# Hreflang: definition

> The hreflang tag, inserted in a page's or declared in a sitemap, tells search engines which language or regional version of a piece of content to serve to the visitor.

- Source canonique : [https://allaux.fr/en/glossaire/hreflang](https://allaux.fr/en/glossaire/hreflang)
- Langue : EN
- Dernière mise à jour : 2026-09-30

## Why this tag matters for multilingual stores

A store available in several languages, or localised by country, often publishes several very similar URLs for the same product: a French version, an English version, perhaps a French version for Belgium distinct from the one for France. Without an explicit signal, a search engine may pick the wrong version to display, or treat them as duplicate content between each other.

Each multilingual page then carries a set of hreflang tags, one per available version, indicating the language code and, where relevant, the country code, plus an x-default variant for the version offered by default. These tags must reference each other: if the French version points to the English one, the English one must point back to the French one.

On both PrestaShop and WooCommerce, native or extension-based multilingual management usually generates these tags automatically, but an inconsistent URL structure between languages remains a frequent source of errors in Google Search Console.

## FAQ

### Does hreflang replace the canonical tag?

No, the two coexist: canonical designates a reference version for duplicate content, while hreflang points to the correct language or regional version.

### What happens if hreflang tags don't reference each other correctly?

Google may ignore some or all of the tags concerned, meaning the intended language targeting is lost, which can bring the wrong version of a page up in the results.

### Is hreflang useful for a store that only sells in one country and one language?

No, it's only worthwhile once several language or regional versions of the same content genuinely coexist.