Localize content in P1

P1 localization lets you create and manage content for multiple languages and markets while keeping related pages connected. Start with one canonical page, create locale variants when needed, and review each locale before publishing.

Internationalization and localization

Internationalization (i18n) is the foundation that makes a site ready for multiple languages and markets. Localization (l10n) is the work of adapting content for a specific locale or market. P1 provides the internationalization framework as well as advanced workflow to let P1 users localize their site in numerous ways.

In P1:

A locale is represented with a BCP 47 language tag, such as en-US, en-GB, es-ES, or fr-CA.
A localized page can be a translation of a reference source page, or it can be locale-native content with no reference to a source.
A locale variant can change more than text. Depending on the template and page design, it can use different imagery, regional content, or a different arrangement of optional components giving localization team full freedom within the limit of the design system of the site.
Related locale variants remain connected so teams can identify when a locale source page has changed and a translation may need review.

P1 keeps reference and localized documents in the same site. How visitors reach a locale—such as /fr-FR/guide or fr.example.com/guide—is configured by the site’s frontend and routing layer rather than by the content backend.

Before you begin

Decide the following before creating localized content:

The market locales the site will support.
Optionally, decide of a source locale, such as en-US.
Whether a page should be translated from an existing page or created as locale-native content.
Which content should stay shared across locales and which content should vary by market.
How the frontend will route and link to localized pages.
Who reviews translations and regional adaptations before publishing.

Configure the locales for a site

Open the site settings and go to the Locales section.
Confirm the site’s source locale.
Add each market locale the site should support. Use a valid BCP 47 tag, for example es-ES for Spanish in Spain or fr-CA for French in Canada.
Set the site’s fallback policy for pages that do not have a localized version.
Save the settings.

The locale registry defines the set of locales available for page-level localization. Page-level actions should use only locales configured for the site. Removing a locale that already contains translated content should identify the affected content before the change is confirmed; the content remains stored but becomes unpublished.

Localize an existing page

Use this workflow when a page already exists in the source locale.

Open the source page in the visual editor or site structure.
Choose Localize or Add locale.
Select a locale configured for the site.
Choose how to initialize the new page:
- Copy the source content to translate and adapt in the editor.
- Start with an empty page when the locale needs a different editorial structure.
Edit the localized page. Update text, images, links, and locale-specific content as needed.
Preview the page in the target locale.
Review the changes with the team responsible for that market.
Publish or merge the localized change using your normal P1 workstream workflow.

P1’s intended editor flow supports both copying the source content and starting with an empty localized page. It also supports deleting a locale version and creating a new page directly in a configured locale.

Create locale-native content

Some content should exist only for one locale. Examples include region-specific regulations, market-only campaigns, or local event pages.

Create a new page.
Select the locale for the page.
Choose the appropriate template.
Add the locale-specific content.
Preview and publish through the normal workflow.

Locale-native content is not treated as a translation and does not require a canonical page. It should still conform to the selected template and the site’s content rules.

Find localized pages in site structure

Use the locale control in site structure to focus on one locale within the current workstream.

The control lists locales that contain content in the current workstream.
Selecting a locale narrows the page tree to pages available in that locale.
Clearing the selection restores the full page tree.
Page rows show how many configured market locales contain a version of the page.
Changing the workstream recalculates the available locale list.

This view helps editors find missing pages and understand coverage without opening every page individually.

Keep locale variants aligned

A localized page starts from a specific version of its canonical page. When the local source page changes, the localized variant may become out of date.

When reviewing an out-of-date page:

Compare the locale source page with the localized page.
Update content that is shared or inherited from the canonical page.
Preserve intentional market-specific differences, such as currency, regulatory language, or regional imagery.
Review structural changes carefully. A locale may need to add, remove, or reorder optional content to fit its market.
Preview the updated page and complete the normal review and merge process.

P1’s localization design distinguishes localized content linked to a locale source from locale-managed values. Content linked to a locale source values are candidates for synchronization; locale-managed values remain under the locale team’s control.

Routing and language switchers

P1 provides locale-aware content relationships, but your frontend owns the visitor-facing URL pattern and language-switcher behavior.

Common patterns include:

Locale prefixes: example.com/fr-FR/products/widget
Locale subdomains: fr.example.com/products/widget
Locale-specific domains: example.fr/products/widget

Whichever pattern you choose, make sure the language switcher preserves the visitor’s current page when that page has a localized counterpart. If no counterpart exists, apply the site’s fallback policy consistently and make the result clear to the visitor.

Troubleshooting

A locale is not available when I try to localize a page

Confirm that the locale has been added in site settings. Page-level localization is limited to the site’s configured locale registry.

A page is missing from the locale-filtered site structure

The locale selector shows locales with content in the current workstream. Change workstreams or clear the locale filter to check whether the page exists elsewhere.

A localized page is not showing the latest source content

Check whether the canonical page has changed since the locale variant was last synchronized. Review the difference, update the translation or regional adaptation, and complete the normal review workflow.

The language switcher returns visitors to the locale home page

This usually means the frontend is switching the locale without mapping the current page to its related locale variant. Update the switcher to resolve the equivalent localized path when one exists.

I need a page that exists only in one market

Create it as locale-native content rather than creating an artificial canonical translation relationship.

Glossary

Canonical page: The source page from which one or more localized variants may be created.
Locale: A language and regional variant identified by a BCP 47 tag, such as en-US.
Localized variant: A page connected to a canonical page and adapted for a specific locale.
Locale-native content: Content created for one locale without a canonical counterpart.
Locale registry: The site-level list of supported locales and fallback behavior.
Drift: A condition in which the canonical page has advanced beyond the version used by a localized variant.
Routing: The frontend logic that maps a visitor-facing URL to a locale and page.