A special hreflang value for the page that should be shown when no language version matches the user.
Also called: hreflang x-default
x-default is usually the language selector or the English home page. A visitor from Japan who searches in English gets the x-default version if there is no specific version for his or her language and country.
It is optional, but recommended for international sites with a language choice.
Why x-default matters in Switzerland
Many Swiss sites set German as x-default. For companies with an international audience, English is often the better fallback.
Our tip
Set x-default to the version that works best for visitors who match none of your languages.
Related terms
- hreflang – An HTML attribute that tells search engines which language and country a page is written for and where its other language versions are.
- Language and country folders – A URL structure in which each language or country version lives in its own folder, such as /de-ch/ or /fr/.
Learn more
← All terms in the Swiss SEO glossary
Frequently asked questions
What is x-default?
A special hreflang value for the page that should be shown when no language version matches the user.