How to customize content based on language

You will learn

Learn how to collect someone's preferred language and then target them in that language. 

Target based on language

There are 2 options for targeting people by language: 

1. Segment by the estimated location, which Klaviyo provides based on a profile's IP location 
2. Use someone's preferred language
   • Collect preferred language via a form
   • Create segments for each language

Unfortunately, Klaviyo does not automatically detect language preference based on the language a customer was using on your website.

Use the estimated location  

Klaviyo automatically assigns all contacts in your account an estimated location based on IP geolocation. Note that this is not a perfect science, although it is an industry standard. 

In this case, you need to create a segment using the estimated location to assume someone's language. 

Specifically, let's say we want to create a segment of all English-speakers based on a profile's location. In this case, the segment might appear similar to the one below. 

• Properties about someone > Country equals United States 
  OR
• Properties about someone > Country equals Canada
  OR
• Properties about someone > Country equals United Kingdom 
  OR
• Properties about someone > Country equals Ireland
  OR
• Properties about someone > Country equals Australia
  OR
• Properties about someone > Country equals New Zealand 

Use someone's preferred language

Collect someone's preferred language  

The simplest way to collect someone's preferred language is to use a form. In particular, it's best to ask people their preferred language when they first sign up for emails or SMS.  

The steps below explain how to do this when you have an existing signup form.  

1. Navigate to the Sign-up forms tab.
2. Find the form where you want to collect someone's language preference.
3. Click into the form name and then select Edit Form.
4. Choose Add blocks.
5. Drag in a radio button option.
6. In the left sidebard, toggle on Show label in form.
7. Add a label (e.g., "What's your preferred language").
8. Check the Required input box.
   
9. Create a new profile property (e.g., Language).
10. Add in the languages you want as the option labels (e.g., English, French, Spanish).
11. For each option, add a value. 
    • Example: For an option labeled "English" the value is also "English."
      
12. When you're ready, click Publish.
    
    

Segment by language preference

After you collect language preferences, you can create a segment based on this profile property. 

Note that at least 1 profile must have the property listed on their profile in order for you to use in a segment (or in a flow filter or conditional split). 

For example, to create a segment of French-speaking profiles based on the signup form above, we would use the following condition:

• Properties about someone > Language equals French
  

You would then need to recreate a similar segment for both Spanish, English, and any other language you asked about in your form. 

Customize content based on language

Email

Once you created your segments, either by country or preferred language, you can use show/hide certain blocks based on a property about the recipient, such as their location or preferred language

Let's say, for example, you have customers in the US and Germany. You can configure a single email template to only show German content for recipients located in Germany and then have English content for all US-based customers. Given this, there's no need to have separate Klaviyo accounts for each language.

Alternatively, you can create a campaign and target it to one of your segments, cloning and editing it for each language. For flows, you can do the same with conditional splits.  

SMS and mobile push

For SMS and push, you can target your campaigns, forms, flows, etc. by these preferred language segments. Currently, there's no way to send a single campaign and include multiple languages, but by dividing up your send into several campaigns, you can achieve the same result.  

Additional resources

• Create a location-based segment
• Advanced segmentation reference
• Basics: multinational SMS sending with Klaviyo