WCAG 2.0 · Level A · Understandable
3.1.1 Language of Page
Manual verification
How to validate 3.1.1 by hand
Check that the default human language of each page is programmatically identified.
Start with the extension result
Reopen the reported URL and reproduce the same state (for example, after expanding a menu or submitting a form). Use the result’s Highlight action when available, or its affected-element details and CSS selector, to find the reported content. Apply the checks below to that content and its context. If the element or state has changed, rescan and record that difference before deciding whether the finding still applies.
- Inspect the page’s root language declaration and compare it with the primary language of the visible content.
- Use a screen reader with language switching enabled and listen for representative text pronunciation.
- Check pages generated by client-side navigation and localized routes, not only the home page.
Evidence to record
Record the page, declared language, actual primary language, and screen-reader behavior.
Scope and exceptions
A multilingual page may contain other languages; this criterion identifies the default language. Language changes within portions are evaluated under 3.1.2.
Record the review outcome
- Confirmed: the recorded evidence shows the requirement is not met in the tested page state, and no applicable exception explains it.
- Not reproduced: the reported issue is absent in the current state. Record the URL, state, and affected element you checked; this does not prove other pages or states conform.
- Needs more review: evidence is incomplete, the content requires human judgment, or an exception is uncertain. Record what remains to be checked instead of treating it as a pass.