Multilingual support in the Content Library
The Content Library includes two features for multilingual content creation: Translate content (content translation workflow) and Switch language (changes the interface language).
Switch language vs Translate content
When the Translations and Language switching properties are enabled, the Content Library has two language settings options:
- Switch language
- The Switch language option enables content creators to change the language of the Content Library interface (similar to changing the system language setting).
- Translate content
- The Translate content option sends the content for translation in the specified language.
Translating content in the Content Library
After you are done creating content, you can initiate the translation workflow to request translation for your portal, block (re-usable components), notification, or to-do content.
Nota:
The following provides an overview of the base translation workflow. The admin for your company may configure additional translation modes, such as an integration with a third-party
service to automate translation.At this time, translation is not available
for the Calendar content type.
- The Content manager requests content translation from the Content Library or Block content interface and specifies the languages.
- The system creates a localization request item (prefix LRITM) for each language selected. Each localization request item has an associated localization task (prefix LFTASK), which is assigned to the user or group with the
localization_fulfiller role.
The Content manager can view the status of the localization request item from the list.
- The user with the localization_fulfiller role performs the translation. For more details, see Fulfill a localization task.
- When the localization request item has a
Closed completestate, the Content manager can schedule the content for publishing, see Create a publish plan for your content. The system uses the same content schedule for the original and translated content.
Changing the Content Library interface language
The Switch language window displays available languages, each appended by one of three possible statuses:
- Base language
- The default language based on system settings.
- Translated
- Indicates that translations are available for the content. This occurs when the content has been translated through the Localization Framework or manually translated in the New Content form fields.
Selecting this option will translate both the interface and the values entered in the New Content form to the chosen language.
- Not translated
- Translation for the field values is not available. In this case, only the interface language is translated, while the values entered in the form remain unchanged.
Nota:
Remember to switch back to your original language before leaving the page, otherwise the ServiceNow interface will continue to appear in the translated language.
Content versioning and translation
When content versioning is enabled, the Switch Language button appears only for the first draft version and published content.
Customers who create content in a non-English language should use of the the following workarounds:
- Turn off Content versioning, then click the Switch Language button to enter the content in a non-English language.
- Enter the content in English, then use the Translate Content button to initiate the translation workflow.
For more information, see Content versioning.