When your contacts use different languages, you can display service pages in their language and choose which contacts can access them.
The settings described in this guide are available only if multilingual support is enabled in your account.
Content languages and access languages
When configuring a multilingual service page, distinguish between two aspects:
- Content languages determine which language a contact sees on the page: you have a main language and can add other languages by translating the content
- Access languages determine which contacts can access the page, regardless of the available translations
By default, a new page has a main language already set, no additional languages, and is accessible to all contacts, including those with no language set.
Set up your page for multiple languages
We recommend keeping access open to all contacts and using translations to manage the language displayed. You can configure languages when creating the page or change them later in the settings.
- Choose the main language: this is also used for contacts with no language set or whose language has no available translation
- Add additional languages and translate the corresponding content
- Keep access open to all contacts
For example, to display the page in Italian to Italian-speaking contacts and in English to everyone else, set English as the main language, add Italian as an additional language, and translate the content into Italian.
Pages created with the previous configuration have no main language set. When you open the settings, a message prompts you to choose one to align the content and default messages. Select the language the page content is written in, then add any translations you need.
Restrict access by language
Restricting access is useful in specific cases, such as when you want to offer a page with different content, actions, and fields to contacts with a particular language. In this case, you can set that language as the main language without adding other languages, and allow access only to contacts with that language.
When creating the page or editing its settings, enable the option to restrict access and select the allowed languages. You can also include contacts with no language set: they see the page in the main language.
Allowing access to contacts with a particular language does not add the corresponding translation and, if you have restricted access to certain contacts, adding a translation does not automatically extend access to contacts with that language.
For example:
- If you translate the page into German but do not include German among the access languages, contacts with that language cannot access it, and your translation work goes unused
- If you allow French-speaking contacts to access the page without adding French as an additional language, those contacts see the page in the main language
Frequently asked questions
Why does a contact see the page in the main language?
If no translation is available for the contact’s language, magnews displays the page in the main language. The same applies when the contact has no language set.
If the contact has a language set, you can display the page in that language by adding it as an additional language and translating the content.
For example, if the main language is English and you have added only an Italian translation, a French-speaking contact sees the page in English. To display it in French, add French and translate the content.
Do I need to restrict access to display translations?
No. You can keep access open to everyone: each contact sees the content in their language, if available, or in the main language.
Restrict access only if you want the page to be available to contacts with specific languages.
For example, an unsubscribe page with English as the main language and an Italian translation can remain accessible to everyone: Italian-speaking contacts see it in Italian, and everyone else sees it in English.
Why can’t a contact access the page even though it is translated into their language?
If you have restricted access, check that the contact’s language is among the allowed languages. Adding a translation does not automatically grant access to contacts with that language.
For example, you have translated the page into German but allowed access only to Italian- and English-speaking contacts. To let German-speaking contacts access it too, add German to the allowed languages or allow access to all contacts.
Can I allow contacts whose language is not included in the page languages?
Yes. Contacts with that language can access the page if the access settings allow it, but they see the content in the main language. Choose the main language with these contacts in mind, too.
For example, if the main language is English and you have not added Spanish as an additional language, Spanish-speaking contacts see the page in English. This applies whether you keep access open to everyone or restrict it to English- and Spanish-speaking contacts.
Do I need a separate page for each language?
No. If the process is the same and only the content language changes, we recommend using a single service page with multiple translations. You can use separate pages when you want to offer different processes by language or collect responses separately.
For example, if the preferences page shows the same fields to everyone, use a single page and translate the text.
If you want to offer different fields to German-speaking contacts or collect their responses on a separate page, you can create a dedicated page in German and restrict access to contacts with that language.