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Manage app translations with the GraphQL Admin API

All Tutorials

Manage app translations with the GraphQL Admin API

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Manage app translations with the GraphQL Admin API

This guide explains how to use the GraphQL Admin API to create and retrieve translated content for Shopify resources. It also covers how to retrieve translated content using the Storefront API. For example, you might add translations of product information and email notification templates using the GraphQL Admin API so a merchant can send customers email notifications in multiple languages. Those translations can then be retrieved by either the GraphQL Admin API or the Storefront API.

GraphQL Admin API translation access scopes

To use the GraphQL Admin API to create or retrieve translated content, your app needs to request the read_translations and write_translations access scopes for a Shopify store. For more information on requesting access scopes when your app is installed, see OAuth.

Storefront API translation header

To use the Storefront API to retrieve translated content, your app needs to use the Accept-Language HTTP request header when sending queries. The following example header enables Spanish translations to be returned using the Storefront API: Accept-Language: es

GraphQL Admin API translatable resource types

The following resource types and fields are translatable:

Type Fields
Collection title, body_html, meta_title, meta_description
Email template title, body_html
Link title
Metafields (non-private) value
Online store article title, body_html, summary_html, meta_title, meta_description
Online store blog title, meta_title, meta_description
Online store page title, body_html, meta_title, meta_description
Online store theme dynamic keys based on theme data
Payment gateway name
Product title, body_html, meta_title, meta_description
Product option name
Product variant title, option 1, option 2, option 3
Shop meta_title, meta_description
Shop policy body
SMS template body

Retrieve a list of translatable resource types

TranslatableResourceType contains a list of the resource types that are translatable. You can use the following query to list each of those types:

Query

{
  __type(name: "TranslatableResourceType") {
    enumValues {
      name
    }
  }
}

Response

{
  "data": {
    "__type": {
      "enumValues": [
        {
          "name": "PRODUCT"
        },
        {
          "name": "PRODUCT_VARIANT"
        },
        ...
      ]
    }
  }
}

Storefront API translation resources

The following resources include properties that can be retrieved using the Storefront API:

Type Fields
Collection title, descriptionHtml, description
Metafield value
Article title, content, contentHtml, excerpt, excerptHtml
Blog title
Page title, body
Product title, descriptionHtml, description
ProductOption name, values
ProductVariant title, selectedOptions
ShopPolicy body

Retrieving translations

You can use the translateableResources connection to retrieve a list of translatable resources, their translatable content, and their existing translations in various languages. You can also retrieve all translations for a locale, regardless of resource type.

Retrieve a list of translatable resources by their type

The following query retrieves a list of translatable resources that are products. For each product, the query retrieves the content that can be translated in the translatableContent field.

Query

{
  translatableResources(first: 10, resourceType: PRODUCT) {
    edges {
      node {
        resourceId
        translatableContent {
          key
          value
          digest
          locale
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Response

{
  "translatableResources": {
    "edges": [
      {
        "node": {
          "resourceId": "gid://shopify/Product/1",
          "translatableContent": [
            {
              "key": "title",
              "value": "White T-Shirt",
              "digest": "2bb4bfd1fe83ba39eaca5669e35bfb2042476ca6e8d794b7efd814d6c0cd702c",
              "locale": "en-US"
            },
            {
              "key": "body_html",
              "value": "A classic white crew neck t-shirt made from 100% cotton.",
              "digest": "3abcaa3c9f48a4c7613d5479aee69be82fe2818b9d38553b74cc80d20b080b22",
              "locale": "en-US"
            },
            ...
          ]
        }
      },
      ...
    ]
  }
}

The response shows that the White T-Shirt product with the ID "gid://shopify/Product/1" has content that can be translated, including its title and body HTML.

The key field associates translatable content with its translations. The value field shows the translatable content itself. The digest field is the translatable content's unique identifier. When you create a translation, the mutation needs to include the translatable content's digest value in the translatableContentDigest field.

Retrieve translations for a resource type and locale

Like the example above, this query retrieves a list of products and their translatable content. This query also includes the translations field for each product, which retrieves any existing translations.

The field takes the argument locale, which specifies the language of the translations to retrieve. In the following example, the language is Spanish.

Query

{
  translatableResources(first:10, resourceType: PRODUCT) {
    edges {
      node {
        resourceId
        translatableContent {
          key
          value
          digest
          locale
        }
        translations(locale: "es-ES"){
          locale
          key
          value
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Response

{
  "data" {
    "translatableResources": {
      "edges": [
        {
          "node": {
            "resourceId": "gid://shopify/Product/1",
            "translatableContent": [
              {
                "key": "title",
                "value": "White T-Shirt",
                "digest": "2bb4bfd1fe83ba39eaca5669e35bfb2042476ca6e8d794b7efd814d6c0cd702c",
                "locale": "en-US"
              },
              ...
            ],
            "translations": [
              {
                "locale": "es-ES",
                "key": "title",
                "value": "Camiseta blanca"
              },
              ...
            ]
          }
        },
        ...
      ]
    }
  }
}

Retrieve a single translatable resource by its ID

The following query retrieves a single translatable resource by passing its ID in the resourceId argument.

Query

{
  translatableResource(resourceId: "gid://shopify/Product/1") {
    resourceId
    translatableContent {
      key
      value
      digest
      locale
    }
    translations(locale: "ja") {
      key
      value
      locale
    }
  }
}

Response

{
  "data": {
    "translatableResource": {
       "resourceId": "gid://shopify/Product/1",
       "translatableContent": [
          {
             "key": "title",
             "value": "White T-Shirt",
             "digest": "2bb4bfd1fe83ba39eaca5669e35bfb2042476ca6e8d794b7efd814d6c0cd702c",
             "locale": "en-US",
          },
          ...
       ],
       "translations": [
          {
             "key": "title",
             "value": "白いティーシャツ",
             "locale": "ja",
          },
          ...
       ]
    }
  }
}

Retrieve translations from a resource object

If your app only needs to read translations, then you can query translations directly from a translatable resource object.

Query

query {
  products(first: 1) {
    edges {
      node{
        id,
        title,
        translations(locale: "ja") {
          key,
          locale,
          value
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Response

{
  "data": {
    "products": {
      "edges": [
        {
          "node": {
            "id": "gid://shopify/Product/355272313",
            "title": "T-shirt blanc",
            "translations": [
              {
                "key": "title",
                "locale": "ja",
                "value": "白いティーシャツ"
              }
            ]
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Creating translations

GraphQL uses mutations to create, update, or delete data in a database. Mutations do the equivalent function of the REST data-modifying action verbs, such as POST, PUT, and DELETE.

You can use the translationsRegister mutation to create new translations for a resource. When you create a translation, the mutation needs to include the translatable content's digest value in the translatableContentDigest input field.

Variables

{
  "id": "gid://shopify/Product/1",
  "translations": [
    {
      "key": "title",
      "value": "Camiseta blanca",
      "locale": "es-ES",
      "translatableContentDigest": "2bb4bfd1fe83ba39eaca5669e35bfb2042476ca6e8d794b7efd814d6c0cd702c"
    }
  ]
}

Mutation

mutation CreateTranslation($id: ID!, $translations: [TranslationInput!]!) {
  translationsRegister(resourceId: $id, translations: $translations) {
    userErrors {
      message
      field
    }
    translations {
      locale
      key
      value
    }
  }
}

Response

{
  "data": {
    "translationsRegister": {
      "userErrors": [],
      "translations": [
        {
          "locale": "es-ES",
          "key": "title",
          "value": "Camiseta buena"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Mutation errors

The following table shows codes and descriptions for errors that you might see when you create translations:

Error message Description
RESOURCE_NOT_FOUND A resource with the specified ID doesn't exist.
TOO_MANY_KEYS_FOR_RESOURCE There are too many translation keys for the resource. You can include up to 100 translation keys per mutation.
INVALID_KEY_FOR_MODEL The key provided for the translation is invalid.
FAILS_RESOURCE_VALIDATION The value for the translation is invalid.
INVALID_TRANSLATABLE_CONTENT The translatable content doesn't match the original content on the resource.
INVALID_CODE The language code is invalid.
INVALID_FORMAT The locale code is invalid.

Retrieving Storefront API translations

You can query the supported resources using the Accept-Language HTTP header, to return translated content to the Storefront API.

The following example query returns translated content for Product title in Spanish:

Header

Accept-Language: es

Variables

{
  "ids": [

    "Z2lkOi8vc2hvcGlmeS9Qcm9kdWN0LzgwOTI1NDg5OTg="
  ]
}

Query

query translatedThings($ids: [ID!]!) {
  nodes(ids: $ids) {

    ... on Product {
      __typename
      title
      description
      descriptionHtml
      options {
        __typename
        name
        values
      }
    }
  }
}

Response

{
  "data": {
    "nodes": [
      {
        "__typename": "Product",
        "title": "Camiseta blanca",
        "description": "primeiro producto de teste",
        "descriptionHtml": "<p> primero producto de teste </p>",
        "options": [
          {
            "__typename": "ProductOption",
            "name": "Talla",
            "values": [
              "Pequeña",
              "Media",
              "Grande"
            ]
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Removing translations

You can use the translationsRemove mutation to remove translations from a resource. In the following example, the Spanish and Japanese title translations are removed from the product with the ID "gid://shopify/Product/1".

Variables

{
    "id": "gid://shopify/Product/1",
    "keys": [
        "title"
    ],
    "locales": [
        "es-ES",
        "ja-JP"
    ]
}

Mutation

mutation RemoveTranslations($id: ID!, $keys: [String!]!, $locales: [String!]!) {
  translationsRemove(
    resourceId: $id,
    translationKeys: $keys,
    locales: $locales
  ) {
    userErrors {
      message
      field
    }
    translations {
      locale
      key
      value
    }
  }
}

Response

{
  "data": {
    "translationsRemove": {
      "userErrors": [],
      "translations": [
        {
          "locale": "es-ES",
          "key": "title",
          "value": "Camiseta blanca",
        },
        {
          "locale": "es-ES",
          "key": "body_html",
          "value": "Camiseta blanca",
        },
      ]
    }
  }
}

Limitations

The following are known translation limitations:

  • A resource's tags field can't be translated. For example, you can't translate a product's tags.
  • Email and SMS notification template fields cannot be translated (unless you edit the default template content).
  • The translation response that's returned for menu links and email and SMS notification templates doesn't include the handle field.
  • If the merchant changes a product's handle, then URL redirects for that product won't be supported for language-specific URLs.
  • You can translate metafields only if they are publicly accessible.
  • App proxies don't have multi-language support.