I built a zero-dependency CLI to audit hreflang (international SEO)

Description and use

A zero‑dependency CLI that audits hreflang tags, reports issues with fix hints, and integrates into CI workflows.

Problem

Sites with multiple languages often have hreflang issues that are invisible in the browser but hurt SEO, such as missing return links, invalid language codes, or canonical conflicts.

Outcome

The CLI identifies common hreflang problems and provides actionable fix hints, improving international SEO and enabling automated regression checks in CI pipelines.

Workflow

• Clone the repo
• Run the offline demo with seeded issues
• Execute the CLI against a real site URL
• Review the report or use --json for automation
• Integrate the CLI into a GitHub Action for scheduled audits

Evidence

hreflang-audit is a single-file Node.js 20+ CLI with zero npm dependencies. It crawls your site (or parses your XML sitemap, sitemap-index included), reads <link rel="alternate" hreflang> elements, HTTP Link: headers, and xhtml:link sitemap entries, and runs 11 checks …

Source