Contentful is a headless CMS platform that helps businesses manage and deliver content across multiple digital channels. Smartling supports both an entry-level and field-level connector for Contentful. The connector you use depends on how your content is structured within Contentful. Field-level localization is the most commonly used approach.
This documentation is for the Content (Entries) Connector. If you are using field-level localization, please refer to the documentation on the Contentful (Fields) Connector.
Please note that this connector is a paid product. For pricing information, please reach out to your Smartling Customer Success Manager.
Contentful (Fields) vs. Contentful (Entries)
In a headless CMS like Contentful, content can be stored and localized in two ways: at the field level or the entry level.
Field-level localization: This is Contentful’s built-in localization method, which allows you to manage multiple locale versions of content within a single entry by using localized fields.
Entry-level localization: With this approach, each language version of the content is stored in a separate entry, effectively treating each translation as its own record.
For more information on these strategies, including what to consider when selecting an approach and the pros and cons of each method, please refer to the Contentful documentation here.
Supported content types
The connector supports the translation of the following content types:
- Content entry
- Media assets (mime titles and descriptions)
Contentful asset list
Once you have connected your Contentful environment, your content will appear in the Contentful (Entries) tab of your Smartling project.
The asset list includes the following columns:
- Name: the name of the asset in Contentful
- Content Type: the Contentful content type
- Status (Smartling): the asset's translation status in Smartling
- Status (Contentful): the asset's state in Contentful
- Last Modified (CS): the date the asset was last modified in Contentful
- App Link: brings you directly to the asset in Contentful
When your content is pulled into Smartling for translation, it is imported as a JSON file. Each asset listed in your asset list corresponds to a JSON file in Smartling that contains the content for that item. Once translations for an asset are completed for a locale, the connector delivers the translations back to Contentful.
The file name in Smartling follows this format:
Asset Name-ENTRY-Asset ID.json
Asset details
Click the information icon beside the asset name, to access the Asset Details page. Here, you can view additional information about the asset, including the translation status for each language. From this page, you can also Request Translation and Export Translations for the selected asset.
Search & filters
On the left side of the page, several filters are available:
Contentful filters
- Content Type: Filter by Contentful content type
- Contentful Status: Filter by Contentful status
- Date Modified: The date the asset was last modified in Contentful
-
Tags: Filter by Contentful tag. Select the "No tags" checkbox to quickly find assets that do not have any tags in your Contentful instance.
- Date Created: The date the asset was created in Contentful
-
Asset IDs: Unique identifier for an asset, which can be found under the title
- Search: Allows you to search by asset title. You can only search for one asset at a time; comma-separated search is not supported.
Smartling filters
-
Smartling Status:
Completed - Translations were successfully delivered from Smartling to Contentful.
Failed - The asset submission failed, or the translation delivery failed.
In Progress - The asset has been successfully sent to Smartling from Contentful, and the translation process has commenced but is not yet completed.
Not Translated - The asset has never been submitted for translation.
Translated - The asset was translated, but translations have not been delivered. - Language: Filter by target language.
Sort
At the top right of the page, you can filter by last modified date.