--- title: Implement multilingual support for your site --- > 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). ## Implement multilingual support for your site Although creating the language versions of content is a task for editors, as a developer, you must take steps to ensure a consistent experience for your website visitors. ### Retrieve preferred language The first important building block is the **preferred language retriever**. Its `Get()` method returns the language of the request (if defined) or the **Primary language** of the current website channel. For channels that use language-specific domains, it returns the language of the request's domain. You can simply inject `IPreferredLanguageRetriever` anywhere you need, using dependency injection. For example: ```csharp using Kentico.Content.Web.Mvc.Routing; public class MyClass { private readonly IPreferredLanguageRetriever preferredLanguageRetriever; public MyClass(IPreferredLanguageRetriever preferredLanguageRetriever) { this.preferredLanguageRetriever = preferredLanguageRetriever; } public string DoThings() { // Retrieve the preferred language var currentLanguage = preferredLanguageRetriever.Get(); ... } } ``` > **Info:** The value returned is a **Code name** that has been defined for the language in the Xperience administration interface. > > ![General tab of the English language in the Languages application. The highlighted Identifiers section shows the Code name field set to en, between the Language name field set to English and the Formatting culture field set to en-US.](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/modules/implement-multilingual-support/code-name.png "Code name of a language in Xperience administration") ### Retrieve localized content items Based on whether you are using the [ContentRetriever API](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/developers-and-admins/api/content-item-api/content-retriever-api.md) or the [Content item query API](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/developers-and-admins/api/content-item-api/content-item-query-api.md), to retrieve a specific language variant of a content item, you: 1. Pass the language **Code name** (see picture above) as the `languageName` parameter to the ContentRetriever's extension method (ContentRetriever API). 2. Call the `InLanguage` extension method of [ContentItemQueryBuilder](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/developers-and-admins/api/content-item-api/reference-content-item-query.md), passing it a language **Code name** as a parameter (Content item query API). By passing in the [preferred language](#retrieve-preferred-language), you will get your content item(s) in a language variant consistent with your current context. Take a look at the place in your code where you call the `ContentRetriever` or the `ContentItemQueryBuilder`. If you have been working off [the main branch of our Training guides repository](https://github.com/Kentico/xperience-by-kentico-training-guides/tree/main) or are following along looking at [the finished branch](https://github.com/Kentico/xperience-by-kentico-training-guides/tree/finished), one example is located in _TrainingGuides.Web/Features/Shared/Services/ContentItemRetrieverService.cs_. ```csharp title="ContentItemRetrieverService.cs (main branch)" highlight="11,29" ... // retrieving content using ContentRetriever API public async Task RetrieveCurrentPage( int depth = 1, string? languageName = null) where T : IWebPageFieldsSource, new() { var parameters = new RetrieveCurrentPageParameters { LinkedItemsMaxLevel = depth, LanguageName = languageName ?? preferredLanguageRetriever.Get(), IsForPreview = webSiteChannelContext.IsPreview }; return await contentRetriever.RetrieveCurrentPage(parameters); } ... // retrieving content using Content item query API private async Task> RetrieveWebPages( Action parameters, int depth, string? languageName = null) { var builder = new ContentItemQueryBuilder() .ForContentTypes(query => query .WithLinkedItems(depth, options => options.IncludeWebPageData(true)) .ForWebsite(webSiteChannelContext.WebsiteChannelName)) .Parameters(parameters) .InLanguage(languageName ?? preferredLanguageRetriever.Get()); var queryExecutorOptions = new ContentQueryExecutionOptions { ForPreview = webSiteChannelContext.IsPreview }; return await contentQueryExecutor.GetMappedResult(builder, queryExecutorOptions); } public async Task RetrieveWebPageById( int webPageItemId, int depth = 2, string? languageName = null) { var pages = await RetrieveWebPages(parameters => { parameters.Where(where => where.WhereEquals(nameof(WebPageFields.WebPageItemID), webPageItemId)); }, depth, languageName ?? preferredLanguageRetriever.Get()); return pages.FirstOrDefault(); } ... ``` > **Note:** **Referenced content items** > > When retrieving a deeper structure of content items (e.g., a page that references another content item, which also references another content item), the call will return the whole structure of content items localized. > **Tip:** **Editor's task (optional): Display Home page in Spanish** > > Now, if your implementation is correct, your application is able to retrieve and display content items in different languages. You can test this, for example, by creating a new language version of one of your pages in the Xperience administration. > > 1. Navigate to **Channels → Training guides pages** and [translate the Home page into the new language](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/business-users/website-content/translate-pages.md). > 2. Remember to [translate and publish the reusable content item](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/business-users/content-hub/content-items.md#translate-content-items) referenced by the Home page (Landing content) as well. > > - _Welcome to Training guides!_ in Spanish is _¡Bienvenidos a las guías de formación!_. > - _Hello world!_ translates into _¡Hola Mundo!_. > 3. Visit the root of your website and add _/es_ to the end of the URL (e.g., _http://localhost:53415/es_). You should see your home page content in Spanish, like in the screenshot below. > > ![Training guides home page at localhost:53415/es showing the Spanish heading '¡Bienvenidos a las guías de formación!' and the text '¡Hola Mundo!', while the site title 'Training guides' stays in English.](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/modules/implement-multilingual-support/homepage-es.png "Image of the home page displaying Spanish content") ### Retrieve localized consent texts Localizing consent texts looks very similar to [localizing content items](#retrieve-localized-content-items) – you use the `IPreferredLanguageRetriever`. Pass the **preferred language** to the `GetConsentTextAsync` method as a parameter: ```csharp using CMS.DataProtection; // ... await consent.GetConsentTextAsync(preferredLanguageRetriever.Get()); ``` A good example of this in practice is a cookie preferences widget or a tracking consent banner. If you have previously followed our [Create a cookie preferences widget](https://docs.kentico.com/guides/development/data-protection/create-a-cookie-preferences-widget.md) and [Build a tracking consent banner](https://docs.kentico.com/guides/development/data-protection/build-a-tracking-consent-banner.md) guides, your code likely already handles multilingual situations, but let's take a closer look. 1. **Cookie preferences widget** Navigate to _CookiePreferencesWidgetViewComponent.cs_ in _TrainingGuides.Web/Features/DataProtection/Widgets/CookiePreferences:_ ```csharp title="CookiePreferencesWidgetViewComponent.cs" ... public async Task InvokeAsync(CookiePreferencesWidgetProperties properties) { ... return View("~/Features/DataProtection/Widgets/CookiePreferences/CookiePreferencesWidget.cshtml", new CookiePreferencesWidgetViewModel { // In this example Essential header and description are defined in the cookies widget (not as a separate consent in Data protection). // The correct language version will come back together with the page content. EssentialHeader = properties.EssentialHeader, EssentialDescription = properties.EssentialDescription, PreferenceHeader = preferenceCookiesConsent.ConsentDisplayName ?? CONSENT_MISSING_HEADER, // Retrieve consent text in preferred language and display its FullText property value as PreferenceDescriptionHtml PreferenceDescriptionHtml = new HtmlString((await preferenceCookiesConsent.GetConsentTextAsync(preferredLanguageRetriever.Get())).FullText) ?? consentMissingDescriptionHtml, AnalyticalHeader = analyticalCookiesConsent.ConsentDisplayName ?? CONSENT_MISSING_HEADER, // Retrieve consent text in preferred language and display its FullText property value as  AnalyticalDescriptionHtml    AnalyticalDescriptionHtml = new HtmlString((await analyticalCookiesConsent.GetConsentTextAsync(preferredLanguageRetriever.Get())).FullText) ?? consentMissingDescriptionHtml, MarketingHeader = marketingCookiesConsent.ConsentDisplayName ?? CONSENT_MISSING_HEADER, // Retrieve consent text in preferred language and display its FullText property value as MarketingDescriptionHtml    MarketingDescriptionHtml = new HtmlString((await marketingCookiesConsent.GetConsentTextAsync(preferredLanguageRetriever.Get())).FullText) ?? consentMissingDescriptionHtml, ... }); } ... ``` > **Warning:** If you are showing the _ConsentDisplayName_ to the visitor (e.g., as a consent header), be advised that _ConsentDisplayName_ does **not** support multiple language versions at this time. We recommend utilizing `IStringLocalizer` and shared resources in your .NET project to handle this, as you will see in [the next section](#translate-other-application-texts). > **Info:** See [this guide](https://docs.kentico.com/guides/development/data-protection/create-a-cookie-preferences-widget.md#widgetviewcomponent) to view the code in context. 2. **Tracking consent banner** Navigate to _TrackingConsentViewComponent.cs_ in _TrainingGuides.Web/Features/DataProtection/ViewComponents/TrackingConsent:_ ```csharp title="TrackingConsentViewComponent.cs" ... public async Task InvokeAsync() { ... if (consents.Count() > 0) { var currentContactInfo = ContactManagementContext.GetCurrentContact(false); string text = "
    "; List codenames = []; bool isAgreed = false; foreach (var consent in consents) { ... // When iterating through the list of consents to render a list of short texts: // Retrieve consent text in preferred language and access its ShortText property text += $"
  • {(await consent.GetConsentTextAsync(preferredLanguageRetriever.Get())).ShortText}
    • "; ... } text += "
"; ... // Displays a view with tracking consent information and actions return View("~/Features/DataProtection/ViewComponents/TrackingConsent/TrackingConsent.cshtml", consentModel); } return Content(string.Empty); } ... ``` > **Info:** Feel free to look over this code [in the context of its guide](https://docs.kentico.com/guides/development/data-protection/build-a-tracking-consent-banner.md#bannerviewcomponent). > **Tip:** **Editor's task (optional): Display cookie texts in Spanish** > > 1. Navigate to **Data protection** in your Xperience administration interface and follow [the documentation to translate your consent texts](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/developers-and-admins/data-protection/consent-management.md#translate-consents-to-other-languages) into Spanish (Español). > 2. Navigate to the **Training guides pages** website channel (**Channels → Training guides pages**), [translate the Cookie policy page](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/business-users/website-content/translate-pages.md), including the Cookie preferences widget, and publish. > 3. Visit the Spanish version of your Cookie policy page by inserting the 'es' language code after the base URL (e.g., _http://localhost:53415/es/cookie-policy_). You should see your translated Cookie preferences banner content. > > ![Cookie preferences widget on the cookie policy page at localhost:53415/es/cookie-policy. The Essential cookies section and all consent descriptions are in Spanish, but the Preference, Analytical, and Marketing cookies headings are still in English.](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/modules/implement-multilingual-support/cookie-policy-spanish-first-step.png "Image of the cookie policy page displaying consent texts in Spanish, but not consent names") > 4. Open your site in a new incognito browser window, appending _/es_ to the base URL. You should see your Tracking consent banner, looking similar to the picture below: > > ![Training guides home page at localhost:53415/es in an incognito window. The tracking consent banner lists the consent short texts in Spanish, but its heading 'This site uses cookies in the following ways', the Accept all cookies button, and the Configure cookies link are still in English.](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/modules/implement-multilingual-support/tracking-consent_half-done.png "Screenshot of the tracking consent banner showing consent texts in Spanish, but not other texts") > > To do the same through the [Management MCP server](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/developers-and-admins/api/management-api.md), add the Spanish text of each consent with `update_consent`. Create the Spanish variant of the Cookie policy page with `create_web_page_language_variant`, and translate the texts of its Cookie preferences widget with `update_page_builder_widget_properties`. Both tools publish the variant. Then request `http://localhost:53415/es/cookie-policy` without cookies and check that the response contains the Spanish consent texts. ### Translate other application texts Your application can now display localized consent texts. However, there are still some visitor-facing strings in your application that are not part of content items or consents. For example, the title in the header, the texts in the footer, cookie headers, or the **Configure cookies** link in the Tracking consent banner. For these hardcoded application strings, you can use standard ASP.NET Core localization features. In this example, we will use [IStringLocalizer](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/core/fundamentals/localization/make-content-localizable?view=aspnetcore-8.0#istringlocalizer) and [Shared resources](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/core/fundamentals/localization/make-content-localizable?view=aspnetcore-8.0#shared-resources). If you are following along and working off the [Training guides repository](https://github.com/Kentico/xperience-by-kentico-training-guides), you can see the _TrainingGuides.Web_ project already contains a _Resources_ folder with a _SharedResources_ class. Let's translate your texts into Spanish. Start with the "Training guides" title in the Header view component. 1. Locate the _HeaderViewComponent.cs_ file under _TrainingGuides.Web/Features/Header_. 2. Inject _IStringLocalizer_ using constructor injection and translate the `Heading` property as you see in the code below: ```csharp title="HeaderViewComponent.cs" using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc; using Microsoft.Extensions.Localization; namespace TrainingGuides.Web.Features.Header; public class HeaderViewComponent : ViewComponent { // Inject the IStringLocalizer passing in the SharedResources type. private readonly IStringLocalizer stringLocalizer; public HeaderViewComponent(IStringLocalizer stringLocalizer) { this.stringLocalizer = stringLocalizer; } public IViewComponentResult Invoke() { var model = new HeaderViewModel() { // Localize the "Training guides" string. Heading = stringLocalizer["Training guides"] }; return View("~/Features/Header/Header.cshtml", model); } } ``` 3. In the _Resources_ folder, create a _SharedResources.es.resx_ file. > **Note:** It is a good practice to use the two-letter ISO language name, based on [IETF or one of the ISO-639 standards](https://www.venea.net/web/culture_code) – "es" for Spanish. > > The example implementation in this series requires the language name to match the **Code name** defined for your language in Xperience administration. > > Texts in the administration, such as widget property labels, come from resource files registered with the `RegisterLocalizationResource` attribute, which follow different rules. Register them under the culture codes of your admin UI languages, such as `es-ES` when the admin UI language uses that code, and the English strings under the `SystemContext.SYSTEM_CULTURE_NAME` constant (`en-us`, which the system treats as `en-US`). For details, see [Register builder resources](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/developers-and-admins/customization/admin-ui-localization/localize-builder-components.md#register-builder-resources). > **Tip:** `IStringLocalizer` doesn't require storing the default language strings in a resource file. Simply call the localizer on the default strings (like in the code sample above). > > While the older approach of creating a _SharedResources.resx_ file and defining a code name for each string is still valid and works, [Microsoft documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/core/fundamentals/localization/make-content-localizable?view=aspnetcore-8.0#istringlocalizer) of the [IStringLocalizer](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/core/fundamentals/localization/make-content-localizable?view=aspnetcore-8.0#istringlocalizer) refers to the newer practice as preferred. 4. Add the Spanish translation: - name: **Training guides** (the text in the primary language) - value: **Guías de formación** > **Info:** Visual Studio will allow you to modify the file in a table view. If you use a different editor (e.g., Visual Studio Code), you may have to manually edit the XML inside the file. To add a text translation, add a `` tag inside the root: > > ```xml > > Guías de formación > > ``` 5. Find other strings in the project that are "hardcoded" in the application, rather than stored in Xperience by Kentico, and repeat the same steps. > **Tip:** To localize strings inside views, add `@inject IStringLocalizer StringLocalizer` to the view or to your _\_ViewImports.cshtml_ file. Then, call `StringLocalizer` like in the example above. For example, use `@StringLocalizer["Xperience by Kentico training guide samples."]` to translate one of the footer texts. Here is a [link to the full \*SharedResources.es.resx\* file in our repository](https://github.com/Kentico/xperience-by-kentico-training-guides/blob/2d03b90663e2853d23895688d25f06fae2719d7d/src/TrainingGuides.Web/Resources/SharedResources.es.resx), for your reference. It contains texts from the _TrainingGuides.Web_ project translated into Spanish. > **Tip:** You can see this `IStringLocalizer` approach applied to the cookie preferences widget and the tracking consent banner in [the finished branch of our Training guides repository](https://github.com/Kentico/xperience-by-kentico-training-guides/tree/finished). We'll use this approach to make some improvements [later in this series](https://docs.kentico.com/modules/multilingual/handle-multilingual-urls.md): > > - [Cookie preferences widget](https://github.com/Kentico/xperience-by-kentico-training-guides/blob/finished/src/TrainingGuides.Web/Features/DataProtection/Widgets/CookiePreferences/CookiePreferencesWidgetViewComponent.cs) > - [Tracking consent view component](https://github.com/Kentico/xperience-by-kentico-training-guides/blob/finished/src/TrainingGuides.Web/Features/DataProtection/ViewComponents/TrackingConsent/TrackingConsentViewComponent.cs) Your website visitors can now view individual pages' content in English (the **Primary language**) and Spanish (by typing '/es' after the base URL in the browser navigation bar): 🎬 [Video](https://docs.kentico.com/docsassets/modules/implement-multilingual-support/change-language-no-dropdown.mp4)