In short. DuckDuckGo Region selects a preferred search region through kl, while Display Language changes interface text.
Definition: As of 17 October 2026, DuckDuckGo's Region setting changes the preferred region for search results, while Display Language changes the language of interface elements such as buttons, settings, and labels.
Key facts
- DuckDuckGo's URL parameter reference assigns
klto Region and lists language variants, includingca-frfor Canada (fr). - DuckDuckGo's English interface strings describe Display Language as changing the language of buttons, settings, and labels.
- DuckDuckGo's settings storage documentation explains how to display the current settings as a URL and save it as a bookmark.
What does each control change?
A region is a preference attached to search results. DuckDuckGo's interface descriptions distinguish that preference from Display Language, which concerns the text used to operate the search interface. For a website review, the region selection therefore records the search market preference; the display-language selection records the language of the controls.
DuckDuckGo's client-side settings code identifies kad as its language key. The public parameter reference omits a Display Language entry, so the settings-generated URL is the place to inspect the selected display-language value.
How does the region parameter work?
A URL parameter is a named value added to a web address. DuckDuckGo's parameter documentation places settings after the search query and identifies the region parameter as kl. The following URLs combine that documented format with values from its region list:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=search&kl=ca-en
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=search&kl=ca-fr
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=search&kl=wt-wt
The values select Canada, Canada (fr), and No region respectively. The language component belongs to the region choice: the same list also includes be-fr and be-nl for Belgium's French and Dutch variants. These are DuckDuckGo's listed values, so copying the relevant value from the reference avoids inventing a code from a country's name.
For a comparison of a website's search results, retaining the query and recording the kl value makes the chosen region explicit in the saved address.
How can settings be saved and checked?
DuckDuckGo's settings storage help explains that the settings page can expand a settings-data box containing the current preferences as a web address. A bookmark or homepage can preserve that address, with the preferences applied when searches start from it.
The same help page identifies cookie clearing and switching computers as reasons that saved preferences disappear. Starting from the saved settings URL provides a way to retain the chosen search preferences across those changes.
Related terms
FAQ
Which value selects the French variant for Canada?
You can use kl=ca-fr, which DuckDuckGo's region list labels Canada (fr). Display Language controls the interface text separately.
Why do my settings keep disappearing?
DuckDuckGo's settings help identifies cookie clearing or switching computers as causes. You can save the settings URL as a bookmark and begin searches from that address.
Is nearby-location search another control?
Yes. DuckDuckGo's local-results explanation describes an IP-based location estimate and a separate Use Location option for more accurate local results. You can also choose Set Location on Map.
Sources
- DuckDuckGo, "How To Use URL Parameters To Change Your DuckDuckGo Search Settings", undated
- DuckDuckGo, English interface strings, undated
- DuckDuckGo, client-side settings code, undated
- DuckDuckGo, "How DuckDuckGo Keeps Your Search Settings Anonymous", undated
- DuckDuckGo, "How DuckDuckGo Keeps Your Local Search Results Anonymous", undated
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