The
search_language_filter parameter allows you to filter search results by language using ISO 639-1 language codes. Only results in the specified languages will be returned.Language codes must be valid 2-letter ISO 639-1 codes (e.g., “en”, “ru”, “fr”). You can filter by up to 10 languages per request.
Overview
The language filter for the Search API allows you to control which search results are returned by limiting them to specific languages. This is particularly useful when you need to:- Search for content in specific languages
- Conduct multilingual research across multiple languages
- Focus on regional content in local languages
- Build language-specific applications or features
search_language_filter parameter accepts an array of ISO 639-1 language codes and returns only results that match those languages.
To filter search results by language:
Examples
1. Single Language Filter This example limits search results to English language content only. Request ExampleParameter Reference
search_language_filter
- Type: Array of strings
- Format: ISO 639-1 language codes (2 lowercase letters)
- Description: Filters search results to only include content in the specified languages
- Optional: Yes
- Maximum: 10 language codes per request
- Example:
"search_language_filter": ["en", "fr", "de"]
Common Language Codes
Here’s a comprehensive list of frequently used ISO 639-1 language codes:Best Practices
Language Code Validation
- Use Valid Codes: Always use valid 2-letter ISO 639-1 codes. Invalid codes will result in an API error.
- Lowercase Only: Language codes must be lowercase (e.g., “en” not “EN”).
- Client-Side Validation: Validate language codes on the client side using a regex pattern:
Strategic Language Selection
- Be Specific: Choose languages that are most relevant to your research or application needs.
- Consider Your Audience: Select languages that match your target audience’s preferences.
- Regional Relevance: Combine language filters with geographic filters (
countryparameter) for better regional targeting. - Content Availability: Some topics may have limited content in certain languages. Start broad and narrow down as needed.
Performance Considerations
- Filter Size: While you can specify up to 10 languages, using fewer languages may improve response times.
- Result Quality: More languages mean a broader search scope, which can dilute result relevance. Be strategic about which languages to include.
- Combination Effects: Language filters combined with other restrictive filters (domain, date) may significantly reduce the number of results.