent
- Google's documentation supports it without stating it.
- Source
- The claim is the cited document itself.
- n/a
- Nothing to verify: a quotation, framing, opinion or analysis.