Hreflang tags not displaying on multilingual site (WPML + Yoast Premium)

This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.

Problem:
The client needs to ensure that hreflang tags are correctly implemented and visible across all language versions of their WooCommerce site using WPML and Yoast SEO Premium. Specifically, they need to verify that WPML is generating hreflang tags as expected, including for staging environments, and how to include an x-default hreflang tag.
Solution:
We recommend checking that you have updated to WPML SEO 2.2.0, which supports the inclusion of hreflang tags directly into sitemaps, enhancing multilingual SEO. You can read more about this update here.
To ensure hreflang tags appear in the page’s HEAD section, navigate to WPML → Languages → SEO Options and enable the option “Display alternative languages in the HEAD section”.

If this solution does not apply to your case, or if it seems outdated, we highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have installed the latest versions of themes and plugins. If issues persist, please open a new support ticket.

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Tagged: Exception

This topic contains 1 reply, has 0 voices.

Last updated by Andrey 9 months, 3 weeks ago.

Assisted by: Andrey.

Author	Posts
July 20, 2025 at 4:46 pm #17253230
miklovanP	Background of the issue: We are trying to ensure that hreflang tags are correctly implemented and visible across all language versions of our WooCommerce site. We are using WPML alongside Yoast SEO Premium. Our SEO agency has reported that hreflang tags are missing on the DEV version of the site and advised proper implementation to handle alternative language versions effectively. We would appreciate assistance in verifying that WPML is generating hreflang tags as expected, including for staging environments. We would also like guidance on including an x-default hreflang tag if supported. Symptoms: Hreflang tags are not displaying on the multilingual site. Questions: How can we verify that WPML is correctly generating hreflang tags? How can we include an x-default hreflang if supported?
July 22, 2025 at 5:29 pm #17260665
Andrey WPML Supporter since 06/2013 Languages: English (English ) Russian (Русский ) Timezone: Europe/Kyiv (GMT+03:00)	Thank you for contacting WPML support. With the release of WPML SEO 2.2.0, we’ve introduced alternative language (hreflang) tags directly into sitemaps to enhance multilingual SEO. You can read more about this update here: https://wpml.org/compatibility/2025/06/wpml-seo-2-2-0/ If you still want the hreflang tags to appear in the page’s <head> section, please navigate to WPML → Languages → SEO Options and ensure that the option “Display alternative languages in the HEAD section” is enabled.