Guide: Content Translations

Not every piece of text on the KFC website is tied to a specific Content Type like a product or a homepage banner. Some UI strings — widget labels, button copy, helper text, error messages — exist independently. The Translation system in Contentful lets you manage these strings and localise them per language, using Translator Mode to identify exactly which string you need to edit.

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Where You See It in the Front-End

Translations affect text that appears throughout the site — anywhere a label, heading, or UI string is displayed. Examples include:

• The location widget prompt: "Enter your address to see local menu & deals"
• Checkout step labels: "Your Order", "Delivery Details"
• Button text: "Add to Cart", "Continue"
• Error messages and empty state copy

If a string lives inside a known Content Type (like a product title or homepage heading), it will show an arrow indicator (→) in Translator Mode pointing you back to that content type entry. If there's no arrow, the string is managed via the Translation content type directly.

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What to Configure in Contentful

Enabling Translator Mode

Translator Mode is a preview tool that overlays every piece of content on the KFC website with its Translation ID — letting you identify which Contentful entry controls that text.

1. Open an incognito browser window
2. Navigate to your KFC market's URL with the following parameter appended:

   https://{your_kfc_domain}/?previewContent=true

3. Toggle Translator Mode ON using the toggle that appears on the page
4. Hover over any piece of text — its Translation ID will be displayed (e.g. locationWidget.Heading)

To disable Translator Mode:

https://{your_kfc_domain}/?previewContent=false

Updating a Translation

Once you have the Translation ID:

1. In Contentful, navigate to Content → Translation Content Type
2. Click Add Entry
3. Paste the Translation ID (e.g. locationWidget.Heading) into the ID field
4. Fill out the translation copy for all languages / locales your market supports
5. Click Publish — the updated text will appear on the live site

tip

If a piece of text shows an arrow indicator (→) in Translator Mode, it means it lives in a structured Content Type (e.g. Homepage, Category). Navigate to that content type entry instead to edit the text.

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Use Cases

Localising a widget label — If the location search prompt needs to say something different in French vs English, use Translator Mode to find the ID and set translations for both locales.

Fixing a UI string — If a button or label has incorrect copy, use Translator Mode to locate it, then update the Translation entry in Contentful — no deployment required.

Setting up a new language — When onboarding a new locale for a market, use the Translation content type to ensure all generic UI strings are populated in the new language.

Market-specific phrasing — Even within the same language, different markets may need different copy (e.g. "Basket" vs "Cart", "Delivery" vs "Takeaway"). Translations let each market set its own values per locale.