Translating Portal Content
This page walks through the Translation Studio editor — how to pick a language and a type, navigate the items, edit translations, save, and find what needs attention. For the bulk-CSV path, see Bulk Importing Translations.
Requirements
- Administrator, or an internal user with the Enable Translation Studio Access delegation.
- The target language must be active in Configuring Language Settings.
Opening the Studio
- From the Setup home page, go to Manage > Translation Studio.
- Pick a Language from the dropdown. Only active languages appear.
- Pick a Type from the navigation tree (Entity, Field, Picklist, Button, Layout, RecordType, ValidationRule, LookupFilter, App, Tab, CustomLabel).
The page shows a navigation tree on the left (items grouped by type and by entity where relevant) and a translation table on the right with the master value, the current translation, and an outdated flag.
The Translation Table
| Column | What It Shows |
|---|
| Master Value | The English source text, with the aspect (e.g., Help Text) shown beneath it. |
| Translation | The translated value for the selected language. Editable inline. |
| Status | A badge indicating whether the translation is present or still untranslated. |
Edited rows are flagged as unsaved; click Save to commit your changes. To clear a translation (and fall back to the master value), empty the field and save.
Translating by Type
Each type has its own workflow specifics. Use this section as a reference when you switch between types.
Entity
Translates the entity's Label and PluralLabel. The translated values appear in navigation, page headers, and list view titles. To translate the fields inside the entity, switch the type to Field.
Field
Translates field Label and Help Text on an entity. Help Text only appears as a translatable aspect when the field has a non-empty help text value that differs from the field's label or name. Pick the entity from the tree, then translate each field row.
Picklist
Translates picklist option values. Pick the entity, then pick a picklist field; the option list appears. Each option has a single translatable value (no aspect column). Dependent picklists are translated the same way — the dependency is preserved automatically.
Button
Translates the button Label and the optional Confirmation prompt that appears before the button action runs. Pick the entity, then translate each button row.
Layout
Translates form-level strings on a Layout record. Aspects include Form Title, Success Message, plus the names of sections and related list titles defined on the layout. Form-type layouts always have a Form Title and Success Message; record-detail layouts may not.
RecordType
Translates the Record Type's Name and optional Description. Description only appears as a translatable aspect when the Record Type has a description.
ValidationRule
Translates the validation rule's error message. Single value (no aspect column). The translated message appears when the rule fails for a user in the matching language.
LookupFilter
Translates two aspects: Error Message (shown when the lookup filter rejects a selection) and Lookup Message (shown in the lookup window). Lookup Message only appears when the filter has a window message configured.
App
Translates Application names. Single value. Apps are global; no entity context.
Tab (Menu Item)
Translates Menu Item labels. Single value. Note that the customer-facing name is Menu Item; the platform's internal name is Tab. The Studio uses the type name Tab internally but the user-visible label is Menu Item. Module-feature Menu Items (Articles, Training, etc.) are translated through their owning module's resources and are excluded from this list.
Custom Label
Translates Custom Label values. Single value. See Custom Labels for how administrators and developers reference Custom Labels in code and merge fields.
Filtering and Finding Items
- Use the search box above the translation table to filter rows by master or translated text.
- Filter by Untranslated or Translated to focus on what needs work.
- For Field and Picklist types, the tree organizes items by entity so you can translate one entity at a time.
Saving and Clearing Translations
- Edited rows are flagged as unsaved; click Save to commit your changes.
- To remove a translation entirely (and let the master value serve as fallback), clear the field and save.
- Translations take effect on the next page render for users in the matching language.
Troubleshooting Tips
- If a row you expect doesn't appear, confirm the underlying item exists (e.g., the entity is created, the field has the right metadata, the button has a label) and the picklist/aspect is populated.
- If a translation is saved but users don't see it, confirm their language preference matches the language you translated.
- For full symptom-by-symptom resolutions, see Translation Studio Troubleshooting.
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