This article provides a complete guide to creating and managing language variations of your content in Pages 2.0 – from adding secondary-language versions to translating, refining, and localizing them for different audiences.
What are multi-language pages?
In Pages 2.0, you can create different versions of your existing pages in multiple languages – while keeping everything stored within a single page group. The language of your overarching page group acts as the primary language. From there, you can add secondary languages, which automatically generates draft copies of every existing page – ready for translation and localization based on your audience.
The draft pages generated for secondary languages:
- Copy the structure, layout, and content of your existing primary-language pages
- Can be translated one-by-one – either manually or using the auto-translate tool
- Can be edited independently, without affecting other language versions – helping you tailor each page to the needs of different regions
This feature is especially valuable for organizations with a global workforce, where content needs to remain both consistent and locally relevant. By creating multiple language variants of your content, you can build an intranet that is inclusive, accessible, and easy to manage.
Who has permission to manage languages in Pages 2.0?
Permissions for managing languages in Pages 2.0 depend on your level of access within the page group.
Page group owners and editors have full access to all multi-language functionality. This includes the ability to:
- Set or change the primary language of the page group
- Add or remove secondary languages, creating draft versions of the primary language pages
- Promote a secondary language to become the new primary
- Translate and edit content, structure, and layout across all language variants
- Publish or unpublish any page within the group
Page editors – those who have been assigned editing rights to individual pages in the primary language – do not have access to group-level language settings. However, once a page group owner or editor has added secondary languages, page editors can manage translations for the pages they’ve been assigned.
Page editors can:
- Translate and edit content, structure, and layout across all language variants of their assigned pages
- Publish or unpublish those pages across languages
This allows editors to fully manage localized updates for the pages they own — without needing full access to the entire page group.
How to set up multi-language pages
Set your primary language
In order to set up secondary languages, you must first establish your primary language. This defines the default language for a page group and determines the context from which all secondary language variants will be generated.
Your primary language is typically selected when you first create a page group. You can review or update this setting at any time:
- Open the page group and click the pencil icon to enter the editor.
- Click the Settings tab from the left-hand menu.
- Under Primary language, select or update the language as needed.
What changing the primary language does: Changing the primary language updates the setting for the group – but it does not translate or rewrite existing content. All text, layout, and structure will remain as originally created.
Changing the primary language during page migration: You cannot change the primary language of a page while it is being migrated. Please ensure the migration process is fully completed—including publishing the migrated page—before attempting to change the primary language.
Add a secondary language
Once your primary language is in place, you can add one or more secondary languages to your page group. When you do, Happeo creates a complete set of draft pages in that language – cloned from your existing primary-language pages.
These drafts provide a consistent starting point for translation and localization. While no translation is applied automatically, each page includes the same structure and content as the original – and can later be edited independently for the purposes of translation and localization.
To add a secondary language:
- Open the page group and enter edit mode by clicking the pencil icon at the top-right corner.
- Click the Languages tab.
- Under Secondary languages, click Add language.
- Select your desired language from the dropdown and click Add.
Once added, the language will appear in your left-hand navigation, and every page will have an equivalent draft version in that language – ready to translate or localize.
How to manage multi-language pages
Change a secondary language to a primary language
If you've already established a primary language and one or more secondary languages for your page group, you can easily switch an existing secondary language to be the new primary one. This is a great way to save time on translation creation, as you can promote an already translated version of your content to the main language.
Here's how to do it:
- Navigate to the page group where you want to make this change.
- Click the pencil icon in the top-right corner to enter the page editor.
- From the left-hand navigation, click the Languages tab.
- Find the secondary language you want to promote. Click the three dots to the right of that language and select Change to primary language.
Once you do this, you'll see the languages swap places under the "Primary language" and “Secondary languages” sections: your chosen secondary language will now be the primary, and your previous primary language will become a secondary language.
Remove a secondary language
If you want to remove a secondary language from your page group, just follow these simple steps:
- Go to the page group where the secondary language exists.
- Click the pencil icon in the top-right corner to open the page editor.
- In the left-hand menu, click on the Languages tab.
- Under Secondary Languages, find the language you want to remove and click the three dots next to it.
- Select Remove Language from the dropdown and confirm removal.
That’s it – the secondary language will be removed from the page group.
How to edit secondary language pages
When you add a secondary language to a Page Group – or create a new page in a group that already includes secondary languages – the content of each secondary version is initially connected and kept in sync with the primary version. This connection remains in place until you make direct edits to the secondary version.
Understanding how this behaviour works helps maintain consistency across languages and avoids unnecessary duplication of effort.
How connected pages work
Connected pages let you build content once in the primary language, then translate and localize from a consistent foundation. While they’re connected:
- Structure and content are mirrored: Secondary versions copy the layout and content of the primary page.
- Primary updates sync automatically: As long as no edits are made to a secondary page, any changes to the primary – like adding widgets, updating text, or restructuring sections – will reflect across all secondary versions.
- Secondary versions stay in draft: This gives you full control over when each translation goes live.
This connection helps reduce manual work and ensures a consistent base for multilingual content.
When pages become disconnected
A secondary page becomes disconnected the moment you make any direct edits to it. This includes:
- Running auto-translate.
- Manually editing text or formatting.
- Adding, removing, or modifying widgets or layout sections.
Once disconnected:
- The page becomes fully independent from the primary version.
- Any future changes made to the primary version will no longer appear in that secondary variant.
- You will need to manage the content and structure of that version separately going forward.
This behaviour is intentional. It gives you full freedom to localize content per audience without risking overwriting your edits later. However, disconnecting too early—before the primary version is final – can create more manual work and lead to inconsistencies.
For this reason, we strongly recommend not editing secondary language variants until the primary version is fully built and approved.
How to translate and localize secondary language pages
1. Finalize the primary language version first
Before translating or customizing a secondary page, make sure the primary version is complete. This includes:
- All key content is written and reviewed.
- The layout and widgets are in place.
- The structure of the page reflects the intended final version.
Editing a secondary variant too soon breaks the connection. If the primary page changes afterward, you will have to manually replicate those updates across every disconnected variant.
2. Choose your translation method
Once the primary version is finalized, you can begin translating your secondary pages. You have three options:
- Auto-translate the full page to quickly generate a draft translation. This is useful for getting started but should always be followed by review.
- Translate the content manually for full control and precision. This is recommended for key announcements, HR policies, or culturally sensitive content.
- Use the AI Writing Assistant to translate or rewrite specific sections of content — such as headlines, summaries, or button text. This is ideal when you want to retain structure but adjust tone or phrasing.
Note: Auto-translation will overwrite any existing content and immediately disconnect the page from the primary version. Once disconnected, changes in the primary will no longer apply. Always review translated pages for tone, accuracy, and clarity. Headings, buttons, and microcopy often require adjustment to sound natural in the translated language.
3. Localize content to reflect each audience
Once translation is complete, you can further tailor the page for each audience. Localization goes beyond language – it ensures that the page is relevant and useful for the region it serves. This may include:
- Updating widgets to show region-specific content (e.g. Berlin office news, Paris events).
- Replacing links or documents with local equivalents.
- Adjusting layouts, colours, or imagery to reflect cultural preferences or organizational structure.
Each version can be uniquely adapted while still maintaining a shared structure across your global intranet.
4. Review and publish your translated pages
Publishing is a manual step, giving you full control over when each language version goes live. Every page variant follows its own draft and live state – so you can publish translations gradually, as they’re completed.
When you press Publish, Happeo will automatically run AI Page Review. This checks your title, headings, and descriptions for clarity and searchability – helping ensure your content performs well in Happeo Search across all languages.
Once the review is complete:
- Publish the page to make it visible to end users.
- Keep other language versions in draft until they’re ready.
- Viewers will only see published versions, and can switch between them using the language selector at the top of the page.
Publishing is the final step in the translation workflow – and ensures each audience receives polished, localized content at the right time.
How to add new pages when secondary languages already exist
If your page group already includes secondary languages, any new page you create will automatically be added across all languages. Just like during initial setup, these new pages will begin as connected variants — sharing content and layout with the primary version.
To ensure this workflow remains efficient:
- Always create new pages from the primary language. This ensures the page content is mirrored across secondary languages as it is built.
- Do not edit secondary language versions until the primary version is finalized. If you edit a secondary version before the primary is complete, you’ll disconnect it prematurely and will need to recreate or translate that version manually.
- Structure is always shared across languages. Pages created in the primary language will exist in all others. Similarly, archiving or deleting a page removes it from every language variant.
If needed, you can keep specific language versions in draft while others are published — giving you flexibility over what users see, without disrupting structure or alignment.
FAQ
Setup and permissions
Can I assign different editors to manage different language versions of the same page group or page?
No. Editing permissions apply to the entire page group or page, not individual language versions. Any editor with access to a page group or page can edit all language versions. This ensures consistent structure and oversight across all localized content.
Are languages pre-translated when added?
No. Adding a secondary language only creates draft copies of the existing content. These are not automatically translated. Editors must either use the auto-translate feature or translate content manually. This approach ensures the translated content can be tailored to local language, tone, and cultural relevance, enhancing user engagement and clarity.
Will existing translations be retained if I migrate to Pages 2.0?
Yes. Any existing translations will be carried over during migration. You can continue to edit these translations to ensure they remain accurate and locally relevant.
Translation and content management
What happens if I update the primary language after a secondary language draft is created?
The update will not sync with the secondary language version. Each language version is independent. This prevents unintended overwrites and preserves localized messaging. It’s best to manually update secondary versions to reflect any important changes made to the primary content.
Can I re-trigger auto-translate for a secondary language after updating the primary language?
No. Auto-translation of a primary language page can be triggered only once per secondary language page. After the initial translation, the system marks the page as "translated" to prevent overwriting any manual edits.
If you want to auto-translate new content, insert a new text widget in the secondary version with original language text — the system will recognize it and allow auto-translation.
What happens if I remove a secondary language?
All draft and published pages for that secondary language will be permanently deleted. If you re-add the language, you will need to start translation from scratch.
Version history and editing
Can I revert a translation to a previous version?
Yes. Version history is supported for secondary languages. To revert:
- Open the page editor.
- Select the desired language from the dropdown.
- Click the three dots next to the page.
- Choose View history, and click Restore next to the version you want to revert to.
You can learn more about version history in this article.
Localization and user experience
How does the system decide which language to show a page viewer by default?
Pages 2.0 uses your user settings to determine the default language:
- If the page group contains your preferred language, that version will load.
- If not, the primary language of the page group will be shown.
Can users set their preferred language for viewing pages?
Yes. Users can change their default content language by:
- Clicking their avatar at the top-right corner of the main navigation.
- Going to User Settings > My Settings.
- Under General Settings, selecting a preferred Default content language.
Will translated content appear in search results?
Yes. Secondary language versions are indexed for search in their respective languages. For example, if a user searches in French, they’ll see results from the French language version—if it exists.