Building a Bilingual Website: Quebec Bill 96 Requirements

Quebec's Bill 96 (An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec) strengthened the province's language requirements significantly. If your business operates in Quebec or serves Quebec consumers, understanding these requirements is critical for your website.

What Is Bill 96?

Bill 96, which came into force in stages starting June 2022, amends Quebec's Charter of the French Language. It reinforces French as the official language of the province and imposes new obligations on businesses regarding language use — including in their digital presence.

The law aims to ensure that French remains the predominant language of commerce, communication, and public services in Quebec.

How Bill 96 Affects Business Websites

For businesses in Quebec, several website-related requirements deserve attention:

• French prominence — Commercial content must be available in French, and French should be at least as prominent as any other language
• Consumer-facing content — Product descriptions, service information, terms and conditions, and other consumer-facing content should be available in French
• Inscriptions on products — If your website displays product information, French must be present and at least as prominent as other languages
• Customer communications — Any automated emails, notifications, or digital communications to Quebec consumers should default to French unless the consumer has explicitly chosen another language

Building a Compliant Bilingual Website

A well-built bilingual website can serve both English and French-speaking customers while meeting regulatory requirements. Here's how:

French-First Architecture

For Quebec-based businesses, consider making French your website's default language. Visitors from Quebec should see the French version first, with a clear option to switch to English. This can be achieved through geo-detection or locale-based routing.

Complete Translation, Not Partial

Avoid having some pages only in English. Every page accessible to consumers — from your homepage to your checkout process — should have a complete French equivalent. Partial translation can create both compliance risks and a poor user experience.

Consistent Language Switching

Provide a language toggle that is easily accessible on every page. When a user switches languages, they should land on the equivalent page in the other language, not be redirected to a generic homepage.

SEO for Both Languages

Implement proper hreflang tags to help search engines understand the relationship between your French and English pages. This improves discoverability for both language audiences and prevents duplicate content issues.

Technical Best Practices

• Use URL-based locale routing (e.g., /fr-CA/ and /en/) rather than cookie-based language detection alone
• Implement hreflang link elements on every page for proper search engine indexing
• Ensure all form labels, error messages, and UI elements are translated — not just page content
• Consider culturally appropriate imagery and references for each language version
• Test the full user journey in both languages, including checkout, email confirmations, and error states

Beyond Compliance: The Business Case

A well-executed bilingual website isn't just about meeting legal requirements — it's good business. Quebec has over 8.5 million residents, and French-speaking Canadians often prefer to do business with companies that serve them in their language. A quality French experience can be a significant competitive advantage.