How to set up multi-language documentation

Set up multi-language documentation with locale-based routing, language switcher navigation, and translated content to reach global audiences.

Internationalization (i18n) is the process of designing software or content to work for different languages and locales. This guide explains how to structure files, configure navigation, and maintain translations effectively so that you can help users access your documentation in their preferred language and improve global reach.

File structure

Organize translated content in language-specific directories to keep your documentation maintainable and structure your navigation by language.

Create a separate directory for each language using ISO 639-1 language codes. Place translated files in these directories with the same structure as your default language.

Show Supported language codes

ar - Arabic
ca - Catalan
zh or zh-Hans or zh-CN - Chinese (Simplified)
zh-Hant or zh-TW - Chinese (Traditional)
cs - Czech
da - Danish
de - German
en - English
es - Spanish
fi - Finnish
fr - French
fr-CA - French (Canadian)
he - Hebrew
hi - Hindi
hu - Hungarian
id - Indonesian
it - Italian
ja or ja-JP - Japanese
ko - Korean
lv - Latvian
nl - Dutch
no - Norwegian
pl - Polish
pt or pt-BR - Portuguese
ro - Romanian
ru - Russian
sv - Swedish
tr - Turkish
uk - Ukrainian
uz - Uzbek
vi - Vietnamese

Example file structure

docs/
├── index.mdx                    # English (default)
├── quickstart.mdx
├── fr/
│   ├── index.mdx               # French
│   ├── quickstart.mdx
├── es/
│   ├── index.mdx               # Spanish
│   ├── quickstart.mdx
└── zh/
    ├── index.mdx               # Chinese
    └── quickstart.mdx

Keep the same filenames and directory structure across all languages. This makes it easier to maintain translations and identify missing content.

Configure the language switcher

To add a language switcher to your documentation, configure the languages array in your docs.json navigation.

docs.json

{
  "navigation": {
    "languages": [
      {
        "language": "en",
        "groups": [
          {
            "group": "Getting started",
            "pages": ["index", "quickstart"]
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "language": "es",
        "groups": [
          {
            "group": "Comenzando",
            "pages": ["es/index", "es/quickstart"]
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Each language entry in the languages array requires:

language: ISO 639-1 language code
Full navigation structure
Paths to translated files

The navigation structure can differ between languages to accommodate language-specific content needs.

Do not use the same page path in more than one language. Duplicating paths across languages results in undefined behavior. Each page path must appear in only one language’s navigation.

Set default language

The first language in the languages array is automatically used as the default. To use a different language as the default, either reorder the array or add the default property:

docs.json

{
  "navigation": {
    "languages": [
      {
        "language": "es",
        "groups": [...]
      },
      {
        "language": "en",
        "groups": [...]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Alternatively, use the default property to override the order:

docs.json

{
  "navigation": {
    "languages": [
      {
        "language": "en",
        "groups": [...]
      },
      {
        "language": "es",
        "default": true,
        "groups": [...]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Single language documentation

If you only want one language available without a language switcher, remove the languages field from your navigation configuration. Instead, define your navigation structure directly:

docs.json

{
  "navigation": {
    "tabs": [
      {
        "tab": "Documentation",
        "groups": [
          {
            "group": "Getting started",
            "pages": ["index", "quickstart"]
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

This displays your documentation in a single language without the language switcher UI.

Translate navigation labels like group or tab names to match the language of the content. This creates a fully localized experience for your users.

To add global navigation elements that appear across all languages, configure the global object in your docs.json navigation.

docs.json

{
  "navigation": {
    "global": {
      "anchors": [
        {
          "anchor": "Documentation",
          "href": "https://example.com/docs"
        },
        {
          "anchor": "Blog",
          "href": "https://example.com/blog"
        }
      ]
    },
    "languages": [
      // Language-specific navigation
    ]
  }
}

Customize the footer and navbar for each language to display translated content and region-specific links.

Add footer and navbar properties to each language configuration:

docs.json

{
  "navigation": {
    "languages": [
      {
        "language": "en",
        "footer": {
          "socials": {
            "x": "https://x.com/mintlify"
          },
          "links": [
            {
              "header": "Resources",
              "items": [
                { "label": "Documentation", "href": "/en/docs" },
                { "label": "Blog", "href": "https://mintlify.com/blog" }
              ]
            }
          ]
        },
        "navbar": {
          "links": [
            { "label": "Docs", "href": "/en/docs" }
          ],
          "primary": {
            "type": "button",
            "label": "Get Started",
            "href": "/en/quickstart"
          }
        },
        "groups": [
          {
            "group": "Getting started",
            "pages": ["en/quickstart", "en/index"]
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "language": "es",
        "footer": {
          "socials": {
            "x": "https://x.com/mintlify"
          },
          "links": [
            {
              "header": "Recursos",
              "items": [
                { "label": "Documentación", "href": "/es/docs" },
                { "label": "Blog", "href": "https://mintlify.com/blog" }
              ]
            }
          ]
        },
        "navbar": {
          "links": [
            { "label": "Documentación", "href": "/es/docs" }
          ],
          "primary": {
            "type": "button",
            "label": "Comenzar",
            "href": "/es/quickstart"
          }
        },
        "groups": [
          {
            "group": "Comenzando",
            "pages": ["es/quickstart", "es/index"]
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Language-specific footer and navbar override the global settings for that language. If a language doesn’t define these properties, it inherits the global configuration.

You can also configure a language-specific banner using the same pattern.

Maintain translations

Keep translations accurate and synchronized with your source content.

Translation workflow

Update source content in your primary language.
Identify changed content.
Translate changed content.
Review translations for accuracy.
Update translated files.
Verify navigation and links work.

Automated translations

For automated translation solutions, set up an automation to run the agent on a schedule or in response to repository pushes.

External translation providers

If you work with your own translation vendors or regional translators, you can integrate their workflow with your Mintlify documentation using GitHub Actions or similar CI/CD tools.

Export source content: Extract MDX files that need translation.
Send to translators: Provide files to your translation provider.
Receive translations: Get translated MDX files back.
Import and deploy: Add translated files to language directories and update navigation.

This GitHub Actions workflow automatically exports changed English content for translation when PRs merge to main.

.github/workflows/export-for-translation.yml

name: Export content for translation

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
    paths:
      - '*.mdx'
      - '!es/**'
      - '!fr/**'
      - '!zh/**'

# Prevent concurrent workflow runs to avoid race conditions
concurrency:
  group: translation-export-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: false

jobs:
  export:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    
    # Early exit if no changes detected (optional - acts as additional safety)
    outputs:
      files-changed: ${{ steps.changed.outputs.has-files }}
    
    steps:
      - name: Checkout repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          fetch-depth: 2

      - name: Get changed MDX files
        id: changed
        run: |
          # Check if parent commit exists (handles initial push)
          if ! git rev-parse HEAD~1 >/dev/null 2>&1; then
            echo "has-files=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
            echo "files=" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
            echo "No parent commit found - skipping export"
            exit 0
          fi
          
          # Get list of changed MDX files (excluding translation dirs)
          files=$(git diff --name-only HEAD~1 HEAD -- '*.mdx' ':!es/' ':!fr/' ':!zh/' | tr '\n' ' ')
          
          if [ -z "$files" ]; then
            echo "has-files=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
            echo "files=" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
            echo "No MDX files changed - skipping export"
          else
            echo "has-files=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
            echo "files=$files" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
            echo "Found changed files: $files"
          fi
        shell: bash

      - name: Create translation package directory
        if: steps.changed.outputs.has-files == 'true'
        run: |
          mkdir -p translation-export
          echo "Created translation-export directory"

      - name: Copy changed files to export directory
        if: steps.changed.outputs.has-files == 'true'
        run: |
          failed_count=0
          for file in ${{ steps.changed.outputs.files }}; do
            if [ -f "$file" ]; then
              target_dir="translation-export/$(dirname "$file")"
              mkdir -p "$target_dir"
              cp "$file" "$target_dir/"
              echo "✓ Copied: $file"
            else
              echo "✗ File not found: $file"
              ((failed_count++))
            fi
          done
          
          if [ $failed_count -gt 0 ]; then
            echo "Warning: $failed_count file(s) could not be copied"
          fi
        shell: bash

      - name: Validate translation package
        if: steps.changed.outputs.has-files == 'true'
        run: |
          echo "Translation package contents:"
          find translation-export -type f -name "*.mdx" | sort
          echo ""
          file_count=$(find translation-export -type f -name "*.mdx" | wc -l)
          echo "Total MDX files: $file_count"

      - name: Upload translation package
        if: steps.changed.outputs.has-files == 'true'
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: translation-export-${{ github.sha }}
          path: translation-export/
          retention-days: 30
          if-no-files-found: error
          compression-level: 9

      - name: Print job summary
        if: steps.changed.outputs.has-files == 'true'
        run: |
          echo "## Translation Export Complete" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
          echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
          echo "**Artifact:** \`translation-export-${{ github.sha }}\`" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
          echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
          echo "**Changed Files:**" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
          echo "${{ steps.changed.outputs.files }}" | tr ' ' '\n' | sed 's/^/- /' >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY

This GitHub Actions workflow validates and imports translated content when added via PR.

.github/workflows/import-translations.yml

name: Import translations

on:
  pull_request:
    paths:
      - 'es/**'
      - 'fr/**'
      - 'zh/**'

# Define explicit permissions
permissions:
  contents: read
  pull-requests: write

jobs:
  validate:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    
    outputs:
      validation-status: ${{ steps.final-check.outputs.status }}
    
    steps:
      - name: Checkout repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          fetch-depth: 0  # Full history to ensure origin/main is available

      - name: Fetch origin/main reference
        run: |
          git fetch origin main:origin/main 2>/dev/null || echo "origin/main not available, using latest"
        continue-on-error: true

      - name: Get changed translation files
        id: changed-files
        run: |
          # Get all changed MDX files in translation directories
          files=$(git diff --name-only origin/main..HEAD -- 'es/**/*.mdx' 'fr/**/*.mdx' 'zh/**/*.mdx' | sort)
          
          if [ -z "$files" ]; then
            echo "No translation MDX files detected in this PR"
            echo "files=" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
            echo "count=0" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
          else
            echo "Found $(echo "$files" | wc -l) translation files"
            echo "$files"
            echo "files=$files" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
            echo "count=$(echo "$files" | wc -l)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
          fi
        shell: bash

      - name: Validate frontmatter
        id: frontmatter
        if: steps.changed-files.outputs.count > 0
        run: |
          failed_files=()
          success_count=0
          total=${{ steps.changed-files.outputs.count }}
          
          while IFS= read -r file; do
            if [ ! -f "$file" ]; then
              echo "✗ File not found: $file"
              failed_files+=("$file")
              continue
            fi
            
            # Check for valid frontmatter (lines 1-2 must be ---)
            first_line=$(sed -n '1p' "$file")
            second_line=$(sed -n '2p' "$file")
            last_line=$(awk 'NF' "$file" | tail -1)
            
            if [ "$first_line" = "---" ] && grep -q "^---$" "$file"; then
              echo "✓ Valid frontmatter: $file"
              ((success_count++))
            else
              echo "✗ Invalid frontmatter in $file"
              echo "  Line 1: '$first_line'"
              failed_files+=("$file")
            fi
          done <<< "${{ steps.changed-files.outputs.files }}"
          
          echo ""
          echo "Frontmatter check: $success_count/$total passed"
          
          if [ ${#failed_files[@]} -gt 0 ]; then
            echo "frontmatter_valid=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
            printf 'failed_files=%s\n' "${failed_files[@]}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
          else
            echo "frontmatter_valid=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
          fi
        shell: bash

      - name: Check file structure
        id: structure
        if: steps.changed-files.outputs.count > 0
        run: |
          missing_sources=()
          orphaned_count=0
          
          while IFS= read -r translated_file; do
            # Extract language and relative path
            # e.g., "es/docs/guide.mdx" -> lang="es", relative_path="docs/guide.mdx"
            lang=$(echo "$translated_file" | cut -d'/' -f1)
            relative_path=$(echo "$translated_file" | cut -d'/' -f2-)
            source_file="$relative_path"
            
            if [ ! -f "$source_file" ]; then
              echo "Missing source: $translated_file -> $source_file"
              missing_sources+=("$translated_file")
              ((orphaned_count++))
            else
              echo "✓ Found source: $translated_file -> $source_file"
            fi
          done <<< "${{ steps.changed-files.outputs.files }}"
          
          echo ""
          echo "Structure check: $orphaned_count orphaned file(s)"
          
          if [ $orphaned_count -gt 0 ]; then
            echo "structure_valid=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
            printf 'missing_sources=%s\n' "${missing_sources[@]}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
          else
            echo "structure_valid=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
          fi
        shell: bash

      - name: Validate file integrity
        id: integrity
        if: steps.changed-files.outputs.count > 0
        run: |
          integrity_passed=true
          
          while IFS= read -r file; do
            # Check file is readable and not empty
            if [ ! -r "$file" ] || [ ! -s "$file" ]; then
              echo "✗ File integrity issue: $file (not readable or empty)"
              integrity_passed=false
            fi
            
            # Basic check: file should have content after frontmatter
            line_count=$(wc -l < "$file")
            if [ "$line_count" -lt 5 ]; then
              echo "File is suspiciously short: $file ($line_count lines)"
            fi
          done <<< "${{ steps.changed-files.outputs.files }}"
          
          if [ "$integrity_passed" = true ]; then
            echo "integrity_valid=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
          else
            echo "integrity_valid=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
          fi
        shell: bash

      - name: Generate validation report
        if: always()
        run: |
          echo "## Translation Validation Report" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
          echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
          echo "**Files Changed:** ${{ steps.changed-files.outputs.count }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
          echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
          
          if [ "${{ steps.changed-files.outputs.count }}" = "0" ]; then
            echo "No translation MDX files found in this PR" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
            echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
            echo "> This could mean:" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
            echo "- Only non-MDX files in es/, fr/, or zh/ directories were changed" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
            echo "- Workflow was triggered but no translation content to validate" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
          else
            echo "### Validation Results" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
            echo "- Frontmatter: ${{ steps.frontmatter.outputs.frontmatter_valid }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
            echo "- File Structure: ${{ steps.structure.outputs.structure_valid }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
            echo "- File Integrity: ${{ steps.integrity.outputs.integrity_valid }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
            echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
          fi
        shell: bash

      - name: Final validation check
        id: final-check
        # Only run this check if we actually had MDX files to validate
        if: steps.changed-files.outputs.count > 0
        run: |
          validation_failed=false
          
          if [ "${{ steps.frontmatter.outputs.frontmatter_valid }}" != "true" ]; then
            echo "Frontmatter validation failed"
            validation_failed=true
          fi
          
          if [ "${{ steps.structure.outputs.structure_valid }}" != "true" ]; then
            echo "File structure validation failed"
            validation_failed=true
          fi
          
          if [ "${{ steps.integrity.outputs.integrity_valid }}" != "true" ]; then
            echo "File integrity validation failed"
            validation_failed=true
          fi
          
          if [ "$validation_failed" = true ]; then
            echo "status=failed" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
            exit 1
          else
            echo "status=passed" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
            echo "All validations passed"
          fi
        shell: bash

      - name: Handle no-files-to-validate case
        # Run only when there are no MDX files to validate
        if: steps.changed-files.outputs.count == 0
        run: |
          echo "No translation MDX files to validate - PR is valid"
          echo "status=no-changes" >> ${{ steps.final-check.outputs }}
        shell: bash

Best practices for external translation workflows

Preserve frontmatter: Ensure translators keep YAML frontmatter intact, translating only title and description values.
Protect code blocks: Mark code blocks as “do not translate” for your vendors.
Use translation memory: Provide glossaries with technical terms that should remain in English or have specific translations.
Automate validation: Use CI checks to verify MDX syntax and frontmatter before merging translations.
Version control: Track the source version for each translation to identify outdated content.

Images and media

Store translated images in language-specific directories.

images/
├── dashboard.png          # English version
├── fr/
│   └── dashboard.png     # French version
└── es/
    └── dashboard.png     # Spanish version

Reference images using relative paths in your translated content.

es/index.mdx

![Captura de pantalla del panel de control](/images/es/dashboard.png)

SEO for multi-language sites

Optimize each language version for search engines.

Page metadata

Include translated metadata in each file’s frontmatter:

fr/index.mdx

---
title: "Commencer"
description: "Apprenez à commencer avec notre produit."
keywords: ["démarrage", "tutoriel", "guide"]
---

Best practices

Date and number formats

Consider locale-specific formatting for dates and numbers.

Date formats: MM/DD/YYYY (month/day/year) vs DD/MM/YYYY (day/month/year)
Number formats: 1,000.00 vs 1.000,00
Currency symbols: $100.00 vs 100,00€

Include examples in the appropriate format for each language or use universally understood formats.

Maintain consistency

Maintain content parity across all languages to ensure every user gets the same quality of information.
Create a translation glossary for technical terms.
Keep the same content structure across languages.
Match the tone and style of your source content.
Use Git branches to manage translation work separately from main content updates.

Layout differences

Some languages require more or less space than English. Test your translated content on different screen sizes to ensure:

Navigation fits properly.
Code blocks don’t overflow.
Tables and other formatted text remain readable.
Images scale appropriately.

Character encoding

Ensure your development environment and deployment pipeline support UTF-8 encoding to properly display all characters in languages with different alphabets and special characters.

How to set up multi-language documentation

File structure

Configure the language switcher

Set default language

Single language documentation

Global navigation

Localized footer and navbar

Maintain translations

Translation workflow

Automated translations

External translation providers

Images and media

SEO for multi-language sites

Page metadata

Best practices

Date and number formats

Maintain consistency

Layout differences

Character encoding

Frequently asked questions

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