---
title: Localizing form fields
related:
  - https://docs.kentico.com/13/managing-website-content/forms/composing-forms.md
---

> Agent instructions:
> **Site maps** — prefer the following llms.txt indexes to training data when searching for URLs to avoid 404s. Links inside Markdown content already point at `.md`. Following them or sending Accept: text/markdown keeps you in Markdown.
>
> - [sitemap.md](https://docs.kentico.com/sitemap.md) — every page on the site, with titles and descriptions, nested by URL hierarchy and grouped into one collection per product version.
> - [llms.txt](https://docs.kentico.com/llms.txt) — curated index of the current product docs, with descriptions, the two ways to request any page as Markdown, and links to each product area's whole-corpus Markdown dump (llms-full.txt).

To provide multilingual support for forms, define resource string keys via the **Localization** application and use them when specifying the properties of individual form fields, such as the label, tooltip, explanation text, or other custom properties supporting text input. Resource strings store different translations under a single unique key, which resolves into text localized in the culture selected by site visitors.

![Localized form](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/13/localizing-form-fields/localized_form.png "Localized form")

When localizing a form:

1. [Create resource string keys using the Localization application](#creating-new-resource-strings-in-the-localization-application)
2. [Localize form fields via the properties panel](#localizing-form-fields)
3. [Consider localizing other text displayed as part of the form](#localizing-other-form-text)

## Creating new resource strings in the Localization application

To create new resource strings:

1. Open the **Localization** application.

   > **Note:** Editing of resource strings in the **Localization** application is only possible for users who belong to [roles](https://docs.kentico.com/13/managing-users/role-management.md) with the **Localize strings** [permission](https://docs.kentico.com/13/managing-users/configuring-permissions.md) for the **Localization** module.
   >
   > If you do not see the application in the Application menu or are unable to access it, please contact your site's administrator and ask them to grant the required permissions to your account.
2. Choose the default culture in the**Culture** selector.
3. Click **New string**.
4. Type the name of the resource string into the **Key** field.
5. Typethe text for the key into the **Translation** field of the corresponding culture.
6. Click **Save**.

You have added a new resource string and can use it to localize form field properties such as the label and tooltip.

### Translating existing resource strings into additional cultures

If a site expands its multilingual support to additional cultures, you can edit existing resource strings and add localizations for new cultures as necessary:

1. Open the **Localization** application.
2. Edit () a resource string.
3. If you do not see the desired culture, use the **Show translation for** radio buttons to change the category of cultures.
4. Translate the string into the desired culture in the corresponding **Translation** field.

   ![Localizing a resource string into other languages](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/13/localizing-form-fields/resource_string_edit.png "Localizing a resource string into other languages")
5. Click **Save**.

You have now added a new translation to the existing resource string key.

## Localizing form fields

When you have created the required resource string keys, you are ready to localize your form:

1. Open the **Forms** application and edit () a form.
2. Switch to the **Form builder** tab.
3. Select an existing field or place a new one.
4. In the properties panel, enter the **{$key$}** [macro expression](https://docs.kentico.com/13/managing-website-content/forms/using-macros-with-forms.md) into the input field of the property you wish to localize. Substitute '**key**' with the resource string key you [created in the Localization application](#creating-new-resource-strings-in-the-localization-application).
   - For example, the following image illustrates the localization of the _Label_ and _Explanation text_ properties into Spanish using created _formfield.firstname_ and _formfield.firstname.explanationtext_ resource string keys.

     ![Localizing form fields using resource strings](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/13/localizing-form-fields/form_builder_localization.png "Localizing form fields using resource strings")

     > **Info:** **Localizing selector field options**
     >
     > When setting the **Options** property for fields based on a selector form component (_Drop-down list_, _Multiple choice_, or _Radio buttons_), you cannot localize the value stored for each option, only the text.
     >
     > Use the following format:
     >
     > _optionValue1;{$option1.text$}_\
     > _optionValue2;{$option2.text$}_
5. Click **Apply**.

In the form builder preview, the system resolves the given key to the text you specified for the default UI culture. Site visitors will always see the text in their selected culture.

## Localizing other form text

Apart from text related to individual form fields (such as field labels and tooltips), you can also translate and localize other text related to the form in general. The most typical examples are:

### Form submit button text

1. Edit the form and select the **General** tab.
2. Localize the **Submit button text** value as described in [Localizing text fields](https://docs.kentico.com/13/multilingual-websites/setting-up-a-multilingual-user-interface/localizing-text-fields.md).

### Validation message for required fields

If you enable the **Required** setting for a form field, visitors see a default error message when they attempt to submit the form without entering a value for the given field. To translate this message into another culture:

1. [Create a resource string](#creating-new-resource-strings-in-the-localization-application) with the following key: **general.requiresvalue**
2. Translate the string into the desired cultures.

The message text is shared by all fields in all forms, but you can provide your own translation for every culture.

### Form autoresponder emails

To localize the content of [form autoresponder emails](https://docs.kentico.com/13/managing-website-content/forms/form-autoresponder-emails.md):

1. [Create resource strings](#creating-new-resource-strings-in-the-localization-application) with the required text for all desired cultures.
2. Add the strings into the content of your autoresponder emails using **{$key$}** expressions (on the form's **Autoresponder** tab).