SEOLow

Missing lang attribute on HTML tag

The <html> tag does not have a lang attribute. Browsers, screen readers and search engines do not know the language of the content.

Why it matters

Google may misidentify the target language and serve your page to the wrong users. Screen readers use this attribute to select the synthesis voice.

How to fix

  1. 1

    WordPress handles this automatically

    WordPress adds the lang attribute via the language_attributes() function. If it is absent, verify that your theme calls this function in the header.php template.

    php
    <!DOCTYPE html>
<html <?php language_attributes(); ?>>
  2. 2

    Set the language in Settings

    Dashboard → Settings → General → "Site Language". Select your language. WordPress will automatically update the lang attribute.

Related articles

SEOMissing viewport tagAccessibilityMissing or incorrect ARIA attributes

Ready to fix this issue on your site?

Audit my site for free →