How do I mark a language selector page with x-default?

Definition: A language selector page lets visitors choose a language or region. As of 17 October 2026, Google's localized page documentation specifies hreflang="x-default" for the fallback URL when no listed language or region matches the visitor's browser settings.

Key facts

• Google's implementation guidance adds an x-default link alongside the language annotations, with href pointing to the fallback URL.
• Google's explanation of x-default allows a selector page or an existing content version to serve as the fallback.
• Google's multilingual site guidance recommends separate URLs for language versions and hyperlinks that let visitors switch between them.

Which URL should be the fallback?

The hreflang attribute identifies alternate language or regional versions of a page. Google's x-default guidance reserves x-default for visitors whose language settings match none of those versions. Its example uses https://example.com/country-selector as the fallback alongside English pages for the UK, US and Australia. The selector's own display language requires no additional language code in the x-default value.

A language-only annotation has a different scope. The same documentation recommends a generic en URL when a site has several regional English versions: it covers English speakers outside the explicitly listed regions. The x-default annotation covers unmatched language settings across the set.

What HTML belongs on each page?

Google's HTML annotation instructions require the alternate links inside a well-formed <head>. The following links reproduce its fallback example:

<link rel="alternate" href="https://example.com/en-gb" hreflang="en-GB" />
<link rel="alternate" href="https://example.com/en-us" hreflang="en-US" />
<link rel="alternate" href="https://example.com/en-au" hreflang="en-AU" />
<link rel="alternate" href="https://example.com/country-selector" hreflang="x-default" />

The same set belongs on each listed English page and on the selector page. Each version lists itself and the other versions; the selector's x-default link points to itself. The href values are fully qualified URLs, including https:// or http://. The documentation permits alternate URLs on different domains.

How can the annotations be checked?

Google's troubleshooting guidance identifies missing return links as a common error: a page pointing to an alternate must receive a link back. Checking the selector alone therefore leaves the language pages' return annotations unchecked.

For HTML implementations, the same documentation recommends pasting code from the rendered page into an HTML validator to verify that the links remain inside <head>. It also warns against combining hreflang with attributes such as media in a single alternate link. The checks apply to the whole set, including the selector URL.

Related terms

• hreflang
• HTML lang attribute
• Should translated pages have separate URLs?
• Can automatic language redirects prevent Google from seeing translations?

FAQ

Can I use an English page as x-default?

Yes. Google's x-default explanation gives an example with English and Spanish versions where x-default points to English for French-speaking visitors. You can use an existing content version as the fallback.

Do I need HTML tags, HTTP headers and a sitemap together?

Google's annotation methods documentation treats HTML tags, HTTP headers and sitemaps as equivalent methods. You can choose the method suited to your site; the documentation states that implementing all of them adds no Search benefit.

Sources

1. Google Search Central, "Tell Google about localized versions of your page", updated 21 September 2026
2. Google Search Central Blog, "How x-default can help you", 8 May 2023
3. Google Search Central, "Managing multi-regional and multilingual sites", updated 10 December 2025

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