# Add a language to your help center

_Category: Languages_

Serve your help center in more than one language so readers can find answers in the language they speak. Add a language once, then translate your articles, categories and interface texts at your own pace.

**Who can do this:** Owners and Admins · **Plans:** Growth and Catalyst (Bootstrap includes one language)

## Add a language

1. In the left menu, click the gear icon, then **Localization**.
2. Under **Add a language**, open **Choose a language…** and pick the language.
3. Click **Add**.

![Screen recording. In Localization, choose a language under Add a language. Click Add. The new language joins the list.](https://helpcenter-io.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/self/5XYsWlXN39oXBjn1kD8pyNk4RUJuxWPVOlyefzHU.gif)
The new language joins the list under your default language.

The language now appears under **Languages**, next to your default language (marked **Default**). A bar shows how many of your articles have a released translation in it, starting at 0%.

## What changes when you add a language

- **Articles** appear in the new language only after you translate and release them. Readers browsing in that language don't see untranslated articles.
- **Categories** show their default-language name and description until you translate them.
- **Buttons and labels**, such as "On this page", show in English until you translate them under **Interface translations**.
- **Article addresses** include a language code from now on, for example `/en/content/reset-your-password` and `/de/content/passwort-zuruecksetzen`.
- **Readers whose browser uses the new language** can be taken to your home page in that language on their first visit. Translate and release your most-read articles soon after you add a language, so those readers find answers there.

In the dashboard, the article editor gets a language bar above the title, and the **Articles** list gets a language menu that shows how much is translated.

## Which languages you can add

HelpCenter.io supports 43 languages, including regional variants such as German (Austria) and German (Switzerland), and both Simplified and Traditional Chinese. Arabic, Hebrew and Persian display right to left automatically.

## Next steps

- [Translate an article](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/translate-an-article) by hand, or [translate articles with AI](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/ai-translation) on the Catalyst plan.
- [Translate buttons and labels](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/interface-translations) and the [texts in your design](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/translate-design-texts).
- Check that readers can switch languages: see [How readers see other languages](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/languages-for-readers).

## Troubleshooting

**The language menu is grayed out and says "Multiple languages are available on higher plans".** Your help center is on Bootstrap, which includes one language. [Change your plan](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/change-your-plan) to Growth or Catalyst to add more.

**The new language doesn't show on my help center.** A language appears for readers once at least one published article has a released translation in it. See [Release translations and change your default language](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/manage-languages).

**My header has no language switcher.** Themes leave it out while a help center has one language. Add the **Language switcher** component in the template editor, as described in [How readers see other languages](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/languages-for-readers).

## Related articles

- [Translate an article](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/translate-an-article)
- [Translate articles with AI](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/ai-translation)
- [Release translations and change your default language](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/manage-languages)
- [How readers see other languages](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/languages-for-readers)
- [Plans and pricing](https://self.helpcenter.io/content/plans-and-pricing)