System Localization properties

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of System Localization properties

    System Localization properties in ServiceNow enable configuration of translation, currency, and locale settings to support users from multiple countries on your instance. These settings help tailor the user experience by adapting language display, sorting, currency handling, and spell checking to regional and language preferences. Some properties become available only after activating the I18N: Internationalization plugin, and others are accessible via the System Properties table.

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    Key Features

    • Language and Sorting Configuration:
      • Enable sorting of list values according to the user's session language rather than default English alphabet. This is controlled by com.glide.db.sessionlanguagecollationfeature and related properties.
      • Allow users to select their preferred language at login via glide.ui.login.language.select.
      • Configure text search stemming language to match derived word forms for English, German, or French (glide.ts.stemminglanguage).
      • Option to display translation prefixes on translatable fields for easier identification during translation (glide.ui.i18ntest).
      • Support fallback languages to define intermediate languages before defaulting to English if translations are missing (glidei18n.languagefallbackenabled).
    • Currency Settings:
      • Enable a single currency model to display all currency values in the same currency code regardless of user locale (glide.i18n.singlecurrency).
      • Set the default system currency code using ISO 4217 three-letter codes, especially important when single currency mode is enabled (glide.i18n.singlecurrency.code).
      • Define the system locale that influences currency conversions and localization formats (glide.system.locale). Changing this after data entry can cause conversion issues, so it should be set carefully before production.
    • Spell Checking:
      • Choose the spell checker dictionary for English users from multiple language options such as English US, UK, French, German, and others (glide.spell.dictionary.en).

    Practical Considerations for ServiceNow Customers

    • Activate the I18N: Internationalization plugin to access key internationalization properties and enable language selection and stemming features.
    • Set the system locale and currency carefully before going into production to avoid currency conversion errors.
    • Use the System Properties [sysproperties] table for advanced configuration such as default sorting behavior and language fallback settings.
    • Providing language selection at login and enabling sorting in the user’s session language enhances usability for global users.
    • Utilize translation prefix and fallback language options to simplify translation management and improve the user interface experience in multiple languages.

    System Localization properties configure translation, currency, and locale settings on the instance for users from multiple countries.

    Some localization properties only appear after the I18N: Internationalization plugin is activated. Some properties are available on the System Localization properties page, but some lesser-used properties are available only from the System Properties [sys_properties] table.

    Access the following properties by navigating to All > System Properties > System Localization.
    Property Description

    Enable sorting (for lists) in the user's session language when the language is other than English

    com.glide.db.session_language_collation_feature

    		 Enable sorting string values in a column according to the rules of the user's session language. If this option isn’t selected, field values are sorted according to the English alphabet.

    Show the language select box on the login page to allow the user to specify the language they would like to be logged in with.

    glide.ui.login.language.select

    		 Enables language selection upon login.
    • Options: Yes | No
    • Default value: Yes
    • Dependency: The I18N: Internationalization plugin must be active

    Text Search stemming language.

    glide.ts.stemming_language

    		 Selects the language to match derived words in text search.

    Displays translation prefix on translatable strings.

    glide.ui.i18n_test

    		 Adds a translation prefix on translatable fields to indicate where to find the string for translation.

    Use a single currency model. Display all currencies in the same currency code, regardless of a user's locale, country, or language code.

    glide.i18n.single_currency

    		 Enable single currency mode.

    Default language for the system (two character values)

    glide.sys.language
    • Options: en, fr, es, it, de
    • Default value: en

    If using the single currency model, display all currencies using this currency code. Currency codes use the ISO 4217 three letter format.

    glide.i18n.single_currency.code

    Locale code to use for localization.

    glide.system.locale

    		 Determines the system's default currency into which all prices are automatically converted before other sums or conversions are performed. Changing this property after any price or currency fields have been given a value may result in improper conversion or prices that sum incorrectly.
    • Options: [language code].[country code] (for example, en.GB for Britain, fr.FR for France, de.DE for Germany, or ja.JP for Japan)
    • Default value: None
    • Learn more: Locale settings
    Note:
    You have already set a value on this system property, do not change this value once a system has gone into production. If a user's locale must be changed, update the "Country code" field on the user record.

    Spell checker dictionary to use for English users.

    glide.spell.dictionary.en

    		 Sets the spell checker dictionary used in the system for English users.
    • Options: Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch, English US, English UK, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Thai
    • Default value: English US
    • Learn more: Locale settings
    Access the following properties by entering sys_properties.list in the navigation filter to open the System Properties [sys_properties] table.
    Property Description
    com.glide.db.i18n_session_language_sortable_default

    Option to set the default behavior of column sorting. If true, the default behavior of columns is to sort according to the user's session language. If false, the default behavior of columns is to sort according to the English alphabet.

    glide_i18n.language_fallback_enabled

    Option to allow setting fallback languages for the instance. Setting fallback languages creates a three-level hierarchy in which an intermediate language is used before defaulting to English when user interface text is not translated in the user's preferred language.