---
title: "Configuring Default Language for Embedded Walnut Demos & Playlists"
slug: "/help/playlists/default-language"
last_updated: "2026-04-15T23:02:08Z"
zendesk_id: 47302066241683
zendesk_url: "https://help.walnut.io/hc/en-us/articles/47302066241683-Configuring-Default-Language-for-Embedded-Walnut-Demos-Playlists"
locale: "en-us"
product: "playlists"
displayed_sidebar: "playlistsSidebar"
sidebar_position: 8
---

## **Overview**

Walnut supports multi-language demos through [**Guide Translations**](https://help.walnut.io/hc/en-us/articles/31655150176403), allowing you to deliver localized demo experiences to global audiences. When a demo is embedded, Walnut can automatically select the appropriate language based on the viewer’s browser settings, or you can explicitly set the default language using a URL parameter.

This guide outlines how language selection works for embedded Walnut demos and playlists, when to rely on automatic detection, and how to force a specific language using a URL parameter.

---

## **How Default Language Selection Works**

**Automatic Language Detection (Default Behavior)**

By default, Walnut automatically selects the demo language based on the viewer’s **browser locale** and **system language settings**.

-   If a matching guide translation is available and activated, Walnut serves that language.
-   If no matching translation exists, Walnut falls back to the demo’s primary (default) language.

This behavior requires no additional configuration and is recommended for most global or mixed-language audiences.

---

## **Force-Setting a Default Language with a URL Parameter**

If you need to control which language loads by default (for example, on a language-specific landing page or Help Center article), you can force the demo language using a URL parameter.

**URL Parameter Syntax**

```
&language=EN
```

**Key Requirements:**

-   The language must be **enabled** for the demo under **Guide Translations**.
-   Only languages that are already activated for the demo can be set via URL.
-   The language code in the URL must match the configured translation (for example: `EN`, `FR`, `DE`).

If the specified language is not enabled for the demo, Walnut will fall back to the demo’s default language.

**Example: Embedded Demo with Forced Language**

```
<iframe
  src="rc="https://app.teamwalnut.com/player/?demoId=5851928a-4e6b-49ce-b30a-f993c24ea780
  &showGuide=true&showGuidesToolbar=true&showHotspots=true
  &openGuidesToolbar=false&language=FR"
  width="100%"
  height="100%"
  frameborder="0"
  allowfullscreen>
`</iframe>`
```

In this example, the embedded demo will load in **French**, regardless of the viewer’s browser language, as long as French is enabled in the demo’s [Guide Translations](https://help.walnut.io/hc/en-us/articles/31655150176403).

---

## **ISO Language Codes**

Walnut uses **ISO 639-1 two-letter language codes** (for example `EN`, `FR`, `ES`) to identify and force the default language of embedded demos and playlists.

**Common ISO 639-1 Language Codes**

Below are examples of two-letter ISO language codes you can use with the `language=XX` parameter:

| Language | ISO 639-1 Code |
| --- | --- |
| English | `EN` |
| French | `FR` |
| Spanish | `ES` |
| German | `DE` |
| Portuguese | `PT` |
| Italian | `IT` |
| Chinese | `ZH` |
| Japanese | `JA` |
| Russian | `RU` |

This is not a complete list — there are over 180 ISO 639-1 codes defined for global languages. For the full list, see the official ISO 639 documentation or the [ISO 639 language codes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ISO_639_language_codes) reference. 

---

## **Using Language Parameters with Playlists**

When embedding a **playlist**, the same `language=XX` parameter applies **only** to the individual demos within the playlist.

-   Walnut will attempt to load each demo in the specified language.
-   If a demo in the playlist does not have that language enabled, it will fall back to its default language.

For consistent results, ensure all demos in the playlist have the same guide translations enabled and that any playlist-level content is authored in the desired language.

:::note[🌐 Note]

The language parameter does **not** change playlist-level content, including the playlist **welcome** **screen**, **playlist** **title**, or **thumbnail** **content**. These elements are displayed in the language in which they were originally created.

:::

---

## **When to Use Each Approach**

**Use Automatic Language Detection When:**

-   Serving global or mixed-language audiences
-   Embedding demos in shared or international environments
-   You want Walnut to dynamically serve the best-matched language

**Use the Language URL Parameter When:**

-   Embedding demos on language-specific pages
-   Running region- or language-targeted campaigns
-   Embedding demos in LMS or Help Center sections dedicated to a single language

---

## **Common Troubleshooting Tips**

-   **Language parameter not working:** Confirm the language is enabled under **Guide Translations** for the demo.
-   **Unexpected fallback language:** Verify the language code in the URL exactly matches the configured translation.
-   **Inconsistent playlist behavior:** Ensure all demos in the playlist have the same languages activated.

---

## **Related Resources**

-   [Guide Translations](https://help.walnut.io/hc/en-us/articles/31655150176403)
-   [Embed a Walnut Demo or Playlist](https://help.walnut.io/hc/en-us/articles/32071112651027)

---