Plain Language presents a prepared alternative version of page content in a separate reading panel. It can help visitors who prefer shorter, more direct explanations or are less familiar with the language used on the original page.
The widget labels this tool Plain Language (A1–A2). The label identifies the intended content level; enabling the tool does not itself assess or certify the language level of a text.
Open the plain-language version
- Open the widget.
- Expand Helper.
- Select Plain Language (A1–A2).
- Wait for the content to load in the expanded panel.
Read the alternative in that panel. Close it using Close when you want to return to the widget and original page.
What the tool displays
The panel shows plain-language content prepared for the current page. It can include headings, paragraphs, and lists.
It does not replace the text on the website underneath the panel. This makes it possible to read an explanation and then return to the original page to continue a task.
Example
A registration page may contain a long explanation of the information required. Its prepared plain-language version could break this into short statements and a list of documents to have ready.
A visitor can read that explanation, close the panel, and complete the original form. The reading panel is not a replacement form and does not submit information for the visitor.
Plain Language and Easy Language
These names refer to different widget workflows:
- Plain Language opens prepared alternative content in a separate panel.
- Easy Language replaces matching passages within the existing page and can restore them afterward.
- Simplified Page presents extracted page content in a simpler layout.
Choose according to the result you want, not only the similarity of the names.
If content is unavailable
The panel can report that no plain-language content is available for the page yet. This means that opening the tool did not produce a usable alternative for that page; selecting it repeatedly does not create one.
A loading error is different from missing content. Retry after checking the connection, and contact the website team if the error continues.
For website owners
Enable the capability and prepare the alternative for the relevant page. Review it for accuracy and keep it aligned with changes to the original content.
See Using Easy Language and Reading in Simplified Page View for related reading support.