This article explains how the user language is defined in SMARTFENSE and what the platform does when content is not available in the user's language, through the similar languages mechanism and the instance's preferred language.
User Language
The user language determines in which language the platform interface and the content displayed in campaigns are shown.
During import, it is possible to bring the language from:
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Google Workspace
- Other import methods, such as CSV
Once imported, each user can change their language from their profile.
When the user changes the language from their profile, this setting is fixed to prevent future synchronizations with Entra ID or Google Workspace from overwriting the language preference chosen by the user.
To learn about all user onboarding options, see the article Which User Import Method Is Best for Your Organization?.
Preferred Language
Platform content—both predefined and customized—can be available in different languages. When content is not available in the user's language, the platform applies this fallback order:
- It looks for the content in a language similar to the user's.
- If there is no match, it looks for it in the instance’s preferred language.
- If it is still not available, it displays it in another language selected randomly.
The preferred language is configured under Settings > Organization > Preferred Language.
Similar Languages
| Family | Languages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | Spanish (Latin America), Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Mexico), Basque (Euskadi) |
| Portuguese | Português (Brazil), Português (Portugal) |
| English | English (United Kingdom), English (United States) |
If the content is also not available in the preferred language, it will be shown to the user in another language selected randomly.
Why Is a User Seeing Content in a Different Language?
If an administrator detects that a user is seeing content in a language other than expected, check these points in order:
- Verify the language assigned to the user in their profile under Users and Groups > Users.
- Verify that the content in question has a version in the user’s language.
- If it does not, check if it exists in a similar language from the same family.
- Confirm the value configured under Settings > Organization > Preferred Language.
- If the content is not available in the user’s language, a similar one, or the preferred one, the platform chooses another language randomly.
💡 Best Practices
- Set the user language during import (for example, from Microsoft Entra ID or Google Workspace) to reduce manual adjustments by the administrator.
- Inform your users that if they change the language from their profile, that preference is fixed and will not be changed by future synchronizations.
- Configure Preferred Language to ensure a consistent fallback language in the instance.
- Verify that predefined and customized content is available in the languages most used by your users to avoid content being shown in a random language.