Overview
PIM integrates multi-language capabilities directly into all areas that manage customer facing data. Languages must first be enabled in Commerce and then synced to PIM. Administrators can then choose to enable any of the available non-default languages in PIM. Once multi-language is enabled, users can export existing information for translation, and then easily import the translated data back into PIM.
Best Practices
Properties with a defined list of values (dropdown, radio button, or multi-select) should be exported and translated at the property level. Such properties do not show up in the product export for translation because the translated value is known based on the value selected for the default language. Properties with unique values per product (text field, text area, HTML) should be exported and translated at the product level.
Use Case
Before Carrie can export data for translation, she needs to ensure multi-language is enabled in Commerce and synced to PIM. This determines the languages available for multi-language in PIM.
Once that is confirmed, Carrie goes to Configure > Settings and enables ES for Spanish. Now, she needs to determine which properties require translation and selects the Multi-language checkbox for each applicable property. She navigates to Configure > Properties and updates the following properties:
- Product Title
- Description
- Features
- Finish
- Faucet Type
- Faucet Handle Type
- Faucet Installation Type
Carrie selects her multi-language properties and then clicks the Export icon and selects Export for Translation. In the window that opens, she selects Properties and a Target Language of ES, and then downloads the export file when it is ready. Next, she repeats the process but selects Property Values to get the list of predefined values that need to be translated for Finish, Faucet Type, Faucet Handle Type, and Faucet Installation Type.
Now, she navigates to the Categories page and selects the following categories for translation: Plumbing, Faucet, Kitchen, and Bathroom. She clicks the Export icon and selects Export for Translation. In the window that opens, she selects a Target Language of ES, and then downloads the export file when it is ready.
Carrie navigates to the Assets page and locates her Kitchen Faucets asset folder. She clicks the Export icon and selects Export for Translation. In the window that opens, she selects a Target Language of ES, and then downloads the export file when it is ready. Next, she repeats the process for her Bathroom faucet assets.
On the Products page, Carrie locates her faucet products. She clicks the Export icon and selects Export for Translation. In the window that opens, she selects a Target Language of ES, and then downloads the export file when it is ready.
Carrie compiles all her export files and sends them to a translation service that will handle all the Spanish translations. Once they have been translated, she can import the translated files back into PIM on the Imports page.
Enabling multi-language
Multi-language must first be enabled in Commerce and then synced to PIM before the following steps can be completed.
- On the Configure page, click the Settings tab.
- Use the Enable toggle in the Multi-Language Options table for each language option you wish to enable in PIM. The enabled languages display in the language drop-down list on various pages.
The default language is defined in Commerce and cannot be toggled in PIM.
Configure multi-language properties
Properties whose control type are not number, date picker, date/time picker, or Boolean can be marked as multi-language. Multi-language properties display on relevant screens when a non-default language is selected and can be exported for translation.
- On the Configure page in the Properties tab, locate the property you wish to identify as multi-language.
- Click the property name.
- On the Property detail page, select the Multi language checkbox.
- Click Save.
Enter values for multi-language properties
You can select a language and enter translations directly into Updated the property value tab to allow selecting a language and entering translations directly in the list.
- On the Configure page, click the Properties tab.
- Click the name of the multi-language property on the list for which you want to add a translation.
- Click the Values tab.
- Select a non-default language from the dropdown menu.
- Enter translation(s) for the value(s) that appear on the list.
- Click Save.
When you translate property values, any published products with the value that was translated will have their status updated to approved so that the translation updates in Commerce the next time products are published.
Edit property Display Name for multiple languages
You can enter the Display Name for properties in each language when editing a property record.
- On the Configure page Properties tab, click the property Name for the multi-language property for which you want to add display names.
- On the Property detail page, use the language dropdown menu below the Details tab to select the desired enabled language.
- Enter the display name for the selected language.
With a non-default language selected, all fields other than the Display Name will be hidden. The default language Display Name appears on the left and the Display Name field for the selected language appears on the right.
Multi-language properties and product completeness
When multiple languages are enabled, product completeness depends on how properties are marked on the Multi-language Options table in Configure > Settings.
For example, consider a case where English (EN) is the default language and French (FR) is an enabled secondary language.
If FR is set to:
- None: products can be published to Commerce without FR translations
- Required Properties: products cannot be published unless they have FR translations for required properties
- Required & Recommended: products cannot be published unless they have FR translations for required properties and recommended properties with data in EN
- All Properties: products cannot be published unless they have data in FR for all properties with data in EN
Product completeness will reflect the Multi-Language Options table configuration. In the case above where EN is the default language and FR is a secondary language set as Required and Recommended. If a recommended property has data for EN, but cannot be published due to missing data in FR, then it will be considered an incomplete required property.
The flowcharts below provide more details on multi-language property evaluation for completeness in PIM, followed by examples of complete and incomplete products. An accessible PDF of the flowcharts is attached at the bottom of this article.
Evaluation of required multi-language properties for completeness
Evaluation of recommended multi-language properties for completeness
Evaluation of optional multi-language properties for completeness
Complete product example
Incomplete product example
Navigating multi-language content
On the Product, Assets, Categories, and Properties pages, above each list table and at the top of relevant detail pages, you can select the language you wish to work with from the drop-down list.
Any language you choose persists across all relevant pages in PIM.
Product navigation
On the Product list page, when you select a non-default language in the language drop-down list, properties that cannot be translated are hidden and additional translation columns for the selected language display for each multi-language property. You can then click the Edit icon to update translation information for any applicable column.
On the Product detail page, when you select a non-default language, additional translation fields for the selected language display beside each multi-language property. Properties that are not marked as multi-language are hidden in this view.
Asset navigation
On the Asset list page, when you select a non-default language in the drop-down list, other assets are hidden and image assets display with the Alt Text translation column for the selected language.
On the Asset detail page for image assets, when you select a non-default language, a translation field for the selected language displays beside the Alt Text- [default language] field.
On the Asset detail page for other assets (typically attachment documents), you can designate the Language of the asset. This is typically used if you have language-specific specification sheets, warranties, or other product documents.
Categories navigation
On the Categories list page and detail page, when you select a non-default language in the drop-down list, additional columns or fields for the selected language display for the following translatable fields:
- Name
- URL Segment
- Category description
- Page title
- Meta description
- Meta keywords
- Open graph title
- Open graph URL
Properties navigation
On the Properties list page, when you select a non-default language in the drop-down list, properties that are not configured as multi-language will be hidden. The columns that display will be the same as if the default language is selected, plus the Display Name for the selected language to the right of the display name for the default language
With the default language selected, you can add the multi-language column to the list using the Column Selector icon and then use the Filter icon to filter for properties that are flagged as multi-language.
Exporting and importing translations
Exporting information for translation
You can export properties, property values (dropdown, radio button, or multi-select), categories, assets, and product information for translation. On each of the relevant screens, carry out the following steps:
- Locate the properties, categories, assets, or products that you wish to export for translation.
- Click the Export icon in the top right, then select Export for Translation.
- In the window that opens, make the following selections:
-
- If you are exporting properties, select if you wish to export the Properties or Property values.
- Select the Target Language(s) to which you want to translate the content.
- Select the type of Records to include based on your filters and preferences.
- If you are exporting products, select the types of Properties to Include in the export.
- Click Export. The export window appears in the lower right corner.
- Note: Do not close the window before the file is ready for download.
- Once the file is ready for download, the Download exported file link appears. Click the link to download the file.
-
Importing translated properties, categories, or assets
Once your exported files have been translated, you can import the files back into PIM to update content for multi-language. On the Import screen or each of the relevant screens for properties, categories, or assets, carry out the following steps.
URL segments for categories must be unique for the translated languages.
- On each of the relevant screens for properties, categories, or assets, click the Import icon and select Import Translations.
- Select the Target Language(s).
- Click Choose File and locate the translated file. The contents are processed.
- In the Map Translated Fields table that displays, verify that the properties are mapped correctly and adjust as needed. (Adjustments should be necessary only if the column headers were modified in the exported file.)
- Note: Only core properties for identification and translated fields must be mapped. All other fields, particularly default language fields, have Don't Import selected by default.
- Click Import.
Importing translated products
The import process for translated products is largely similar to the standard import process. The key difference is the inclusion of the Language column on the Mapping step. A drop-down list in the Language column lets you select the language for mappings to any multi-language properties. When importing files with column headers for non-default language codes, the relevant field mappings have the Language column default to the translated language code. Otherwise, the Language drop-down list defaults to the default language.
URL segments for products must be unique for the translated languages.
- On the Imports page, click the Products button and then select Add/Update Products.
- On the Initialization step, click Choose File and locate your translated file.
- Click Continue.
- On the Options step, leave the Add or update records radio button and the Ignore blank cells checkbox selected.
- Select the check boxes beside the properties to include for the products in this import in the Available Fields area.
- Click Add to move the selected properties or Add All to move all properties to the Selected Fields area. If you selected an import template in the Initialization step, the Selected Fields will pre-fill.
- Click Continue.
- On the Mapping step, verify that the Target Properties and Language columns are appropriately mapped for each field.
- Click Continue.
- On the Preview step, verify the data mappings and click Import.
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