Quebec French language website rules

Quebec French language website rules come from the Charter of the French Language, strengthened in 2022 by Bill 96. In plain terms: if your business operates in Quebec, its commercial website is expected to be available in French, and if you also publish in English or another language, the French version should be at least as available and complete. Customers in Quebec also have a right to be informed and served in French.

I build websites and run marketing in English; I don't write or translate French, and I am not a lawyer. What follows is a practical overview of how these rules usually play out on business websites. The Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) publishes official guidance, and for legal certainty about your situation, please check with a lawyer who practises in Quebec.

Who the rules apply to

The Charter applies to businesses carrying on business in Quebec. That clearly includes companies with an office, store or staff in the province. It can also matter for businesses elsewhere in Canada that actively sell to Quebec consumers, although how far the rules reach in that case is a legal question that depends on the facts.

What "at least as available" means in practice

Bill 96 reinforced the idea that French must not be second-class. On a website, that usually translates into a few practical expectations:

• The French version is complete. Not just the homepage in French and the rest in English. Service pages, prices, terms and contact information should all exist in French.
• French is easy to reach. A visitor should not have to hunt for the French version. Many Quebec businesses show French by default, with a clear switch to English.
• French content is as current as the English. If you update a price or add a service in English, the French page gets the same update at the same time.
• Transactional parts are in French. Order forms, checkout, contracts of adhesion and confirmation emails are typical examples where French is expected.
• Customer service is available in French. Including chat, email replies and phone support, where you offer them.

Related rules cover product labels, packaging, signage and trademarks, which recently changed for outdoor signs. Those are outside the scope of a website article, but worth checking if you sell physical products in Quebec.

Other Quebec rules that touch your website

The French language is not the only Quebec-specific rule for websites:

• Quebec Law 25 sets strict rules for personal information, including consent for cookies and tracking, a person responsible for privacy and a clear privacy policy. Your consent banner and privacy policy must be available in French too. More in the article on Quebec Law 25.
• Francization. Businesses in Quebec with 25 or more employees have registration and francization obligations with the OQLF. That concerns the workplace more than the website, but it often comes up at the same time.
• Consumer protection rules in Quebec include their own requirements for online contracts and advertising.

Common mistakes on bilingual websites

From what I see on Canadian sites, these come up again and again:

1. Machine translation published as is. Automatic translation has improved, but unreviewed text often reads awkwardly, uses France French terms that sound odd in Quebec, or gets technical words wrong. A native Quebec French reviewer is worth the cost.
2. A French version that lags behind. Prices updated in English only, new services missing in French.
3. Mixed languages on one page. French headings with English buttons, or an English form inside a French page.
4. One address for both languages with a script switching text. This makes it hard for Google to index each version. Separate addresses per language work better for SEO.
5. No hreflang tags. These tell search engines which page is the French or English equivalent. The article on bilingual SEO covers this in detail.
6. Forgetting emails and documents. The website is in French, but the automatic confirmation email and the PDF quote arrive in English.

How to plan a bilingual website properly

A bilingual site is closer to two sites than to one site with a toggle. Whoever builds and writes it, plan it that way:

• Structure. Separate URLs per language, for example /fr/ and /en/, with matching pages linked to each other.
• Copy. Written or adapted by someone fluent in Quebec French, not simply translated word for word. Keywords people search in French are not always direct translations of English ones.
• Edit panel. Each piece of content should have a French and English field side by side, so nobody forgets to update one of them.
• Forms and emails. Labels, error messages, confirmations and automatic replies in the visitor's language.
• Analytics and ads. Separate campaigns or ad groups per language, with landing pages in the matching language.

Where my work fits

To be clear about my side: I work in English. I don't write, translate or review French copy, and I don't build French or bilingual versions of websites. If your business operates in Quebec, the French site and French materials need to come from your own team, your translator or a provider who works in French, and given the Charter, that is the part to sort out first.

Where I can help is English-language marketing for customers outside Quebec. A business website in English starts at $3,000 in Canadian dollars. If you also operate in Quebec, have the French side settled before any English site goes live there, so French is never the less available version.

Beyond compliance: French as a growth channel

Even outside Quebec, French can be a commercial advantage. Customers in Ottawa–Gatineau, Moncton, Saint-Boniface in Winnipeg and many other communities appreciate being addressed in their language, and competition for French searches is often lighter. The article on English and French bilingual marketing looks at when it pays off and what to prepare with your translator.

If you are planning a Quebec launch, start with your lawyer and your French-language team. If you also need English-language marketing for customers elsewhere in Canada, send me a short brief. I'll outline the work involved, and the first 30-minute consultation is free.