Quick answer
Use hreflang when you have the same content in more than one language or for more than one country, such as English and Nepali versions of a page. Every version lists all versions, including itself, using ISO 639-1 language codes (ne for Nepali) and optional ISO 3166-1 region codes (NP for Nepal), links must be returned both ways, and x-default covers everyone else. Each URL must return 200 and be its own canonical.
Key takeaways
- Only needed for multiple language or country versions of the same content.
- Every version lists itself and all others; links must be returned.
- Nepali is “ne”, Nepal is “NP”; a region alone is not valid.
- Add x-default for unmatched visitors.
- Never point hreflang at redirected, noindexed or non-canonical URLs.
Nepali brands increasingly run more than one version of their site: English and Nepali, or separate pages for students in Australia and the UK, or for trekkers from India and Europe. Hreflang tells Google which version to show to which audience. It is easy to get wrong, and wrong hreflang is usually ignored.
This guide explains when you need it and how to set it up correctly. It is part of the setup in our international SEO services.
Do you actually need hreflang?
You need it when you have two or more versions of the same content for different languages or regions, for example:
- An English and a Nepali version of the same service page.
- English pages adapted for different countries (pricing in AUD vs GBP, different visa details).
You do not need it for a single-language site, or when pages for different countries are about genuinely different things.
How does hreflang work?
Each version of a page lists every version, including itself, with a language code and optionally a region code. Google’s localized versions guide sets the rules:
- Language codes use ISO 639-1 (en, ne, hi); region codes use ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 (NP, IN, AU, GB). A region alone is not valid.
- Each language version must list itself as well as all the others.
- Links must be returned: if page X points to page Y, page Y must point back to X.
- Add
x-defaultfor visitors whose language or region matches none of your versions. - You can add the tags in the HTML head, in HTTP headers or in the XML sitemap. Pick one method and use it consistently.
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/en/trekking/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="ne" href="https://example.com/ne/trekking/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://example.com/en/trekking/" />The same three lines go on both the English and the Nepali page.
Hreflang codes Nepali brands use most
| Audience | hreflang value |
|---|---|
| Nepali (any country) | ne |
| English (any country) | en |
| English for Australia | en-AU |
| English for the UK | en-GB (not en-UK) |
| Hindi for India | hi-IN |
| Fallback for everyone else | x-default |
Which URL structure should you use?
Google’s multi-regional sites guide lists the options: country domains (example.com.np, example.com.au), subdomains (au.example.com) or subdirectories (example.com/au/). For most Nepali businesses, subdirectories on one domain are the simplest and keep all authority in one place.
Whatever you choose, do not rely on automatic redirects based on the visitor’s IP or browser language. Let people (and Googlebot) reach every version, and offer a visible language or country switcher.
Common hreflang mistakes
- Missing return links, so Google ignores the pair.
- Wrong codes, such as “np” for Nepali (the language code is “ne”; NP is the country) or “en-UK” instead of “en-GB”.
- Hreflang pointing to redirected, noindexed or non-canonical URLs. Each URL in the set should return 200 and be its own canonical. Our canonical vs noindex guide explains why.
- Machine-translated pages with no review. Hreflang does not make thin translations useful.
- Tags only on the homepage, when visitors land on inner pages.
Hreflang is one item in our technical SEO audit checklist, and the templates are usually set up through our technical SEO services.
International SEO in practice
Our Sanforce Technology case study shows international B2B SEO for an emergency-lighting manufacturer selling to around 30 countries, where engineers search for exact specifications in different markets. For Nepali sectors that sell abroad, see our guides for study-abroad consultancies and hotels and hospitality.
Want a second opinion on your site? Ask us for a free SEO review and we will tell you what to fix first, in plain language.
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Reviewed by
K.K. Bhatta
K.K. Bhatta is a general digital marketer at Queens Digital Agency: hands-on across SEO, paid media, and whatever platform changes next. A lifelong learner rather than a one-topic specialist, he tests ideas on live campaigns before writing about them, and stays skeptical of anything that has not actually been tried.
Every claim in this article was checked against a live source before publishing.
“ne”. For Nepali specifically for Nepal, use “ne-NP”. “np” is not a language code.
No, not if you have one version of each page. Hreflang is for alternate language or regional versions.
In the HTML head, HTTP headers or XML sitemap. Choose one method and keep it consistent.
Not directly. It helps Google show the right version to the right audience, so visitors land on the page meant for them.
Sources and references
Facts in this guide come from the sources below, checked live on 8 November 2026. Everything else is our own working practice, stated as such.