# Hreflang Alternate Evidence Map

Canonical page: https://waitlist.crany.ai/marketing-templates/hreflang-alternate-evidence-map

By Tangenix. Published 2026-10-24. Category: International marketing.

Map complete localized page equivalents and verify their reciprocal language annotations without inventing regional pages or confusing them with canonical URLs.

## Task

Prepare a verifiable set of language alternates for genuinely equivalent completed pages.

## When to use

Use this when a software site has real localized equivalents and a technical owner needs an accurate annotation handoff. Start from actual content equivalence rather than country-keyword permutations.

## Choose another approach when

Translations are unfinished, you want a new URL for every region regardless of value, or you intend to use hreflang as a substitute for canonicalization and indexability checks.

## Inputs

- Complete equivalent pages and their actual language/region audience.
- Current final URLs, response states and separately reviewed canonical behavior.
- The annotation method in use and an owner who can inspect all equivalent pages.

## Template

    Equivalent-content group / reader task: [actual completed resources]
    For each version:
    - Language and optional region code: [supported tag, not a region alone]
    - Fully qualified public URL: [actual destination]
    - Content equivalence and completeness: [reviewed evidence]
    - Canonical and indexability observation: [separate from language annotation]
    Annotation method: HTML / HTTP header / sitemap [one maintained source of truth]
    Self-reference present for each version: [observed result]
    Reciprocal alternate references across the group: [pairwise evidence]
    Optional x-default purpose and destination: [only an actual appropriate fallback]
    Missing return link, unsupported tag or stale route: [specific issue]
    Owner / correction / verification date: [accountable handoff]
    Do not annotate an unfinished placeholder as a complete localized equivalent.

## Illustrative example

This is not a Crany customer result. Replace example details with verified facts.

    Fictional example: a software tutorial exists as complete English and French pages. The evidence map pairs those equivalents and checks that each includes itself and the other version in its actual annotation set.
    A proposed German URL is only a placeholder, so it is held outside the group. The founder does not generate dozens of regional copies to fill the map. A separate canonical review remains necessary; language alternates do not automatically settle duplicate-URL questions.
    The map records a missing return reference as a technical gap. Correcting it can make annotations interpretable, but does not prove either version is indexed or ranked. No translations or hreflang configuration are added to Crany by this worksheet.

## How to use

1. Group only complete pages that serve the same reader task in their stated languages.
2. Record valid tags and fully qualified URLs with separate canonical/indexability evidence.
3. Verify self and reciprocal references and recheck affected pages after corrections.

## Checks

- A country code alone is not used as a language annotation.
- Every listed equivalent is a real completed destination rather than a placeholder.
- Annotation correctness is not reported as indexing or ranking proof.

## What to measure

Track missing references, invalid tags and stale equivalent routes within the actual group. Review indexing separately through provider evidence. This map does not establish translation quality, regional demand or guaranteed localized search appearance.

## Research and sources

Google documents supported language/region annotations, fully qualified alternate URLs, self-reference and return links. This original evidence map requires completed equivalent content and does not manufacture regional pages to satisfy a page target.

- [Google Search Central: Tell Google about localized versions of your page](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/localized-versions) — checked 2026-10-24. Actual equivalent pages, supported language/region tags, fully qualified URLs, self-reference and return annotations. No indexing guarantee.

Prepared with AI assistance. Sources support the stated principles; they do not endorse Crany or guarantee performance.

## About Crany

Crany is an AI marketing co-founder in development for software founders and vibe coders. It is designed to strategize, execute approved marketing and improve based on results. These free resources are usable independently of app access. The public waitlist is at https://waitlist.crany.ai/.