Overview

Simpplr now supports all language variants (also known as dialects) available within the languages already supported by Google's translation service. This means content authors and editors can pick from a wider range of regional language options when creating, viewing, and publishing content.

With this update, organizations can serve diverse employee bases more accurately by using the correct regional variant of a language, while still managing translations in one consistent place.

New language variants in the content language dropdown

Four languages now offer additional regional variants:

Where you'll see the new variants

• All supported variants now appear in the content language dropdown in both view and edit modes.

• New content automatically shows all supported language variants in the dropdown.

• Existing content also shows all supported variants in both view and edit modes.

How it works

Dialect support in content creation and editing

When you create or edit content, the language dropdown lists every supported variant for the language you choose. You can pick a single variant for the content, or add manual translations for additional variants.

Default variant for existing content

If a piece of existing content was published in a language that now has multiple variants, the system uses the default variant provided by Google's translation service. The default variants are:

Dialects that cannot be auto-translated

Google's translation service does not translate from one variant of a language to another variant of the same language. As a result:

• If a content page is published in one variant (for example, English US), the other variant of the same language (English UK) is marked as non-translatable.

• Non-translatable variants appear in the language dropdown but are shown as disabled.

Adding a manual translation for a non-translatable variant

You can still add a manual translation for a variant that the automatic translation service does not support. When you do, the variant becomes available again.

• If a manual translation exists for a variant, it appears as translatable and overrides the disabled state.

• In edit mode, you can see all non-translatable variants and choose to add a manual translation.

• A warning message appears to let you know that automatic translation is not supported for that variant, so the manual translation will be used instead.

Reverting a variant to the main language

If you have added a manual translation to a variant and want to reset it, use the Revert to main language option in edit mode. This resets the content for that variant back to the main language version.

Publishing when dialect translations are out of sync

If you update the main language content but the manual translation for a variant has not been updated, the publish modal gives you extra options so you can decide what to publish for that variant:

• Manual translation. Publish using the existing manual translation as it is.

• Google translation. Publish using a fresh automatic translation, where the variant supports it.

• Main language. Publish using the main language version, for variants that don't have automatic translation support.

What this means for your content

New content

• When you create new content, the language field shows all available variants for the supported languages.

• When that content is published, the language dropdown also shows all four variants.

Existing content

• Any content created in Portuguese, Spanish, French, or English falls back to its default variant: Portuguese (PT-PT), Spanish (ES-ES), French (FR-FR), or English (EN-US). See the editor note above regarding Portuguese.

• Manual translations already saved in any of these four languages also fall back to the same default variant.

Why this matters

• Consistency across regions. Supports local dialects, helping organizations communicate appropriately with diverse employee bases.

• Flexibility. You can manage both automatic and manual translations for each variant of a language.

• Clarity. Variants that cannot be auto-translated are clearly marked, so authors and editors know exactly when a manual translation is needed.

• Efficiency. App managers and editors have more control over how translations are applied and published.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Why can't I auto-translate from English (UK) to English (US)?

Ans: Google's translation service does not translate between two variants of the same language. To have content in both variants, add a manual translation for the second variant.

Q: What happens to my old content after this update?

Ans: Old content stays available and continues to work. Where the original language has multiple new variants, the content falls back to the default variant for that language. Simpplr has already mapped existing content to the defaults based on your organization's preferences.

Q: If I add a manual translation to a non-translatable variant, will it stay?

Ans: Yes. Once you add a manual translation, the variant becomes available, and the content you entered is used. The variant will no longer appear as disabled.

Q: How do I undo a manual translation?

Ans: Open the content in edit mode and use the Revert to main language option for that variant. The variant resets to the main language version.

Q: What if I update the main language but forget to update a variant's manual translation?

Ans: When you publish, the publish modal will give you a choice for each affected variant: keep the existing manual translation, use a fresh automatic translation where it is supported, or fall back to the main language version.

Q: Do I need to do anything for existing content?

Ans: No. Existing content has already been mapped to its default variant based on your organization's preferences. You only need to take action if you want to add or change manual translations for specific variants.