- Success Criterion 3.1.1
- Conformance level A
HTML Element Missing Its Language Attribute Entirely
3.1.1 — Language of Page
Scenario
Setting
A photo-sharing app's upload screen
What’s wrong
<html> lacking lang entirely.
Example
On a photo-sharing app's upload screen, a visitor hits this wall: <html> lacking lang entirely.
Why it matters
Screen-reader users who need correct pronunciation, and tools that depend on language metadata. On a photo-sharing app's upload screen, this barrier means they can't tell what language they're reading.
How to test
View page source: if the html tag has no lang attribute at all, it fails.
How to fix
The <html> element must carry a valid lang attribute matching the page language, updated when the site language switches.
Outcome
Corrected, a photo-sharing app's upload screen now lets a visitor understand which language they're reading.
Who is affected
Screen-reader users who need correct pronunciation, and tools that depend on language metadata.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
Related scenarios
- Page Published With No Language Declared in the Code
- Page’s Declared Language Not Matching Its Actual Content
- Language Attribute Set to an Invalid or Malformed Value
- Language Switcher That Doesn’t Update the Page’s Lang Attribute
- Language Attribute Set on the Body Instead of the HTML Root
- Multilingual Site Serving Every Locale With the Same Lang Value