Do I keep languages if I change default language?

[naichtuohsle]

So, the shop's default language is Dutch. The primary domain is .be but our client wants to change this. They want to make the .com as primary domain and English as default language. So for Belgium they want .com/be-nl and .com/be-fr

But if we set the .com domain as primary, we want to change the markets too. So this should be what we want:

• Belgium should be .com/be-nl and .com/be-fr
• France should be .com/fr
• Germany should be .com/de
• Netherlands should be .com/nl
• international should be .com (English)

But if we change it to that, do we lose our translations? Because the primary domain becomes .com and should be English. If we change default in settings to english, do we keep the other languages when we set the domains correct? Or do we have to put in all translations again?

[JuneN]

@naichtuohsle,

Changing the primary domain itself should not affect your translations because it's simply the default URL that visitors see when they access your store. However, changing the default language in your settings can have implications for how content is displayed and managed. So I recommend you to have a complete backup of your current translations. After that you can change domain, default language and configure markets. 

[richbrown_staff]

Hi @naichtuohsle , there's a difference between what your store's default language is, and what the default language of your primary market. The store's default language (Settings > Languages) governs what language you input text into admin. The primary market default language (Settings > Markets > (primary market) > Languages and domains, is what language merchants will see on your store by default when landing at example.com. It's the language that has no subfolders.

If you change your store default language, languages don't get swapped around, it just changed what locale code is associated with your existing content you've entered into admin. E.g. if you've written a product description in Dutch, and change the default language to English, the description will stay in Dutch, but the system will now think it's English. Generally changing the store default language is best avoided, see more here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUW637Ro1l4

If you're happy continuing to upload products and other content in Dutch, I'd suggest just changing your primary market default language.