> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mayekun.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# NodeForgeCMS Multilingual Setup: Languages and Routing

> Configure multilingual support in NodeForgeCMS — enable languages, set URL prefixes, and use AI translation across 21 supported locales.

NodeForgeCMS was built with global audiences in mind. You can publish and maintain content in as many languages as you need — all from a single admin panel, without managing separate sites or deployments. Each language gets its own URL-prefixed routes, its own content entries, and can be managed independently. Whether you are running a bilingual regional site or a fully globalized enterprise platform, the multilingual system scales with you.

<Note>
  The default language for your site is set in **System Settings → General → Default Language**. The default language is served at the root URL (e.g., `https://yoursite.com/about`) while additional languages use a URL prefix (e.g., `https://yoursite.com/zh/about`). Make sure the correct default language is configured before you start publishing content.
</Note>

## Setting Up Multiple Languages

<Steps>
  <Step title="Enable languages in admin settings">
    Log in to the admin panel and navigate to **Settings → Language Settings** (or **Localization** depending on your version). You will see a list of available languages. Toggle on each language you want to support, then click **Save**. Enabled languages immediately become available in the article editor and the admin language selector.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create content in the primary language">
    Start by building out your content in your site's default language. Navigate to **Articles**, click **+ New Article**, and write your content as normal. Select the **default language** from the language selector in the article form, assign a column, and publish.

    Having a complete primary-language version of each article first gives you a clear source to translate from and ensures your site's core experience is solid before expanding to additional languages.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Switch the admin language selector to your target language">
    At the top of the admin panel (or within the article editor), locate the **Language** selector dropdown. Switch it from your default language to the language you want to create content for — for example, switch from *English* to *Chinese (Simplified)*.

    The admin interface will now show content filtered to the selected language. You will notice that articles you created in English are not listed here — each language maintains its own independent content list.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create or translate content for the target language">
    With the target language selected, create a new article for the translated version:

    * Click **+ New Article**.
    * Enter the translated title and body content.
    * Assign the article to the same column as the original.
    * Ensure the correct language is selected in the language field.

    You can write the translation manually, or use NodeForgeCMS's built-in AI translation tool to generate a starting draft automatically. See [AI Features](/guides/ai-features) for step-by-step instructions on AI-assisted translation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify the translated page at its localized URL">
    After saving and publishing the translated article, open a new browser tab and navigate to the localized URL. The URL format follows this pattern:

    ```
    https://yoursite.com/{language-code}/{column-urlkey}/{article-slug}
    ```

    For example, a Chinese translation of an "About Us" article in the `about` column would appear at:

    ```
    https://yoursite.com/zh/about/about-us
    ```

    Confirm the page loads correctly, the content displays as expected, and any language-specific formatting (e.g., right-to-left text, CJK characters) renders properly.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## How Language Routing Works

NodeForgeCMS uses a **URL prefix strategy** for language routing. Each non-default language gets a short ISO code prepended to its URL paths:

| Language           | URL Pattern          | Example                        |
| ------------------ | -------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| English (default)  | `/column/article`    | `/news/launch-announcement`    |
| Chinese Simplified | `/zh/column/article` | `/zh/news/launch-announcement` |
| French             | `/fr/column/article` | `/fr/news/launch-announcement` |
| Spanish            | `/es/column/article` | `/es/news/launch-announcement` |

The language code used in the URL is determined by the language configuration in **Settings → Language Settings**. The routing is handled automatically by NodeForgeCMS — you do not need to configure URL rewrites or routing rules manually.

## Using AI Translation

For sites with large volumes of content, manually translating every article is time-consuming. NodeForgeCMS includes AI-powered translation to accelerate the process:

1. Open the article you want to translate (in any language) in the article editor.
2. Locate the **AI Translate** panel — usually in the right-hand sidebar or below the body editor.
3. Select the **source language** (the language the article is currently written in).
4. Select the **target language** (the language you want to translate into).
5. Click **Translate**. The AI will generate a translated version of the title and body content.
6. Review the output carefully, make any corrections, and adjust phrasing to sound natural.
7. Save the translated article as a new language entry.

For full details on configuring and using AI features, see the [AI Features guide](/guides/ai-features).

## Content Isolation Between Languages

<Tip>
  Each language version of an article is completely independent. Editing the English version of an article does **not** automatically update the French or Chinese versions. This is intentional — it gives you full control over the exact phrasing and tone of each language version. It also means you are responsible for keeping translations in sync when source content changes. A good workflow is to maintain a "last translated" date in the article notes so editors know when a re-translation may be needed.
</Tip>