---
title: Accept-Language
slug: Web/HTTP/Headers/Accept-Language
tags:
  - Accept-Language
  - Content Negotiation
  - HTTP
  - HTTP Header
  - Reference
  - Request header
browser-compat: http.headers.Accept-Language
---
{{HTTPSidebar}}

The **`Accept-Language`** request HTTP header indicates the natural language and locale that the client prefers.
The server uses [content negotiation](/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Content_negotiation) to select one of the proposals and informs the client of the choice with the {{HTTPHeader("Content-Language")}} response header. Browsers set required values for this header according to their active user interface language. Users rarely change it, and such changes are not recommended because they may lead to fingerprinting.

This header serves as a hint when the server cannot determine the target content language otherwise (for example, use a specific URL that depends on an explicit user decision). The server should never override an explicit user language choice. The content of `Accept-Language` is often out of a user's control (when traveling, for instance). A user may also want to visit a page in a language different from the user interface language.

The server possibly can send back a {{HTTPStatus("406")}} (Not Acceptable) error code when unable to serve content in a matching language. However, such a behavior is rarely implemented for a better user experience, and servers often ignore the `Accept-Language` header in such cases.

<table class="properties">
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <th scope="row">Header type</th>
      <td>{{Glossary("Request header")}}</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <th scope="row">{{Glossary("Forbidden header name")}}</th>
      <td>no</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <th scope="row">
        {{Glossary("CORS-safelisted request header")}}
      </th>
      <td>
        yes, with the additional restriction that values can only be
        <code>0-9</code>, <code>A-Z</code>, <code>a-z</code>, space or
        <code>*,-.;=</code>.
      </td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

## Syntax

```html
Accept-Language: <language>
Accept-Language: *

// Multiple types, weighted with the {{glossary("quality values", "quality value")}} syntax:
Accept-Language: fr-CH, fr;q=0.9, en;q=0.8, de;q=0.7, *;q=0.5
```

## Directives

- `<language>`
  - : A language tag (which is sometimes referred to as a "locale identifier"). This
    consists of a 2-3 letter base language tag that indicates a language, optionally
    followed by additional subtags separated by `'-'`. The most common extra
    information is the country or region variant (like `'en-US'` or
    `'fr-CA'`) or the type of alphabet to use (like `'sr-Latn'`).
    Other variants, like the type of orthography (`'de-DE-1996'`), are usually
    not used in the context of this header.
- `*`
  - : Any language; `'*'` is used as a wildcard.
- `;q=` (q-factor weighting)
  - : Any value placed in an order of preference expressed using a relative
    {{glossary("Quality values", "quality value")}} called _weight_.

## Examples

    Accept-Language: de

    Accept-Language: de-CH

    Accept-Language: en-US,en;q=0.5

## Specifications

{{Specifications}}

## Browser compatibility

{{Compat}}

## See also

- HTTP [content negotiation](/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Content_negotiation)
- A header with the result of the content negotiation:
  {{HTTPHeader("Content-Language")}}
- Other similar headers: {{HTTPHeader("TE")}}, {{HTTPHeader("Accept-Encoding")}}, {{HTTPHeader("Accept")}}
