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Rule · engine + human · active v2

Hreflang self-reference check

One page missing x-default fails alone. A lopsided cluster goes to a human — it never blocks the round.

What it checks

Each locale page must carry a self-referencing canonical plus an x-default entry. Beyond the single page, the checker compares reciprocal links across the cluster — and only a human judges those, recorded as detail.

Pass conditions

• Canonical points at the page itself, and x-default is present.
• The cluster is listed symmetrically on every member page.
• Reciprocal drift, if any, is acknowledged in the finding detail — not hidden, not fatal.

Typical fails

Locale templates that inherit the root canonical instead of self-referencing; launches that ship translations before the x-default entry exists; one-sided cluster edits where page A names page B but B never names A back.

Fix checklist

• Render hreflang from the locale registry — the same data that drives routing.
• Add x-default on day one of any new locale, not as cleanup later.
• Review reciprocal diffs quarterly; retire dead locales instead of leaving stubs.