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alternate

Learn how to use the alternate rel link tag to improve your site.

The alternate link rel is used to indicate an alternate version of the content, often used for specifying links to alternate languages or mobile versions. It helps search engines and assistive technologies provide the most appropriate version of a page.

Code Examples

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-us" href="https://example.com/en-us">
Correctly specifies the English (United States) version of the content, helping search engines serve the correct page for users searching in English in the United States.
<link rel="alternate" href="https://example.com/mobile">
Specifies a mobile version without using the media attribute, potentially leading to incorrect assumptions about the device targeting.

Recommendations

  • Specify Language and Region
    Use the hreflang attribute to indicate the language and optional geographical region of an alternate URL. This helps search engines serve the correct language or regional URL in search results.
  • Mobile URLs
    For sites with separate mobile URLs, use the alternate rel tag to link to the mobile version, using a media attribute to specify only screen and (max-width: 640px) to target mobile devices specifically.

Related Documentation