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Brief a Language Switcher Without Making False Promises
Map locales, labels, missing translations, route behavior, and review evidence for a language selector.
**Published: September 9, 2026**
A language selector is a route system, not a row of flags. It must tell the truth about which content exists and where a visitor will arrive.
Build a locale matrix
List each supported language, native label, language code, default route, translated templates, and content owner. Distinguish a regional market from a language. Decide what happens when the equivalent page has not been translated.
Preserve the visitor's task
Where possible, switch to the matching page rather than the localized homepage. Mark the current choice and keep the control operable by keyboard. Do not use a flag as the only language label.
Follow every destination
Test representative articles, forms, errors, and missing translations. Compare document language, heading, canonical and alternate metadata, selected state, and navigation. Record fallbacks explicitly instead of silently presenting mixed-language content.
Further reading
Related Articles
Language navigation should follow the approved route and content inventory.