Creating a Multilingual Email

It is possible to create an email containing multiple language versions so the language adapts to the recipients depending on their language (if we have that data). For the contacts that we do not know the language, you could have an alternative version (fallback) in the most common language used among your audience.

Prerequisites

• Verify that the languages are activated in the project's configuration.
• Configure project fields to receive data on the contacts' languages.
• Standardize the value formats for the language field
• Create an email that will be used as the basis for the other versions (possibly in the most used language of your contacts). Ideally, try to integrate all the visual structure (blocks). You can still make changes later when the other versions are created, but you will have to do it manually in each version. 

Step 1: Add a Language

Start by adding a new language by clicking Add a language in the Multilingual section:

Fill in the name of the version (recipients will not see that name), choose the language and indicate the project's field that corresponds to the language and the value of the field:

The previous example uses a language field, but you could use another type of field, such as the country or province (this could be useful in a bilingual country like Canada). As mentionned in the prerequisites, it is strongly recommended to configure the standardization of the value formats for the language field. Without standardization, the system might not recognize a non standard value and send the message in the generic language instead of the contact's language.

Use case example

You are a Canadian company in Toronto. Your basic version is for an English-speaking audience. This version has no condition. You also have a version for contacts who speak French with a language condition for French. Your contacts with a value of French as their language will receive that version. The other contacts who do not meet the French condition will receive the English version by default. 

If you want a language other than English or French (Other option in the dropdown list), you must enter the exact code for that language. 

It is recommended to configure the languages available in your project if you want to collect and use this info.

Step 2: Adapt the Content

For each version, you have to change the content manually. Select the version: 

Translate the content in each version, including personalized content. The version will use the tracking links for the selected language.

For additional versions, you can copy an existing version as a starting point by clicking on .

If you have checked the Translate this version option, make sure the content has been correctly translated (the machine is not perfect!). You should also consider the target audience's culture in your message. Note that URLs, personalization, images and logos are not translated. You must change these elements manually.   

Step 3: Verify the Default Version

In the left section, you have a list of the versions. The system scans the list from the top to the bottom. It first checks the top version to see if contacts meet the conditions for this version, then sends it to these contacts. The system then scans the next line, and so on. The default version is the one without conditions (at the end of the list). 

If you want to change the version defined as default, click on the pen:

Then, check Use this version by default (the conditions will be removed automatically). This way, your contacts who did not meet the conditions of the other versions will receive this generic version as an alternative (fallback). 

Step 4: Test the Versions

Duplicating a Multilingual Email

You can make a copy of an email, including its versions (or not), to use it as a starting point for another email.

Go to the list of emails and click on Duplicate: