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Translate content items

Jan Cerman
3 min read
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With localization configured for your project, you can start translating content items to other languages. See how to add project languages for more details if you haven't set up your project languages yet.

Table of contents

    Language variants

    Depending on the number of languages defined for the project, 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 serve as 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 with copying existing content over 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) project 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 Copy from language button shown in the banner at the top of the screen. You'll see this banner only once, right after creating the new variant.

    Showing how to copy content from another language.

    Now, continue localizing your content. With the original texts in place, you can adjust the words to match the other variant of English.

    Opening untranslated items

    When you open an untranslated content item, Kontent.ai automatically creates a new draft of the content item with empty elements, removing its "Not translated" status.

    Delete language variants

    You can only delete variants that aren't 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.
    Deleting multiple items in the content list.

    The language variants of the selected items are now deleted. If these content items have no content in other language variants, the entire items are deleted.

    After you delete a translated language variant, this item's status in the language becomes Not translated.

    What's next?