Free SEO tool
International URL Structure Planner
Enter your domain and target markets to get a complete international URL plan with hreflang tags and implementation checklist.
Domain and Markets
URL Strategy
Subfolder
example.com/fr/
Subdomain
fr.example.com
ccTLD
example.fr
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Select your domain, target markets, and URL strategy, then click Generate URL Plan.
Recommendation
Results
International URL Strategy Tips
Subfolder Is Usually Best
For most businesses targeting 4+ markets, subfolders (example.com/fr/) consolidate domain authority, simplify hosting, and reduce maintenance. Google officially supports geo-targeting with subfolders via Search Console.
ccTLDs Signal Strong Local Intent
Country-code TLDs like .fr or .de provide the strongest geo-targeting signal but split domain authority. Best for businesses with 1-3 markets and strong local brand presence.
Always Implement Hreflang
Regardless of URL strategy, hreflang tags are essential. They prevent duplicate content issues and ensure the right language version appears in local search results. Always include self-referencing tags.
x-default Is Required
Always set an x-default hreflang tag pointing to your primary/fallback URL. This tells search engines which page to show when no other language match exists.
Consistent Internal Linking
Each language version should link internally to other pages in the same language. Cross-language links should only appear in language switchers, not in body content.