Configuring System Localization

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 1 minute to read

    • Configure the locales, languages, regions, and locations needed to accommodate your users.

    Configuration overview

    The following list is a high-level overview of the workflow to get started localizing an instance. However, there may be use cases where performing these steps in a different order is preferred.

    1. Set the instance locale

      By default, the instance locale is the United States (en.US). You should set the instance locale before a system has gone into production and not change it after.

    2. Activate a language

      Activate any of the ServiceNow® internationalization (I18N) language plugins to get translations of base system UI strings in the languages your users need. American English is the default language and doesn't need to be activated.

    3. Set the default language for an instance

      Select a default language for an instance if it should be a language other than American English.

    4. Set a fallback language

      Specify the fallback language for another language so that if UI text isn’t translated in a language, the text displays in the fallback language instead. By default, if a UI string isn’t translated in the preferred language of an instance session, it displays in English.

    5. Set up locations

      Configure the locations that your organization supports to help identify users, assets, incidents, and more by location.

    6. Create regions for language selection in portals

      Map languages to regions to organize the language selector for guest users.

    7. Ensure that translated choices appear for applications added by plugins

      If you activate other application plugins after having activated language plugins, translated choices in lists might not appear for the applications or features installed by their plugins. Ensure that translated choices appear for those applications by activating translated choice records after corresponding English choice records have been added by plugins.

    After you configure your instance using the localization options and supported languages, you might need to translate custom content or translate the instance to an unsupported language. For more information, see Translating custom content and Translating to an unsupported language.