Administrators can define a default language to be applied to all spaces in your Confluence site. Note that individual users can select a language preference for their session.

Setting the Default Language

To change the default language for the Confluence site:

  1. Choose the cog icon , then choose General Configuration under Confluence Administration
  2. Select 'Languages' in the 'Configuration' section of the left-hand panel
  3. Choose Edit and select the language you want to use as the default language for your Confluence site

Screenshot: Default languages in Confluence

Related pages:

(warning) The information on this page does not apply to Confluence Cloud.

Other Settings that Affect the Language

Individual users can choose the language that Confluence will use to display screen text and messages. Note that the list of supported languages depends on the language packs installed on your Confluence site.

The language used for your session will depend on the settings below, in the following order of priority from highest to lowest:

  • The language preference defined in your user profile. Note that you need to be logged in for this setting to take effect.

  • The language that you choose by clicking an option at the bottom of the Confluence login screen. Confluence stores this value in a cookie. When the cookie expires, the setting will expire too. 

  • The language set in your browser. The browser sends a header with a prioritised list of languages. Confluence will use the first supported language in that list. Your Confluence administrator can disable this option by setting a system property. 

  • The default language for your site, as defined by your Confluence site administrator. 

Showing User Interface Key Names for Translation

This feature is useful if you are working on creating translations of the Confluence user interface. After opening the Confluence dashboard, you can add this text to the end of your Confluence URL:

?i18ntranslate=on

Then press Enter.

This will cause each element of the user interface to display its special key name. This makes it easier to find the context for each key within the user interface. You can then search for the key on http://translations.atlassian.com where you can enter an appropriate translation for your custom language pack.

The key names are displayed with a 'lightning bolt' graphic. For example:

To turn off the translation view, add this code to the end of the Confluence URL:

?i18ntranslate=off

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