Create a language record

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 1 minute to read

    • Add a record for a language not provided by an internationalization (I18N) plugin to associate new translations with.

    Before you begin

    Role required: admin

    About this task

    To translate the interface of an instance to a language for which ServiceNow does not provide an internationalization plugin, you must create a language record for a new translation in the Languages [sys_language] table. For more information about this table, see Languages table.

    Procedure

    1. Navigate to All > System Localization > Languages.
    2. Select New.
    3. Provide the language information.
      • Name: The name of the language, for example, Turkish.
      • ID: The BCP 47 code for the language, for example, tr.
      • Text Direction: The direction that the instance should use to display the language: Left-to-Right or Right-to-Left.
      • Active: Option to activate the language for the instance.
      • Fallback: The name of another active language to use as a fallback language. For more information about fallback languages, see Set a fallback language.
    4. Select Submit.