x-default
The hreflang value that marks the version of a page shown to searchers whose language or region matches none of the listed versions, often a language picker or the main language. CrawlCheck's language check reports whether a page with several language versions sets one.
What x-default does not show
It names a fallback; it does not choose a version for any visitor, and it does not fix missing return links between versions.
Where x-default comes up on this site
- Hreflang audit: fixing return-link and x-default errorsHreflang only works when every version links to every other .t{font:600 13px system-ui,sans-serif;fill:var(--ink)}.s{font:12px…
- CrawlCheck in German, French, Spanish and PortugueseEvery translated page sets <html lang> to its language, a canonical to itself, and hreflang links to the English original, the other three languages and an x-default pointing to English.
Terms this definition uses
Related terms in Content architecture and SEO
How pages, links and intent are organised so an entity is findable, and what a link or a structure can and cannot transfer.
lang attribute · Search intent · Query class · Navigational query · Informational query · Transactional query · Commercial investigation · Entity-first content · Information architecture · Taxonomy · Ontology · Topic cluster · Pillar page · Content hub · Semantic HTML · Heading hierarchy · Internal link · Anchor text · Link context · Deep link · Broken link · Redirected internal link · Link equity · PageRank · Dofollow · Nofollow · Sponsored link · User-generated link · External link · Inbound link · Referring domain · Link neighborhood · Orphaned entity · Content decay · Content refresh · Historical optimization · answer block · apex domain · alias domain · parked domain · local pack · Google Business Profile · data aggregator · Data Axle
Questions about x-default
What is x-default?
The hreflang value that marks the version of a page shown to searchers whose language or region matches none of the listed versions, often a language picker or the main language. CrawlCheck's language check reports whether a page with several language versions sets one.
What does x-default not show or guarantee?
It names a fallback; it does not choose a version for any visitor, and it does not fix missing return links between versions.
Which area of the glossary does x-default belong to?
Content architecture and SEO: How pages, links and intent are organised so an entity is findable, and what a link or a structure can and cannot transfer.
← lang attribute · Search intent →
See it in the full glossary · 772 terms across 19 areas.
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