Viewing Google Results by Country: Proxies, gl, hl and Language
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To see Google results the way users in another country see them, three things must line up: an IP from that country (through a proxy), the gl country and hl interface-language parameters in the search URL, and a signed-out browser without your search history. Changing only the parameters gives mixed results; changing only the IP while forgetting the language gives skewed ones. This guide shows how to combine them, with a country code table and the limits to keep in mind.
Why Google results differ by country
Google works out a searcher's location mainly from the IP address, combined with language settings, region settings and signed-in account history. For the same keyword, someone in Tokyo and someone in Hanoi see different pages, different ads and different blocks such as maps, products and news.
So if you do SEO for a foreign market, research competitors in Singapore or check whether your page ranks in the US, searching from Vietnam gives the wrong picture. The domain, google.com or google.co.jp, matters less than many people think; Google serves results by the user's location.
The gl and hl parameters
The two key URL parameters are gl (country, two-letter code) and hl (interface language). For example, results for a Japanese user in Japanese:
https://www.google.com/search?q=wireless+earbuds&gl=jp&hl=ja
gl biases results towards a country but does not fully override the IP signal; when they conflict you may see a blend. A separate parameter can encode a more precise city-level location, but since VinaProxy proxies are chosen by country, this guide stays at country level.
| Country | gl | Suggested hl | VinaProxy proxy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | vn | vi | Private IPv4, static ISP |
| United States | us | en | Private IPv4, static ISP |
| Japan | jp | ja | Private IPv4 |
| South Korea | kr | ko | Private IPv4 |
| Singapore | sg | en | Private IPv4 |
| United Kingdom | gb | en | Private IPv4 |
| Hong Kong | hk | zh-TW or en | Private IPv4 |
Setting up for clean results
- Get an IP in the target country. For viewing results only, private IPv4 is enough and cheaper than ISP. Available in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, the United States and Vietnam.
- Create a separate browser profile per country and stay signed out of Google. Without an antidetect browser, use the SwitchyOmega or Firefox guide.
- Match browser language and time zone to that country so signals do not conflict.
- Open the [IP checker](/tools/my-ip) to confirm the country. If it looks wrong, see proxy shows the wrong country.
- Search with `gl` and `hl` in the URL, or set the region in Google's search settings for that profile.
- Clear Google cookies in the profile if earlier searches seem to influence results.
A quick command-line check
To compare a results page quickly or confirm the proxy exits in the right country, use curl through the proxy:
curl -x http://user:pass@ip:port -A "Mozilla/5.0" "https://www.google.com/search?q=coffee+machine&gl=gb&hl=en" -o serp-gb.html
Open the HTML file in a browser to view it. This suits a handful of manual checks, not bulk collection: Google limits automated queries and shows an unusual-traffic page with a CAPTCHA when one IP sends too many. See curl proxy setup for the basics.
Common uses
| Task | How |
|---|---|
| Check rankings in a foreign market | Signed-out profile, that country's IP, matching gl and hl |
| Research local competitors | Review top pages and product or map blocks in that country |
| Check hreflang on a multilingual site | Search your brand with each gl and hl pair and see which version Google picks |
| Collect search suggestions by market | Type keywords in that country's profile and note the suggestions |
| Local SEO checks in Vietnam | See local SEO checks in Vietnam |
Limits to know
- No city or state selection: VinaProxy proxies are chosen by country, so city-level results such as cafes in one district may not match exactly.
- Results still fluctuate: Google runs constant experiments, so two searches at the same moment can differ slightly. Compare trends rather than single positions.
- Do not click ads: when looking at competitors' ads or your own, do not click. Fake clicks distort data and can breach ad policies.
- Daily rank tracking for many keywords is a different job. Use a dedicated rank tracker or read scraping Google SERPs with proxies for the limits and a responsible approach.
Which proxy to choose
For manual result checks, one or two private IPv4 IPs per country are enough, because you are not signing in and only need the right country. A dedicated IP is not affected by other people flooding it with queries the way free proxies are. For regular rank tracking, see proxies for SEO rank tracking. Current prices are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Is adding gl to the URL enough without a proxy?
Not entirely. Google still uses the IP for location, so results can blend. An IP in the right country plus gl and hl gives the closest view.
Is the gl code for the UK uk or gb?
Google uses two-letter country codes, and for the UK that is gb, for example gl=gb with hl=en.
Can I use google.co.jp instead of a Japanese proxy?
No. The domain does not decide location; Google serves results based on the user's location, mainly from the IP.
Can I see results for a specific city?
VinaProxy proxies are selected by country, not city or state. Country-level results are the most precise you should expect.
Why does Google show a CAPTCHA through my proxy?
Usually because one IP sent many queries in a row. Slow down, search manually, and avoid shared free proxies.
IPs in 7 countries for Google checks
Private IPv4 in Vietnam, the US, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the UK and Hong Kong, unlimited bandwidth, automatic activation.
See pricing