Language variants

Language variants

Content items can have multiple language variants, with each content item identified by its title and codename. Content items don’t contain any content themselves. They are wrappers for language variants, even in projects with just one language. All language variants of a single content item share the following properties:

• Content item title – can only be changed in the default language variant
• Non-localizable elements – can only be changed in the default language variant

Other properties such as workflow information (this includes workflow, the current workflow step, assigned contributors, and due date), comments, and versions are saved for each language variant separately.

Translate a content item

Let’s see how you can translate a content item from English (United States) to English (United Kingdom). Because these two languages are similar, you can start copying the existing content from the original version to save time. To create a new language variant of an existing content item:

1. In  Content & assets, choose the English (US) language using the language switcher.
2. Open a content item.
3. Change the language variant to English (UK) using the language switcher.
4. Click  More actions.
5. Choose Copy from language.
6. Choose English (US) (Default).

You can also click the Translate with AI or Copy from language button in the banner at the top of the screen. You’ll see this banner only once, right after creating the new variant. Now, continue localizing your content. With the original texts in place, you can adjust the words to match the other variants of English.

View localizations of linked content

With fallbacks for linked content, you can view available localizations of your linked items whenever you’re working on content items.

Delete language variants

You can only delete variants that haven’t been published. To delete one or more translated content items:

1. In Content & assets, choose a language variant using the language switcher in the upper right of the screen.
2. Select content items using the checkboxes on the left.
3. Click  More actions.
4. Choose Delete.
5. In the confirmation popup, click Delete language variants.

The selected items' language variants of the selected items are deleted. If these content items have no content in other language variants, the content items are deleted as well. After you delete a translated language variant, this item’s status becomes Not translated.

Switch languages in the content list

Once you configure languages, you can choose a language variant for your content in the content list or when editing a content item. To switch to a different language in the content list, click the language switcher in the top-right corner and select a language.

Switch languages while editing content

To change the language variant of the content item you are currently editing, use the language switcher in the top right.