By default, for most links DITA2Go omits the scope attribute of the generated DITA <xref> element, so that the value of the scope attribute defaults to local. However, for links that use a HyperLink PI marker, DITA2Go sets the <xref> scope to external.
Some applications, such as XMetaL, do not support the #IMPLIED default of <xref scope="local">. If you plan further DITA processing using such an application, you can instruct DITA2Go to always make this attribute value explicit:
[DITAOptions]
; UseLocalScope = No (default, omit scope attr from xref if not
; specified and href is not to a URL) or Yes (set scope="local" in
; those cases to satisfy applications (XMetaL) that do not respect
; #IMPLIED in the DTD).
UseLocalScope = Yes
To specify the scope attribute of an individual cross reference or hypertext link, insert a DITALinkScope PI marker in text just before the link. The content of the marker is the value of the scope attribute (usually peer) of the generated <xref> element.