System Localization

Select from additional countries in the Next Experience language and region preferences or a user record.

Ensure that translated choices appear for applications by activating translated choice records after corresponding English choice records have been added by plugins.

Add collation information for an unsupported language to enable sorting columns in lists according to the language.

Make Playbooks available in multiple languages during runtime, to support worldwide business processes.

Specify a locale for an instance so information such as dates, times, and currencies display properly based on your location.

The ServiceNow platform supports multiple languages.

You can localize currencies for item prices and options.

When translating just a few UI strings, such as when you add customizations to a translated instance, use the procedure that applies to the type of text being translated.

Locate individual untranslated strings to provide your own translation of customer-created and customer-edited strings, such as field names and messages.

The knowledge base has its own Translation Management system. However, when this is disabled, knowledge base articles use translated_html fields for translated content.

Translate long pieces of text into the language of the user.

Configure the locales, languages, regions, and locations needed to accommodate your users.

Create regions to group languages in the language selector in portal headers.

Learn about support for localizing ServiceNow instances as part of your globalization strategy.

The Choice [sys_choice] table contains translated text for options that appear in lists.

The Field Label [sys_documentation] table stores the text of table names along with the singular and plural labels for each field in the table.

Change the language that appears by default for an instance.

The Languages [sys_language] table contains a list of the languages for which translated text is available.

The Message [sys_ui_message] table contains the translations for informational messages, confirmation messages, error messages, and other types of system messages across the platform.The name of this table appears as "Messages" in the list view but technically the table name is "Message" in the system definition.

You can specify language-specific labels in these Service Catalog screens: Cart, Edit Cart, and Check Out (including workflows and approvals).

The Translated Name / Fields [sys_translated] table stores translated values for text fields where the field type is translated_field (see the dictionary entry).

The Translated Text [sys_translated_text] table stores translations for fields with the field type translated_text or translated_html (see the dictionary entry).

ServiceNow stores translation information in these tables.

The user has several choices for identifying the language to be used for the instance, as described here.

Translate the interface of an instance to a language for which ServiceNow does not provide an internationalization (I18N) plugin.

Set a fallback language to be used when user interface text is not translated in the user's preferred language to accommodate the language needs of your users.

System Localization properties configure translation, currency, and locale settings on the instance for users from multiple countries.

Set locale text match to provide case and accent sensitivity when searching the text of table columns. The default behavior for text searching in table columns is insensitive to case and accent (diacritic) variations, but you can enforce sensitivity using locale text match.

Order string values according to the user's session language when sorting a column in a list.

Localization allows administrators to accommodate users from a variety of different countries, using different languages and currencies, within the same instance.

Reference topics provide additional information about configuration properties, tables, and more.

By default, the language supported by the platform is American English. You can activate plugins for other supported languages if you have the admin role.

Use the Text Direction field to configure a language that reads from right to left, such as Hebrew.

Allow users to select the language as a valid option in the language picker or a user record.

Add a record for a language not provided by an internationalization (I18N) plugin to associate new translations with.

Show which UI strings are translatable and their translation table to debug translations.

Get a list of all custom UI strings that have not been translated into any language (English only) to provide your own translations.

If your organization supports more than one distinct location, you can configure these locations in the platform to help further identify users, assets, and incidents.

Translate the messages used by client scripts.

Field labels are the names that appear on forms and lists to describe the type of information the field contains.

Field values are the text entries that are used for fields with the type translated_field, such as the Title or Hint field in the Module [sys_app_module] table.

Related lists appear at the bottom of forms. You can translate a related list name by configuring the list control.

Export translation records to translate to additional languages in your preferred translation environment and import the new or edited translation records through import sets.

Translate the labels of choices in a list.

Translate content you create or modify to a supported language or add an unsupported language.

Provide service around the globe with language translation and localization for specified regions.