Set the Default Language of a Demo

Updated April 13, 2026 21:23

Overview

If your demo includes translated guide content, Walnut lets you control which language viewers see first when they open the shared demo.

This makes it easier to deliver a cleaner, more intentional experience for regional audiences, multilingual stakeholders, and global teams without asking viewers to switch languages manually after launch.

In practice, this workflow has two parts:

Add and manage translated languages in Guides translation
Choose the viewer-facing default in Create & Share demo under View settings

Setting a default language helps you share demos that open in the right experience from the first click, which is especially helpful for global rollouts, embedded demo experiences, and customer-facing content that needs to feel polished across regions.

Quick Start

To set the default language of a demo:

Add at least one additional language in the Guides Translation section of the Guides panel in your template
Click Create & Share demo
Go to View settings
Select the desired default language in the Demo language dropdown
Click Save & Copy demo link

If None (Default) is selected, Walnut automatically serves the best-matched available language based on the viewer’s browser and system language settings, falling back to the demo’s primary language when no match exists. Learn more in How Default Demo Language Works.

How Default Demo Language Works

The Demo language setting in Create & Share demo pulls from the translated languages that have already been added to the demo.

In other words, the share settings do not create translations on their own. They simply let you choose from the languages that are already available in the demo’s translation setup.

What this means in practice:

If a translated language has been added in Guides translation, it can appear as an option in the Demo language dropdown.
If a language has not been added there yet, it will not be available at share time.
If no language is selected, the demo remains on None (Default).

Default Translation Behavior

By default, Walnut can automatically select the best-matched translated language based on the viewer’s browser locale and system language settings.

If a matching guide translation is available and active, Walnut will serve that language. If no matching translation exists, Walnut falls back to the demo’s primary default language.

The default behavior works like this:

Walnut checks the viewer’s browser and system language settings
If a matching activated translation exists, Walnut loads that version
If no match is found, Walnut falls back to the demo’s primary language

Best practice:
Automatic language detection is usually the best fit for global or mixed-language audiences. If you need a demo to always open in one specific language, such as on a region-specific landing page or Help Center article, use the share setting or embed configuration intentionally.

Before You Start

Before setting a default language for your demo, make sure the translation itself has already been added.

You’ll want to confirm:

The demo already includes translated guide content
The language you want has been added in Guides translation
You are ready to save and copy a share link using the intended viewer settings

Note:
Basic Guides Translation includes up to three languages. Teams that need unlimited translations can explore Walnut’s expanded translation add-on. To enable additional language coverage beyond the standard package, please contact Walnut Support or your CSM.

Add Translation Languages in Guides

Start in the Guides panel of the demo editor (template). This is where you define the source language and add the additional languages you want to make available for the demo.

To add a language:

Open the Guides panel in the demo editor (template)
Click the globe icon to open Guides Translation
Confirm the Source language. This is the language you compose your guides in, and it serves as the base for all other translations.
Under Additional languages, search for the language you want to add
Select the language from the list to activate it

Before any languages are added, the Additional languages section will appear empty.

Guides translation panel before any additional languages have been added.

Once you search and select a language, it becomes active for that demo and can then be used in the Demo language menu during sharing.

You can also enable Let Users To Pick A Language if you want viewers to be able to switch between available languages on their own.

Tip:
Languages activated here become available in the Demo language dropdown in Create & Share demo.

Set the Default Language in Create & Share Demo

Once you’ve added at least one language in Guides Translation, click Create & Share demo and go to View settings.

This is where you control the viewer-facing experience, including whether guides appear and which language the demo should open in by default.

Under Demo language, open the dropdown and select the language you want the demo to open in by default. Languages activated in Guides Translation will appear in this menu.

Create and Share demo window showing the Save and Copy demo link button.

After selecting an option, click Save & Copy demo link to save your demo.

Note:
This setting applies only to this specific demo and can be updated in View settings for both new and existing demos. If you change this setting for an existing demo, just click Save & Copy demo link and the changes will automatically push to the live demo. The URL will not change. To make language-specific demos easier to track, consider using a simple naming convention such as Meet Crunchy AI (FR).

What Happens If No Language Is Selected

If you do not choose a translated language in the share settings, the demo will remain on None (Default).

That means the demo will open using its default setup rather than forcing one of the added translated options at launch.

Create and Share demo screen showing Demo language set to None Default.

This can be useful when you want the demo to remain in its original state, or when you prefer viewers to choose from the available translated options themselves.

What Viewers Will See

When a default language is selected, viewers who open that demo link will land directly in that language.

If Let Users To Pick A Language is enabled in the translation settings, viewers can still switch between available languages after the demo loads.

Why this matters:
This configuration gives you flexibility to create a more localized first-touch experience while still supporting multilingual exploration when the audience includes multiple stakeholders or regions.

Best Practices

The strongest results usually come from pairing language settings with a broader sharing and localization strategy.

Recommended approach:

Add translations first, then configure sharing. The default language dropdown depends on what has already been added in Guides Translation.
Use automatic detection for mixed-language audiences. When you want Walnut to serve the closest available language based on the viewer’s environment, the default behavior is usually the simplest option.
If your demo is embedded on a language-specific product page or site version, set a default language so the experience aligns with the page your viewer is already on.
Use viewer language selection when flexibility matters. This is especially helpful for shared links, embedded demos, and multi-stakeholder journeys.
Pair language settings with accessibility and embed strategy. For broader audience reach, combine translations with accessibility-conscious guide design and thoughtful embedded demo placement. Learn more: Win With Embedded Demos: Drive Engagement, Accessibility, and Discoverability.

Related Resources

Looking to go deeper on localization, accessibility, and embedded experiences? Explore these guides: