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Welcome to the Connector

Welcome to the Lionbridge Connector for Sitecore (“Connector”). The Connector enables you to automate sending and retrieving content from Sitecore, which dramatically reduces the effort required to create, maintain, and publish Web content in multiple languages.

  • If you configure Freeway as a translation provider, you can automate sending and retrieving content from Sitecore directly to and from Freeway.

1 - The Translation Lifecycle

The translation lifecycle is the broad process of selecting content, sending it out for translation, and then receiving the translated content back from translation.

This set of steps usually fits inside a larger, more general process called the content lifecycle, which is the process of creating, reviewing, editing, approving, and publishing content.

When you consider the translation lifecycle and the content lifecycle together, you have the global content value chain, which is the strategy for managing multilingual content.

The content lifecycle and the translation lifecycle are impacted by the workflow steps you implement in Sitecore to manage multilingual content.

Remember that localizing content is a subset of steps in the broader content lifecycle. This will improve your focus on key localization considerations, improve processes, and keep all content stakeholders included. Together, this results in better content management.

2 - How the Connector Helps You Manage Your Translation Lifecycle

The Lionbridge Connector for Sitecore (“Connector”) is a plug-in module for Sitecore. It provides a range of features and user interface enhancements in Sitecore that enable you to select, send, monitor, and retrieve content for translation into any language Sitecore supports.

These features automate the process, which dramatically reduces the effort and time required to export and re-import content that needs to be localized. This is very helpful when translating large volumes of content or ensuring that translated content is quickly re-imported to meet deadlines.

When you use the Connector, you manage your translation lifecycle entirely from within Sitecore:

  1. The Connector exports your content from Sitecore in either XML or HTML format and delivers these content files to the central, hosted Content API Platform.
  2. The Content API Platform delivers your content to your translation provider, based on routing rules that your company chooses and the Lionbridge Connector Team implements.
  3. When the translated content is ready, the Content API Platform retrieves it from your translators and delivers it to the Connector.
  4. The Connector automatically re-imports the content into the correct location in Sitecore.

You can then review, revise, reject, or publish the translated content as needed.

Note: Neither the Connector nor the Content API Platform performs any translation. Similarly, the Lionbridge Connector Team does not provide any translation services. Your company chooses the translation provider that performs the translation.

3 - Using this Guide

Purpose of this guide

This guide describes how to use the Lionbridge Connector for Sitecore (“Connector”) to manage your translation lifecycle. It describes how to send Sitecore items for translation and receive them back from translation.

Who should use this guide

This guide is intended for content editors, project, marketing, localization or translation managers, or others who are responsible for creating, editing, or approving content for translation that resides in your Sitecore CMS. This guide is also useful for translation providers who receive content from your Sitecore CMS, because it describes your company’s translation management process.

What your company setup should be

This document assumes that:

  • Your company already has a functioning instance of Sitecore.
  • The Lionbridge Connector for Sitecore (“Connector”) has been implemented, configured, and tested on your Sitecore CMS.
  • The Lionbridge Connector Team has set up the Content API Platform to send content to your translation providers.

If Lionbridge is your company’s translation provider, it assumes that Freeway is already set up for your company.

What you should already know

This document assumes that:

  • You are familiar with the Connector’s configuration for your Sitecore CMS, and the reasons for choosing certain configuration options. This is important because your company’s configuration determines which features are available.
  • You have a strong working knowledge of the Sitecore Content Editor.
  • You are familiar with the basic concepts of the Sitecore Workflow features. This is crucial, because workflow is a core concept required to use the Connector.
  • You are familiar with your company’s translation process and requirements.
  • You have valid user credentials to log into Sitecore.
  • You have the required permissions to access the Connector functionality described in this guide.

Note: Not all the features described in this guide may be available. Feature availability depends on both your company’s Connector setup and the roles to which you are assigned. If you cannot access functionality that you need, contact your company’s Sitecore administrator.

How this guide is organized

This guide contains the following chapters:

Chapter Description
Welcome to the Lionbridge Connector for Sitecore A brief description of the connector solution for Sitecore and how it fits into the translation lifecycle. It also includes information about this guide and Lionbridge Connector Support contact information.
Getting Started with the Lionbridge Connector for Sitecore How to get started and an overview of the Lionbridge Connector for Sitecore interface and key features.
Creating Content for Translation How to create, adapt, and filter Sitecore content so that you can send it out for translation using the Lionbridge Connector for Sitecore.
Sending Content to Translation How to use the Lionbridge Connector for Sitecore to send out content for translation.
Monitoring Translation Status How to monitor the translation status of content that you sent out for translation.
Reviewing Translated Content How to review and publish translated content after it automatically returns from the translation provider to the Sitecore CMS.
Post-Translation Features How to perform post-translation tasks, including synchronizing translations, requesting a translation correction, updating a remote TM (translation memory) server, and clearing the translation backup data.
How to find out more about Lionbridge Connector for Sitecore

For information on installing and configuring the Lionbridge Connector for Sitecore, read the Lionbridge Connector for Sitecore Installation and Configuration Guide.

Documentation conventions

This guide uses the following conventions:

Convention Description
Bold Highlights screen elements such as buttons, menu items, and fields.
Courier Highlights input, file names, and paths.
Italics Highlights terms to emphasize, variables, or document titles.
> Indicates a menu choice. For example, “Select Sitecore Desktop > All Applications > Lionbridge Translation > Translation Filter.”

4 - How to Contact Lionbridge Connector Support

Email @: connectors@lionbridge.com You can submit a support ticket either:

4.1 - Submitting a Support Ticket

  1. Do one of the following:

Important: Include the information and attachments in your email that are listed in the sub-sections below.

  • Create a ticket in Zendesk:

    • a. Open the Lionbridge Connector Zendesk page in your browser: https://connectors.zendesk.com.

    • b. Sign in to Zendesk.

      Note: If you do not have sign-in credentials yet, then click either Sign up or Get a password, and follow the onscreen instructions.

      Important: Include the information and attachments that are listed in the sub-sections below.

    • c. Click Submit a request.

    • d. In the CCs field, add anyone to include in the ticket correspondence.

    Zendesk automatically creates a ticket and responds to everyone included in the cc field.

  1. Everyone in the original cc receives updates unless they request to be removed from the ticket.

Important: Check your email spam folder (especially first-time Zendesk users) as sometimes email notifications from Zendesk are marked as spam.

When the issue is resolved, Lionbridge closes the ticket.

4.2 - Information to Include in a Support Ticket

  • client name
  • CMS or content system name and version
  • Connector or App version installed
  • name of job for which the issue occurs
  • date of job submission
  • detailed description of the issue
  • any error text–copy and paste, if applicable
Files to attach to the support ticket:
  • CMS log files for the date the issue occurred
  • Connector or App log files for the date the issue occurred
  • screen capture of the issue

4.3 - Viewing and Updating Your Support Ticket in Zendesk

Important: You must log into Zendesk to view your support tickets there.

  1. Open the Lionbridge Connector Zendesk page in your browser: https://connectors.zendesk.com.

  2. Enter your credentials, and click Sign in.

Note: If you do not have sign-in credentials yet, then click either Sign up or Get a password, and follow the onscreen instructions.

  1. After signing in, click My activities to view the tickets you opened or where you are cc’d.

  2. To update tickets, you can reply or attach files.

For more information, refer to “Submitting and tracking support requests” in Zendesk’s Help Center guide for end-users, at: https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/203664386-Help-Center-guide-for-agents-and-end-users.

Important: Zendesk refers to a support ticket as a support request. These terms are interchangeable.

4.4 - Signing Up for a Zendesk Account for Lionbridge Connectors

You can create a new Zendesk account for Lionbridge Connectors.

Note: If you have previously emailed Lionbridge Connectors Support at connectors@lionbridge.com to create a support ticket, you can get a password for your email account. For detailed instructions, see “How to Get a Password if You Have Previously Emailed Lionbridge Connectors.”

To sign up for a Zendesk account:
  1. Open the Lionbridge Connector Zendesk page in your browser: https://connectors.zendesk.com.

  2. Click Sign up link.

The Sign up page opens.

  1. Enter your name and email address, and select I’m not a robot check box.

  2. Click Sign up.

    The Sign-up complete page opens. You will receive a verification email shortly with a verification link that enables you to sign in. If you do not receive an email within a few minutes, please check your junk or spam folder.

  3. Click the link in the verification email to create a password and sign into Zendesk.

4.5 - Getting a Zendesk Password if You Previously Emailed Lionbridge Connectors

If you have previously emailed Lionbridge Connectors Support at connectors@lionbridge.com to create a support ticket, you can get a password for your email account.

To get a password:
  1. Open the Lionbridge Connector Zendesk page in your browser: https://connectors.zendesk.com.

  2. Click the Get a password link.

The Please set me up with a new password page opens.

  1. Enter the email address from which you emailed Lionbridge Connectors Support (connectors@lionbridge.com).

  2. Click Submit.

    Zendesk sends you an email with instructions for creating your password.

  3. Follow the instructions in the email from Zendesk to create your password.

You can now sign in to Zendesk to create, view and update your support tickets.