Managing Languages for Your Global Markets – SHOPLINE Help Center

To deliver a localized shopping experience, it’s important to present your store content in the languages your customers understand.

In SHOPLINE, store languages and market languages are related, but they serve different purposes. This guide explains the difference between them and how language settings work under different domain types.

Before Assigning Languages to Markets

Before adding a new language to your store, we recommend completing a few key preparations to ensure a smooth launch and provide a seamless browsing experience for your customers. This section covers two essential areas to help you configure and manage your language settings effectively.

Domain Setup

By default, each newly created market shares the same domain and languages as your primary market. To display the appropriate languages for each target market, you’ll need to assign a subfolder or subdomain. This allows you to specify unique languages for that market.

For detailed setup instructions, refer to this Help Center guide.

Translating Store Content

Before adding a new language, we recommend preparing complete translation content to ensure your store’s messaging remains accurate and consistent. You have two options:

Bulk Export and Import: Go to Settings > Language > Import custom translation text to use the export/import functions. This is ideal for bulk file management, collaboration, or backup purposes.
Translation Apps: SHOPLINE offers visual translation tools, such as Multi-Language Translator and Multi-language & Multi-currency Assistant, enabling you to directly edit and manage translated content to improve workflow efficiency.

Adding Languages to Your Store

Before assigning languages to markets, you must first add them to your store’s supported language list. Follow these steps:

From your SHOPLINE admin panel, go to Settings > Languages.
In the Supported languages section, click Add languages.
Select one or more languages from the pop-up list based on your needs, then click Save.

The selected languages are now added to your store. You can proceed to assign them to your markets.

Assigning Languages for Main-Domain Markets (Primary Market)

If a market continues to use the main domain, it follows the primary market’s language configuration and its languages cannot be managed separately.

If you want to adjust the languages shown in markets using the main domain, update them in the primary market. These changes also apply to other markets using the main domain.

To do this:

From your SHOPLINE Admin, go to Settings > Markets, then click the Primary market.
Click Domains and languages.
In the Market language section, click Add languages or make the required changes.
Click Update to save your settings.

Assigning Languages for Markets Using Customized Domains

If a market has enabled Customize domains with market-specific languages, you can add and manage languages separately for that market.

To do this:

From your SHOPLINE Admin, go to Settings > Markets, then click the target market.
Click Domains and languages.
Make sure Customize domains with market-specific languages are enabled.
In the Market language section, click Add market language.
Select the language you want to add, then click Add.
Click Update to save your settings.

Notes:

If no language is added after enabling customized domains, the setup cannot be saved.
If you select a language that has not yet been added to the store, the system automatically adds it to the store language list when you save.

Changing the Default Market Language

If multiple languages are assigned to a market, you can set a new default language by following these steps:

From your SHOPLINE admin panel, go to Settings > Markets, then click the market you want to edit.
Click Domains and languages.
In the language list, click the More options icon (...) next to the desired language, then select Set as default.
Click Update to save your settings.

Removing a Language from a Market

If a language no longer needs to be shown in a market, you can remove it from that market. To do this:

From your SHOPLINE admin panel, go to Settings > Markets, then click the market you want to edit.
Click Domains and languages.
In the language list, click the More options icon (...) next to the language you want to remove, then select Remove from market.
Click Update to save your settings.

Notes:

Only markets using customized domains support removing languages separately.
Markets using the main domain follow the primary market’s language settings and cannot be managed separately.
If you remove the current default language, the system automatically sets the next language as the default.

Deleting Supported Store Languages

If you no longer need a specific language, you can delete it. This action permanently removes all associated translations. To re-enable the language later, you’ll need to add and translate it again.

Note: Deleting a language removes it from all markets. Please proceed with caution.

To delete a language:

From your SHOPLINE admin panel, go to Settings > Languages.
In the Supported languages section, click the more options icon next to the language you want to delete, then select Delete language.

Permissions for Managing Languages

If your current account does not have permission for Settings > Languages, the following actions may not be available:

Adding market languages
Adding new store languages
Changing the default market language
Removing a language from a market
Saving changes that involve market language settings

If you need to continue, contact your store administrator to request the required permission.