The page does not declare a language
The <html> element has no lang attribute.
0% · n=32 · as of 15 September 2026 of sites ShipReady scanned had this, counted across sites where this check completed.
Why it matters
The <html> element has no lang attribute. Screen readers use it to pick the correct pronunciation rules and voice, and browsers use it for translation offers and correct hyphenation. Without it, assistive technology may read the page in the wrong language entirely. Add lang to the <html> tag, e.g. <html lang="en">.
How ShipReady detects it
The document-language declaration — a property of the page template, so it is read once against the seed rather than on every crawled route.
Detection is deterministic. ShipReady reports this only when it observes the condition directly, and prefers to miss a real problem over inventing one. Rule version 1.0.0.
How to fix it
This is the prompt ShipReady puts in your report — written to be pasted straight into Cursor, Claude Code, or whichever assistant built the app.
Your <html> element has no lang attribute, so assistive technology cannot tell what language the page is in. Add it at the top level — <html lang="en"> (use the correct BCP-47 code for your content). In Next.js set it on the <html> tag in app/layout.tsx or pages/_document; in most other frameworks it is a one-line change to the root HTML template. If parts of the page are in a different language, mark those elements with their own lang attribute too.
Frequently asked questions
- What does "The page does not declare a language" mean?
- The <html> element has no lang attribute.
- How serious is it?
- ShipReady rates this medium. Fix soon. Meaningfully weakens a defence or degrades how the site works.
- How common is this?
- Across the sites ShipReady has scanned where this check completed, 0% · n=32 · as of 15 September 2026.
- How do I fix it?
- Paste the fix prompt on this page into Cursor, Claude Code or your AI editor. It is the same prompt ShipReady puts in your report.
- Can I check my own site?
- Yes — ShipReady scans up to ten pages of any public site for free and reports this alongside every other check. The free report lists every issue it finds and shows full evidence and a fix prompt for the critical and high-severity ones; medium and low findings are counted and unlock on Pro.
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