A tag that tells search engines which language or region a page is for, so the right version is shown to the right audience.

Why does reciprocity matter?

Hreflang must be confirmed on both sides. If page A links to page B with hreflang but B does not link back, search engines ignore the pair.

Do I need hreflang if I only sell in one language?

No. It only applies to sites serving multiple languages or regions; this check reports nothing if you do not use it.

Are your hreflang tags actually pointing at each other?

If you sell in more than one language or country, hreflang tells Google which version to show whom. The rule people miss is reciprocity: every version must link back to the others, or the whole cluster is discarded.

Reads the hreflang alternates on your home page and confirms the versions link back. Nothing is stored.

How this check works

Shipwork reads the hreflang alternates declared on your home page, then fetches the pages they point at to confirm each one links back with its own hreflang. It flags dead alternates, missing return links and duplicate language codes — the three failures that void an international cluster.

Questions

What is hreflang?: A tag that tells search engines which language or region a page is for, so the right version is shown to the right audience.
Why does reciprocity matter?: Hreflang must be confirmed on both sides. If page A links to page B with hreflang but B does not link back, search engines ignore the pair.
Do I need hreflang if I only sell in one language?: No. It only applies to sites serving multiple languages or regions; this check reports nothing if you do not use it.