Should I use separate subfolders for countries that speak the same language (e.g., Germany, Austria, Switzerland)

 It depends on the purpose of your folder structure, but here are the key considerations to help you decide:

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✅ Use Separate Subfolders (Recommended when...)

1. Country-Specific Content or Legal Differences Matter:

   • If the same language is used in multiple countries but the content, regulations, prices, or cultural preferences differ.

   • E.g., marketing materials, legal disclaimers, currency, or product availability might vary.

2. You Want to Scale or Localize Precisely:

   • Having de-DE, de-AT, and de-CH folders allows you to expand or tweak per market easily in the future.

3. Analytics or Reporting by Country is Important:

   • Keeping country-specific content in separate folders enables easier tracking (e.g., in Google Analytics or CMS logs).

4. You Work with Local Teams or Vendors:

   • Separate folders make collaboration cleaner for teams focused on a specific country.

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❌ Use One Folder (Shared Language Folder, e.g., /de/) if...

1. Content is Identical Across Countries:

   • If you don't plan to differentiate the experience or offerings between Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

2. You Want to Simplify Maintenance:

   • One version is easier to manage if localization is not a priority.

3. SEO Doesn’t Require Regional Targeting:

   • If search engines or ad targeting don’t need to distinguish between countries.

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🌍 Example Structure Comparison:

Separate:

bash
/de-DE/
/de-AT/
/de-CH/

Shared:

bash
/de/