Add and Manage Multiple Languages

Limitations and Considerations

• Personalization Rules.
• Blog Posts.
• Page SEO titles, descriptions, and keywords are not automatically translated, however you can manually translate them. These fields are important for SEO, so make sure you translate them manually for each language. For more information on page information, see Page SEO.
• Alt-text (on images).
• Dynamic business content. Text connected via Connect Data will not be automatically translated. To translate this text, disconnect the widgets from the Content Library and translate them manually.
• Language flag. The language flag cannot be changed directly. To use a different flag, you must delete the current language and add the language with the desired flag.
• Google Calendar widget cannot be translated. The calendar structure, including months and days, will remain in the site's default language. Ensure that the selected calendar appears in the language specified in its Google Calendar settings.
• Adding external links to navigation. Once you add a language to a site, you cannot add external links to the navigation.

• The total number of pages a site with multiple languages can have is around 200, so if a site has 100 pages, only a single language can be added.
• Adding multiple languages to your site can enhance its accessibility, but it's crucial to be cautious about the quantity. Excessive languages may lead to the following:
  • Performance Impact: Too many languages might slow down your site and affect user experience.
  • Possible Errors: Such as editor error messages, page rendering issues, and/or broken links.
  • Maintenance Challenges: Managing content for numerous languages can be time-consuming.
• The language flag cannot be changed directly. To use a different flag, you must delete the current language and add the language with the desired flag.
• By default, the multi-language feature uses Google Translate to automatically translate your site content into the new language. While this service is free, Google Translate may not always provide the most accurate translations. Therefore, it's important to review and edit the translated content on your site. If you prefer to manually translate your entire site, disable the Use automatic translation toggle when adding languages. Note that once languages are added, automatic translation cannot be undone.

Add a New Language

Warning

Once a site has been translated, any content added to a specific language version will not sync with other language versions. Therefore, we recommend adding multiple languages as the final step, once you have finished building your site.

If you need to make updates after translation, refer to the Re-translate a Page section of this article for instructions.

1. In the side panel, click SEO & Settings and then click Site Languages. Or, if you already have additional languages enabled, click the flag icon on the top navigation bar and click Manage Languages.
2. Click + Add language, and choose one or more languages from the available options. Please note that some languages may have multiple country flags (e.g., Spanish).
3. Click Done when finished.

4. (Optional) By default, the Use automatic translation toggle is on. Automatic translation uses Google Translate to automatically translate your site content. While this service is free, Google Translate may not always provide the most accurate translations.

   If you prefer to manually translate your entire site, disable the Use automatic translation toggle when adding languages. Note that once languages are added, automatic translation cannot be undone.

5. Click Save.
6. This step is dependent on which editor the site is using:

   • Classic Editor: A new row with the language selector widget will appear at the top of the site, and you will be prompted to position it. Ensure that you review the position on all devices.

     After clicking Done, the new languages will be added to the site. Any changes made to the location or design of the selector must be applied separately to each language.

     Note

     On mobile, the widget will be located in the expandable menu rather than the header.

   • Editor 2.0: The language selector widget will be added to the header along with the new languages. No further action is needed, unless you would like to customize the widget or its location.
7. The language selector widget will be added to the header along with the new languages. No further action is needed, unless you would like to customize the widget or its location.

Note

Any changes made to the location or design of the language selector widget must be applied separately to each language.

Edit Site in Added Languages

Manage Languages

1. In the side panel, click SEO & Settings and then click Site Languages.
2. Click Manage Languages.
3. The following options are available:
   • Disable languages. To disable a language, toggle the switch next to the language.
   • Delete languages. Click the X next to the toggle and then click Delete to confirm.
   • Add additional languages. Click + Add Language
   • Change default language. Open the dropdown menu next to the default language and select a new default. Only previously added languages appear in the dropdown.
     • If a secondary language does not have the same pages as the default language, you cannot switch the default language to the secondary language.

Note

If you update the default language, the following will also update to reflect the new default language:

Language Selector Widget

To access the design editor, right-click the element, and click Edit Design. Or if you are in flex mode or Editor 2.0, select Edit Design from the floating menu to open the design panel. Click the element to open the floating menu, then click the option to edit design.

Re-translate a Page

1. In the side panel, click Pages.
2. Click the gear icon next to the desired page and select Redo Translations. If you are updating from a secondary language, the button copy is Update this Translation.
3. Confirm that you want to proceed.

Add Pages and Popups to Existing Languages

Note

Personalization rules are not supported in Multi-Language sites.

1. Add the page to the default language and configure the design and content as desired.
2. Once the page is complete, switch to each of the site's languages separately.
3. In the side panel, click Pages.
4. Click into the drop down menu at the top (it should say Translate another page) and select the page you want to translate.

Multi-Language Sites with Stores

Dynamic Pages on Multi-Language Sites

• Dynamic Pages on multi-language sites are managed from the primary language.
• Creating a dynamic page or converting a regular page to dynamic is only available form the primary language.
• Converting a dynamic page to a regular page from the primary language converts all pages to regular pages on all languages.
• Converting a dynamic page to a regular page from a language other than the primary one only affects the specific language page.

1. Add a dynamic page or convert a page to dynamic on the primary language. After connecting all the widgets, add that page to the other languages by clicking Translate in the settings menu, or by going to the other languages and clicking Translate Another Page on each one.
2. This will add the dynamic page to the other languages, but it will remain connected to the same collection. Click the settings icon and select Replace Collection. This allows you to replace the connected collection but keep all the fields connected.

Multilanguage FAQs and Troubleshooting