Configure fallback and replacement languages
For many multi-language websites, only parts of the website content exist in all available languages. This could be because translations may not be ready; content is not relevant for a specific language; or some content should display in a defined language.
You have the following options:
- Unless you define a fallback or replacement language, content is invisible to visitors browsing the website in a language into which content is not translated.
- Define a fallback language, in which the content appears until the content is available in the desired language.
- Define a replacement language, in which content appears regardless of the content's existing language. If you define a replacement language for some content, a fallback language does not apply.
Note
Fallback and replacement languages may cause mixed languages to be displayed on the website.
Set fallback and replacement languages
You can define fallback and replacement languages from the All Properties edit view.
Edit a catalog, then go to Tools > Language Settings.
For Catalog content, the language setting only applies to the catalog level. Child items (node, product, variant, etc.) inherit settings from the parent catalog.
Catalog content also has a separate section to configure the available languages; the Language Settings dialog does not contain this setting.
Example: Fallback language
In this example, the primary website language is English, and Swedish is an enabled language. Content is first created in English, and then translated into Swedish. English is set as the fallback for Swedish. If content has not been translated to Swedish, then the English content is shown.
Example: Replacement language
This example shows a multi-language website with a legal information section that should be displayed in English. To ensure this, apply a replacement language for the legal information page branch.
Another scenario for using replacement language is when you have started to translate content on your website, but do not want to have mixed languages until translation is completed. When translation is ready, you remove the replacement language.