Businesses that sell or advertise in Quebec
Your entire website must be available in French
In 2025-2026, a third of the complaints received by the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) involved commercial materials, including websites and social media. We review your site page by page, right down to the automated emails, and give you a list of what doesn’t comply, with French text for short items. $950 per site.
The rule
Catalogues, brochures, flyers, websites and other commercial materials offered to the public must be in French. Another language may be added, as long as the French version is available on terms at least as favourable (Charter of the French Language, s. 52).
In practice, an English version must not be more complete, more current or easier to find than the French one.
Sources (in French): Government of Quebec, business obligations, Government of Quebec, 2025-2026 complaints.
What we review
- Pages, menus, buttons, error messages and image alt text.
- Forms, the shopping cart, terms of sale and the return policy.
- Automated emails: order confirmations, invoices, receipts, shipping notices and password resets.
- Downloadable PDFs: spec sheets, catalogues and guides.
- Commercial posts on social media.
What you receive
- A prioritized report of every non-compliant item, with its address and the applicable rule.
- French text for short items (menus, buttons, messages), ready to publish.
- A fixed-price quote for translating longer pages and documents, with no obligation to accept it.
Out of scope. The report covers the Charter’s language requirements. It is not legal advice, and it does not cover your other online obligations.
Pricing
Every service has a published price. Scope, deliverables, timeline and price are confirmed in writing before we start. Not sure where to begin? That’s what the free 30-minute call is for.
Prices in Canadian dollars, plus applicable taxes. A 50% deposit is due when the project starts and the balance on delivery; certified translations are paid in full when ordered. Translating a full website or a set of documents is quoted at a fixed price after the review. We don’t bill by the hour.
Frequently asked questions
Our site is already translated. Why have it reviewed?
Because translation rarely covers the whole site. Complaints often target what gets missed: menus, forms, error messages, confirmation emails, invoices, downloadable PDFs, terms of sale and social media posts.
Can we keep an English version?
Yes. The French version must be available on terms at least as favourable. An English version can exist, but it can’t be more complete, more current or easier to reach than the French one.
Does this include our social media?
Yes, for commercial posts. The OQLF treats commercial posts on Facebook and Instagram as commercial materials covered by section 52 of the Charter.
Do you handle the translation too?
Yes. The review gives you an exact list of what’s missing. We then quote a fixed price for the French version. You can accept it, or have someone else do the work.
Which website should we review?
Send us the site address, the approximate number of pages and your social media accounts. We’ll confirm the price and turnaround.