---
title: CMS and multiple languages
slug: cms-12/docs/cms-and-multiple-languages
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-08-10T15:55:59.000Z
---

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**

An administrator enables languages; see [Manage website languages](docId\:NtcXDHpZPMMG7_jNk5cTU).
:::

Many large websites display content in several languages. Optimizely Content Management System (CMS) has powerful support for multi-language management, including [translating content into a wide range of languages](docId\:Kk2Tb6NNAzR5KoEBQ87i6), defining [fallback languages](docId\:lmPd3vAw4d-f29o1l_5zD) for non-translated content, and switching languages for the editorial **user interface**.

How does CMS know which language to display to visitors? CMS enforces the language to be visible in the URL, path, or domain part of the URL. When a website visitor selects a language option (if available), content in that language displays. Alternatively, the preferred content display language may be detected by the browser used by the visitor. A fallback procedure may be applied if content does not exist in a selected language.

## Enable content languages

Usually, a website has a default content language set up at the time of installation and might be set up with other languages.

Administrators can also set up different access rights to different languages so that you can access English and French content but not German and Spanish, for example.

- See [Translate content](docId\:Kk2Tb6NNAzR5KoEBQ87i6) to translate CMS content into different languages.
- You can also use the [Optimizely Languages](docId\:vKU2-nQv1hNV16PCIpBbI) app for translating content.

## User interface languages

The Optimizely user interface is available in 12 different languages. To set the desired user interface language for CMS, click your user profile name. Select **My Settings** > **Display Options** tab. At the **Personal Language** drop-down list, select the language of your choice, and click **Save**.

CMS supports 12 *user interface* languages. English is the master language, and the others are translated languages. You can have many more content languages.

- DA – Danish
- DE – German
- EN – English
- ES – Spanish
- FI – Finnish
- FR – French
- IT – Italian
- JA – Japanese
- NL – Dutch
- NO – Norwegian
- SV – Swedish
- ZH – Simplified Chinese

## ![Optimizely Customized Commerce icon](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/N68ZiA70QVVhiJka-IkY4-20260720-145514.svg "Optimizely Customized Commerce") Optimizely Commerce Connect and multiple languages

See [Multi-language management](../../commerce-connect/manage-content/manage-languages-for-catalogs.mdx) to work with multiple languages if Optimizely Commerce Connect is installed.

## ![Optimizely Search & Navigation icon](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/gYVrM67WiFUh8RE4x41NA-20260720-145514.svg "Optimizely Search & Navigation") Optimizely Search & Navigation and multiple languages

See [Optimizing multiple sites and languages](https://support.optimizely.com/hc/en-us/articles/4413200751629) to work with multiple languages if you have Optimizely Search & Navigation installed.