Hreflang Builder’s hreflang generator eliminates most of the challenges of managing hreflang across your websites. Hreflang Builder can automatically import URLs, apply the mapping rules, generate hreflang XML sitemaps, and return the files to a server using a reverse proxy to create validated hreflang XML sitemaps indexable by Google. your hreflang

Why Hreflang Builder?

A single Google search of the hreflang generator returns dozens of free tag-generating tools. If you can get one to work for you, that is great! The free solutions typically work by loading a file with all alternate URLs neatly listed in rows into the application and it outputs a block with the URLs wrapped in the correct code for you to add to your pages. This is repeated for each webpage and each time you need to make changes. For smaller sites on a budget with access to the page code this is the perfect solution.

Hreflang Builder was developed for those sites where these tools do not work well for gigantic websites, and it is a challenge to organize your alternate URLs; you have frequent updates, and worst of all, you don’t have access to the page code to paste tags. If you want an automated solution that adapts to your website and enables frequent updates, look at Hreflang Builder.

Hreflang XML vs. Hreflang Tags

The free tools all generate hreflang tags that you paste into the head tag of your website. We have always told site owners that tags are great if you have a small site, few versions, do not use JavaScript rendering, and minimal crawling challenges. With hreflang tags the pair and cluster are validated when Google visits each alternate version and confirms the tag reciprication.

If you have a larger site with many markets and crawling challenges (more than 1% errors in Google Search Console), you may want to consider hreflang XML. With the XML approach, the pair and cluster are immediately validated.

Google has repeatedly stated that neither method is better than the other. The option you use it up to your technology, resources, and the complexity of your website.

Minimize Complexity

There are many challenges to implementing hreflang elements at an enterprise, making hreflang XML sitemaps the most scalable solution. Multinationals have “many challenges” from the size and breadth of enterprise websites with many versions, pages, URL formats, CMS, teams, and opinions on how things should be done. We have written a number of posts outlining the complexity of hreflang for larger and decentralized websites. Take a look at them to better understand potential challenges.