Multilingual support in the Content Library

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Multilingual support in the Content Library

    The Content Library in ServiceNow’s Zurich release offers two key multilingual features to support content creation and management:Translate contentandSwitch language. These features enable content creators and managers to produce and manage content in multiple languages, enhancing global reach and user experience.

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    Key Features

    • Switch language: Changes the interface language of the Content Library, similar to changing the system language setting. This affects the language of the user interface and, if translations are available, the content form fields.
    • Translate content: Initiates a translation workflow where content (portal, block components, notifications, to-dos) can be sent for translation into specified languages. Note that Calendar content type is currently not supported for translation.
    • Localization workflow: When translation is requested, localization request items (LRITM) and tasks (LFTASK) are generated and assigned to users/groups with the localizationfulfiller role. The content manager can track translation progress via the Localization Framework interface.
    • Content versioning considerations: The Switch Language option is available only on the first draft version and published content. For non-English content creation, customers can either disable content versioning or create content in English first and then translate it.

    Practical Use and Outcomes

    • Content managers can efficiently coordinate multilingual content creation and translation workflows within the Content Library, improving translation accuracy and management.
    • Users can switch the Content Library interface to their preferred language, improving usability and adoption across diverse language speakers.
    • The translation workflow integrates with the Localization Framework, enabling assignment, tracking, and fulfillment of translation tasks, including potential integration with third-party translation services if configured by admins.
    • Published content and translations share the same publishing schedule, ensuring synchronized release across languages.
    • Awareness of versioning constraints helps customers manage content translation workflows effectively, avoiding confusion or content inconsistency.

    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.
    For more information on the properties, see Properties installed with Content Publishing.

    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.
    Note:
    At this time, translation is not available for the Calendar content type.
    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.
    Translate content workflow sends a request to the localization user to perform the translation
    1. The Content manager requests content translation from the Content Library or Block content interface and specifies the languages.
    2. 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 Localization Framework > My Requested Items list.

    3. The user with the localization_fulfiller role performs the translation. For more details, see Fulfill a localization task.
    4. When the localization request item has a Closed complete state, 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.

    Switching to French-translated option will change the interface text and the user-input values to French

    Note:
    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.