Link localized asset variants

Note: This article is no longer maintained. For updated information, please refer to the corresponding Admin App article. We recommend updating your links if you’ve linked to this article.

The content about your products is tailored to the local language, values, and customs of each region you distribute it to. As an admin, you can link your content's localized variants to a primary asset in Showpad’s Content Library, giving you a single view of all alternative assets to help identify gaps. If a localized variant isn't ready, you can distribute a global fallback as a placeholder while translations are in progress, then easily swap in the local variant when the translations are complete. Your seller’s Experiences and Pages will be seamlessly populated with the relevant content, depending on their locale.

Key features

• Link, view, and manage asset variants using locale as a differentiator within a single Division
• Sync localized variants to a primary asset
• Create placeholders as a temporary fallback for content that needs to be localized
• Identify missing localized asset variants by viewing them all in one place

You need this to succeed

• Showpad Content Essential, Plus, or Ultimate package
• Admin access to a Division’s content library

The quick way to awesomeness

1. Identify a primary asset
2. Link variants to the primary asset on the Localization tab in the asset detail panel
3. View and manage the relationship between localized assets 
   
4. Create a placeholder for a pending localized variant
5. Replace a placeholder with a new variant

Do this step by step

Link localized variants to a primary asset 

We recommend setting the Locale property on the assets in your library. This will speed up the process of linking variants and allow for dynamic content filtering in Experiences and Pages.

It's a good idea to determine the global primary language for your organization or Division. Use content with this language as your primary asset. Link variants to this asset.

Note: Assets with Global permissions (shared across all Divisions) cannot be linked as localized variants.

1. Log in to the Online Platform. Navigate to the Library tab. If your organization has separate Divisions, choose a Division.
2. To start, ensure there is an asset in the Library with the designated primary global language that you will use as the primary asset. If the asset with the primary global language is not in the library, click Add to include it in your library.
3. Select the primary asset in the library and click the Localization tab in the asset details pane. Click Add localization.
   
4. Click the star icon under Type to indicate this is the primary asset. Verify or define the Locale. Edit the Author property if needed. Click Proceed.
5. You can link local variants to the primary asset by browsing the Division library or uploading them from a local source.
   • If the local variants are in the library, select Link existing asset and click Proceed. Search or filter to locate the local variants of the primary asset. Choose the variant(s) and click Insert item(s).
   • If the variants must be added to the library, select Upload a new asset and click Proceed. Drag and Drop or browse to upload the files from a local source. Click upload. Once the asset has a check mark, click Proceed.
   • Verify or define the Locale and, optionally, the Author property. Click Confirm.
6. Alternatively, you can link a localized variant to a primary asset by selecting the variant from the library and viewing the Localization tab in the asset details pane. Click Add localization.
   
   •  Select the plus sign under Type to specify that this is a local variant. Verify or update the Locale and, optionally, the Author property of the variant. Click Proceed.
   • Search or filter the library to locate the primary asset. The primary asset must be the same file type as the variant. Select the primary asset and click Insert 1 item.
   • Verify or update the Locale and, optionally, the Author property of the primary asset. Click Confirm.

View and manage the relationship between localized assets

In the Localization tab of the asset details pane, you can add and manage the relationship between the primary asset and its localized variants.

1. Click the three dot menu next to a variant title and select Edit properties to edit the asset or Remove localization to unlink it from the primary asset.
2. Below the linked localized variants is a list of suggested assets with locale properties that may be used as additional variants to the primary asset. Click the plus sign to link the suggested variant to the primary asset. Click x to remove the suggestion.
3. Click a variant to view the relationship between it, the primary asset, and other localized variants on the Localization tab of its detail panel.

Create a localized placeholder asset

When a new local variant of an asset is planned but not yet available, link a placeholder variant to the primary asset. Placeholder assets will be visible to users in their Pages and Experiences. Once the localized variant is ready, replace the placeholder. The most up-to-date content will be available to your team.

1. On the Localization tab of the primary asset details panel, click Add.
2. Review the primary asset's localization settings and click Proceed.
3. Select Create placeholder and click Proceed.
4. Set the anticipated Locale property settings for the placeholder.
5. Name the content author(s).
   • The authors will receive an email notifying them to replace the placeholder with a new localized variant. The email includes the placeholder creator, the locale, and a link to the placeholder in the library. The notification is only sent when creating a placeholder. If you edit the authors later, an email won't be sent.
6. To create more localized placeholder assets, click Add. Otherwise, click Confirm.
7. The primary asset is copied, and the file name is appended with "placeholder." The new placeholder asset is linked to the primary asset. If the primary asset is updated with a new version, the placeholder asset is also updated. To edit the placeholder asset properties, including the title, click on the asset or click the three dot menu and select Edit Properties.

Tip: New placeholder assets that need localization are listed on the Recent Activities page. To view placeholders created in the last 30 days, use the Activity Types filter and select Pending Localization.

Replace a placeholder asset

1. Click the three dot menu next to the placeholder in the Localization tab in the asset detail panel of the primary asset. Select either Upload or Link existing asset.
   • Select Upload to browse or drag and drop a local file to the library. The asset should be the same file type as the placeholder asset. For example, if the placeholder file is a PDF, the replacement file should also be a PDF.
     The properties are populated with the placeholder asset settings.
   • Select Link existing asset to search and filter the Division library. The file type should be the same as the placeholder asset. With the single file chosen, click Insert 1 item.
     The Locale and Author properties are populated with both the selected asset and placeholder settings. Ensure the replacement asset has the same tags and locale properties as the placeholder asset to populate it in smart folders and dynamically filtered asset blocks.
     Adjust the Locale and Author properties, if necessary, and click Confirm.
2. When a placeholder asset is replaced, it is removed from the library. The updated asset will be presented wherever the placeholder asset is populated in a smart folder or dynamically filtered in an asset block. So, if you have designed a local Experience with a smart folder that populated the placeholder asset, the new variant will be in its place.