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Create Email Language Variants in Marketing Cloud Next
Translate content in Email Builder or XLIFF files without re-creating layouts for every language. All translated variants automatically inherit layout, style, and data source updates from the default variant to streamline your localization workflow.
Required Editions
| User Permissions Needed | |
|---|---|
| To add languages or edit language variants: | Marketing Cloud Manager permission set AND Any CMS workspace contributor role |
| To export or import translation files: | Manage Translation AND Create Documents |
Before you begin, create the email in the default language. See Create an Email in Marketing Cloud Next.
All translated variants inherit layout, style, and data source updates from the default variant.
Add Languages to a Marketing Workspace
Add each language that you need to the marketing workspace before you translate an email. The default language stays selected and locked.
- From the Content tab, open the marketing workspace that contains the email.
- Click Manage, and select Languages.
- Move each target language to Selected Additional Language.
- Save your changes.
Translate an Email in Email Builder
Generate or edit the translated copy directly in Email Builder, without rebuilding the layout for each language. Use in-app translation to quickly update individual language variants.
Upgrading to Winter ’27 doesn’t automatically add the Translate Text Content action to Content Builder agents created in Summer ’26 or earlier. To use agentic translation, create a new agent or manually edit your existing agent in Agentforce Builder, and then add the Translate Text Content action under the Content Creation topic.
- From the Content tab, open the marketing workspace, then open the email in Email Builder.
-
Click the Language Variants icon, and select the target
language.
The list includes the default language, such as Default - English (US), and each additional workspace language.
- Optional: To generate a translation with AI, open the Agentforce panel and ask the agent to translate the language variant.
-
Click Translate Variant.
The canvas shows the email and starts translating the copy, including image alt text.
- Review and edit the copy in the default components view, or switch to Code View or Text View.
- Save your work. Repeat these steps for each language.
Preview each language variant, and then publish the email.
Translate an Email with XLIFF Files
Export the email as an XLIFF file, translate the source text, and import the .zip archive. Use this method for external or high-volume localization.
- From the Content tab, open the marketing workspace, select the email, then click Manage, and under Translations, click Export.
- Move each target language to Languages to Export, and click Export.
- On Job Statuses, open the completed job and download the files.
- Translate the source text. Keep the file structure and identifiers unchanged, and save the files in a .zip archive.
-
Click Manage, and under Translations,
click Import, and then upload the source .zip file.
Import overwrites any existing translations.
-
Open the email and review each imported language variant.
To fix a variant after import, edit it in Email Builder.
If you create a new draft of a published email, Salesforce archives the previous version and its translations. Translate the new draft again. See Work with Content in the Translation Lifecycle.
