Generally, collection filters can be translated either via langify's Custom section or via the metafields. Which method to use depends on the filter setup and your workflow.
It is recommended to translate the filters either via Custom Content or the Metafields — these two approaches should not be mixed in order to avoid unexpected behavior.
Translation via Metafields
If the filters are managed via Shopify or their Search & Discovery app, then the filters are stored as metafields on the products. You can find and translate them by opening a product in langify and then scrolling down to open its Metafields section.
This approach has two downsides:
- You need to translate each product individually. The same filter metafield has to be translated on every product. This can be simplified using export/import.
- Inconsistent translations cause duplicate filters. If the metafield is translated on one product but not another, the collection page will show the filter twice — once translated and once in the original.
However, if you usually translate all your product metafields, then this approach might be still preferable as you won't have to check which metafields to translate and which to skip.
Translation via Custom Content
You can also translate the filters via langify's Custom section. This can be done no matter if the filters are handled by Shopify or any other third-party app.
This approach has the benefit that you only need to set up one translation per filter value. A Custom Content translation for Blue will apply to all matching filters, whether they come from metafields, product types, or third-party apps.
It is recommended to add filter translations in the Global Strict Mode subsection. Otherwise a filter translation might break the filter functionality on your collection pages.
Custom Content Translation Troubleshooting
If the filter has a trailing result number on the collection page — for example Blue (42) — then a simple Custom Content for Blue might not work. In this case, please set up your Custom Content with a placeholder for the result number. The Custom Content could be Blue {{ result }}.
If you haven't worked with placeholders in Custom Contents before, please have a look at our guide Custom Content with Placeholder Matching on how to use and enable them in langify.
Double-check that langify is published as embedded app to your theme, otherwise Custom Content translations cannot be applied.