Translate the text customers see
Turning on multi-language tells Filemonk to use each customer's language. This is the step that gives it something to use. There are five surfaces, translated separately, so you can do the ones that matter and leave the rest on your default language.
Before you begin
- Set your default language and turn on Multi-language support first. See Change the app language for email and the download page.
- Anything you do not translate falls back to your default language, so a partial translation is safe rather than broken.
Set it up
- Click Filemonk in the left menu of your Shopify admin.
- Click Settings in the app's menu, then open the Other tab.
- Under Multi-language, use Edit translations for the surface you want.
- Choose the Language, then translate each field.
- Save, and repeat per language.
The five surfaces
| Surface | Covers |
|---|---|
| Download page | The page text: button labels, file and licence labels, login screen, error and processing messages |
| Order email | The email sent with each order's download links |
| Thank You page | The order status widget after checkout |
| EU consent form | The consent text and button EU customers agree to. See Ask for EU right of withdrawal consent |
| Notify buyers email | The email sent when you notify all buyers of a product |
Start with the download page and the order email, which every customer sees. Add the consent form if you sell into the EU, since a consent notice in a language the customer does not read is worth little.
What is not translated
Your own content: file names, product names, and product custom messages. Those are used exactly as you wrote them, so a customer reading a translated page may still see an English file name.
Check your setup
Place a test order as a customer whose language differs from your default, then check the email and download page. Confirm the translated text appears and nothing is left in the fallback language mid-page. See Create a test order.
Troubleshooting
Some text is translated, some is not
Each surface is separate, and each field within it is separate. Anything blank falls back. Go through the fields for that surface and fill the gaps.
Nothing is translated at all
Multi-language support is off, so the default language is used for everyone regardless of translations. See Change the app language for email and the download page.
File names are in the wrong language
File names are your content, not app text. Name them in the language most of your customers read, or use neutral names.
The consent form is in the wrong language
It has its own translation screen, separate from the download page. Translate it there.
A translated label breaks the layout
Some languages run longer. Shorten the translation rather than fighting the layout, particularly for button labels.
FAQ
Which languages can I add?
The languages your store supports. The editor lists what is available to you.
Do I have to translate all five surfaces?
No. Do the ones customers actually see. Untranslated surfaces fall back to your default language.
Does it translate automatically?
No. You write the translations, so the wording is yours and correct for your market.
Can I preview a translation?
The best check is a real order in that language, since it exercises the email and the page together.
Related guides
- Change the app language for email and the download page, which has to be set first.
- Ask for EU right of withdrawal consent, whose form is one of the five surfaces.
- Customize the download page, for the page being translated.
