How to fix html has lang on BigCommerce
Add a valid `lang` attribute to the `<html>` element so browsers and assistive technologies know what language your page is written in.
Steps for BigCommerce
- In your BigCommerce admin, go to Storefront → My Themes.
- Next to your active theme click Advanced → Edit Theme Files (or download the theme to edit locally).
- Open `templates/layout/base.html` (Cornerstone theme) — this is the root layout containing the `<html>` tag.
- BigCommerce's Cornerstone theme uses Handlebars: the tag should read `<html lang="{{locale_name}}">`. If the `lang` attribute is absent or hard-coded, add the Handlebars variable: `<html lang="{{locale_name}}">` to make it dynamic.
- Save and upload (or push via Stencil CLI), then verify via View Source.
- The active storefront language is configured under Settings → Store Profile → Default Language.
<html lang="en">What is html has lang?
Every web page starts with an `<html>` tag. The `lang` attribute on that tag (e.g., `<html lang="en">`) declares the primary human language of the page's content. Without it, screen readers, browsers, and translation tools have to guess the language — and they often guess wrong. This is a WCAG 2 Success Criterion 3.1.1 ("Language of Page") requirement, meaning it is part of an internationally recognised accessibility standard.
Screen readers use the `lang` attribute to select the correct voice engine and pronunciation rules — a missing or wrong value means a visually impaired customer hears your product descriptions read aloud in the wrong accent or language, making your store unusable for them. Failing WCAG 3.1.1 is an accessibility violation that can expose your business to legal risk under laws such as the ADA (US), the European Accessibility Act (EU), and the Equality Act (UK). Search engines also use the declared language to correctly index and serve your pages in the right regional search results, so a missing `lang` can quietly hurt your international organic traffic. It is also one of the fastest accessibility wins available — a one-line change that immediately satisfies a legal compliance checkpoint.
See the complete Html has lang guide for every platform and the full background.
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