Bilingual Welsh and English websites, done properly

A properly bilingual website gives every page its own Welsh and English address, has a language switch that takes you to the same page in the other language, tells Google how the versions relate using hreflang, and uses human-written or human-checked Welsh.

Give each language its own address

Each page should exist at its own URL in each language, for example /cy/amdanom and /about. That lets Google index both versions, lets people share a link in the language they read, and stops one language overwriting the other.

A language switch that keeps your place

The switch should take you to the same page in the other language, not back to the home page. Put it in the same place on every page and label it in the language you're switching to: Cymraeg / English. This site works that way: try the switch at the top of this page.

Tell Google how the pages relate

• Set the page language correctly (lang="cy" or lang="en") so screen readers pronounce it properly.
• Add hreflang links between each pair of pages so Google shows Welsh results to Welsh searchers.
• Write separate page titles and descriptions in each language, not one translated mechanically.

Translation: people first

Machine translation has improved, but for anything public-facing, a human translator or a fluent member of your team should write or check the Welsh. Readers notice, and for councils and public bodies it reflects on the organisation.

Why it's worth it

The 2021 Census recorded around 538,000 Welsh speakers aged three and over, about 18% of the population of Wales, and Welsh Government's Cymraeg 2050 strategy aims for a million. In many North Wales communities the proportion is far higher. A bilingual site serves those customers and residents in their own language, and Welsh-language pages often face much less search competition.

Some public bodies are bound by Welsh Language Standards or a Welsh Language Scheme. Check which applies to your organisation before you plan the site. Community councils with a Welsh Language Scheme should publish bilingually online too.