Use multiple languages with PIM
You can integrate multi-language capabilities directly into areas that manage customer-facing data with Optimizely Product Information Management (PIM). After you enable languages in Configured Commerce and sync to the PIM, you can enable additional languages. PIM lets you export existing content for translation and import the translated data.
Best practices
If you have properties with a defined list of values (dropdown, radio button, or multi-select), you should export and translate these at the property level. Such properties are not displayed in the product export for translation because the translation does not need to be set for each product—translations of the value selected for the default language will automatically be used. If you have properties with unique values per product (text field, text area, HTML), you should export and translate these at the product level.
Example
To export data for translation, enable multi-language in Configured Commerceenable multi-language in Configured Commerce and sync it to PIMsync it to PIM to determine the languages available.
- Go to Settings and enable ES for Spanish. Determine which properties require translation and select the Multi-language checkbox for each property.
- Go to Data Setup > Properties and update the following properties:
- Product Title
- Description
- Features
- Finish
- Faucet Type
- Faucet Handle Type
- Faucet Installation Type
- Select multi-language properties and click Export > Export for Translation. Select Properties and a Target Language of ES, and then download the export file when it is ready. Repeat the process but select 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.
- Go to Categories and select the following categories for translation:
- Plumbing
- Faucet
- Kitchen
- Bathroom.
- Click Export > Export for Translation, select a Target Language of ES, and download the export file when it is ready.
- Go to Assets > Kitchen Faucets and click Export > Export for Translation. Select a Target Language of ES, and download the export file. Repeats the process for her Bathroom Faucet assets.
- On the Products page, locate faucet products, click Export > Export for Translation, select a Target Language of ES, and download the export file.
- Compile export files and send them to a translation service that handles the Spanish translations. You can import the translated files back into PIM on the Imports page when they are translated.
Enable multi-language
Follow these steps after enabling multi-language in Configured Commerceenabling multi-language in Configured Commerce and syncing to the PIMsyncing to the PIM:
- Go to Settings.
- Turn on Enable under Multi-Language Options for each language you want. Enabled languages display in the language drop-down list on various pages.
- If you want to prevent the publication of products to commerce without translation for a specific language, click the desired option from the Required to Publish dropdown. These options change the product completeness calculation to include translations.
- Required Properties require translation for any property required for the product's template.
- Required & Recommended require translating any required property on the product's template and recommended properties with data for the default language.
- All Properties require translation for any property with a value for the default language.
- None do not require translation of any data to publish.
Note
The default language is defined in Configured Commerce and cannot be toggled in PIM.
Configure multi-language properties
You can mark properties as multi-language except for the following control types: number, date picker, date/time picker, or Boolean. Multi-language properties can be edited on the product detail page when a non-default language is selected, and you can export them for translation.
- Go to Data Setup > Properties and locate the property for multi-language.
- Click the property name.
- Select the Multi-language checkbox.
- Click Save.
Navigate multi-language content
You can select the language you want to view on the Product, Assets, Categories, and Properties pages. The language you choose shows across relevant pages in the PIM.
Product navigation
The product list page adds columns for the selected language for multi-language properties and hides properties that cannot be translated. Click Edit to update translations for any applicable column directly in the product list.
The product detail page adds a translation field for your selected language and hides any properties not marked as multi-language.
Asset navigation
The asset list page adds an Alt Text translation column to image assets and hides other assets when you select a non-default language.
The asset detail page adds a translation field beside the Alt Text field for image assets when you select a non-default language.
Suppose you have translated versions of other asset types, such as specification sheets, warranties, or other product documents. In that case, you can upload a version for each language and specify their language on the asset detail page.
Categories navigation
The categories list page and details page adds columns or fields for the following fields when you select a non-default language:
- Name
- URL Segment
- Category description
- Page title
- Meta description
- Meta keywords
- Open graph title
- Open graph URL
Properties navigation
The properties list page adds a Display Name for the selected language and hides properties not configured for multi-language when you select a non-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 flagged as multi-language.