Manage languages for catalogs

  • Updated

Optimizely Commerce Connect supports multiple languages for catalogs. Typically, a website has a default content language configured during installation. You can configure languages for catalog entry content, such as product (SKU) descriptions. This means that when you configure a language for a catalog, you define catalog entry descriptions in that language.

To work with multiple languages for Commerce Connect content, first enable the languages in the Optimizely Content Management System (CMS) admin and edit views. Next, language-specific fields display, ready for translation in the edit view; product descriptions that are not yet translated display empty on the front-end site.

Translating catalog content is similar to translating CMS content, such as pages and blocks. Optimizely uses specific language settings for catalogs, markets, and payment and shipping methods in Optimizely Commerce Connect.

Enable a language for catalog content

  1. Activate the language in the CMS admin and edit view, as described in Website languages. Enabling edit view lets editors translate content and makes the website's start page available in that content.
  2. Enable the language for the catalog to which you want to apply the new language:
    1. Open the catalog for which you want to add a language in the All properties editing view.

    2. Select the language under Available languages.

      Manage-languages-1.png
    3. Publish the catalog changes.

Translate content for catalogs

Commerce Connect lets you translate catalog content, whether in bulk or specific catalog entries.

Bulk translate content with Optimizely Opal

If you use Opti ID, administrators can turn off generative AI in the Opti ID Admin Center. See Turn generative AI off across Optimizely applications.

You can translate multiple catalog contents into multiple languages simultaneously in the background. The bulk translation lets you select which properties to translate.

An administrator must enable this feature after configuring Optimizely Opal. To enable languages for translation, see Enable a language for catalog content.

  1. Go to Catalogs and click More (...) > Translate for the catalog or category. You can also click More (...) > Translate from the content list. The bulk translation dialog displays.

    More menu - Translate.png

  2. Select the target languages, content types, and properties.

    Translate Category modal.png

  3. Click Continue. The Bulk Translation job runs in the background, and a message displays to notify you that the translation is in progress.  Click the Translation Job Page link if you want to view the status. You can also click More (...) > Translate Jobs.

    Translation jobs.png

The Translation Jobs page displays the status and history of all current and previous translation jobs. You can click Cancel on an ongoing job to cancel it.

Translation Jobs status page.png

Each job includes the following information:

  • Translation Name – The display name of the parent content.
  • Translation Type – The type of parent content, such as Catalog, Category, or Product.
  • Content Types – All the content types selected in the Translation dialog.
  • Source Language – The language of the original content.
  • Target Languages – The languages the translation job is translating to.
  • Created Date – When the user created the job.
  • Created By – Who created the job.
  • Status – Whether the job is Pending, Processing, Failed, Completed, Canceled, or Retrying.

Translate catalog entries with Optimizely Opal

If you use Opti ID, administrators can turn off generative AI in the Opti ID Admin Center. See Turn generative AI off across Optimizely applications.

An administrator must enable this feature after configuring Optimizely Opal.

Go to the Catalogs page. The Language selector displays the languages available for content creation.

Language.png

When you select an available language such as Swedish (svenska), the Add Translation dialog box displays.

Add translation dialog.png

You can use the Google Translate AI through Optimizely Opal to automatically translate your content clicking Translate.

Long description - EN.png
Long description - SV.png

The translated content is saved as a draft in the new language, which you can see in the Version gadget.

Always check the output of Opal to see if it translated correctly. It can assist you as you begin, but Opal can make mistakes. If you need to re-translate content, then run the translation again.

Translate catalog entries manually

  1. Go to Catalogs and select the catalog entry to translate in the catalog tree.
  2. Click Edit in the context menu for the selected entry, or select the entry to open the All Properties editing view.

  3. Select the desired language for translation. (Enabled languages are listed.)

    Manage-languages-2.png
  4. Edit the available properties, and follow the content publishing flow to save and publish the translated catalog entry information.

When you translate content, have the original content open in another browser window for comparison. You can also copy and paste the original content into the text area where you are working as a reference.

Switch language and view language versions

When you edit translated content in the All properties editing view, you can switch languages by selecting the desired language in the Header. The user interface reloads, displaying the content in the selected language. See Translate content.

Edit global properties

Depending on your implementation, some properties may be globally shared and you can edit only in the default language. See Translate content.

Set the user interface language

To set the user interface language for Catalogs and CMS:

  1. Select your user profile name.
  2. Click My Settings > Display Options tab.
  3. Select the language of your choice and click Save.

To set the user interface language for Commerce Manager:

  1. Click Change Language.
  2. Select the language and click OK.