How to Translate Iterable Email Templates Using Lokalise – Email Love

This guide shows you how to design emails in Figma, export them to Iterable, and translate them into multiple languages using Lokalise—all without writing code.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

An active Email Love Figma Plugin subscription

An Iterable account with locale settings configured

A Lokalise account

Admin or API access to both Iterable and Lokalise

Your email design ready in Figma

Time to complete: 15-20 minutes for initial setup

Step 1: Export Your Email Design from Figma to Iterable

Open your email design in Figma

Select the email frame you want to export

Open the Email Love Figma Plugin (Plugins → Email Love)

From the ESP dropdown menu, select Iterable

Click the Export button

Your template will be uploaded to Iterable as responsive HTML code.

Important: The Email Love plugin exports templates as HTML code, which is compatible with Lokalise. If you're currently using Iterable's drag-and-drop editor, see the note below.

About Iterable's Drag-and-Drop Editor

Templates created with Iterable's drag-and-drop editor cannot be localized with Lokalise due to a mismatch between JSON content and HTML translation formats.

If you need to localize a drag-and-drop template, you have two options:

Recreate the design in Figma and export using the Email Love plugin (recommended)

Export the HTML from your drag-and-drop template and upload it as a new template using Iterable's WYSIWYG or Side-by-Side editor

Step 2: Configure Locales in Iterable

Navigate to Content → Templates

Find and open the template you just exported from Figma

In the template settings, locate the Locale options

Click Add Locale and select your target languages (e.g., French, German, Spanish)

Save your changes

Note: You must add locales to your template before importing it into Lokalise. Lokalise needs to know which language variants exist in Iterable.

Step 3: Create a Lokalise Project

Click New Project

Enter a project name (e.g., "Email Campaigns - Q1 2025")

Select Marketing and Support as your project type

Set your Base Language (typically English)

Add your Target Languages (these should match the locales you added in Iterable)

Under Integrations, select Iterable

Click Create Project

Step 4: Connect Lokalise to Iterable

Generate an API Key in Iterable

In Iterable, go to Integrations → API Keys

Click Create New API Key

Name it "Lokalise Integration" (or similar)

Select Server-side as the key type

Copy the API key (you won't be able to see it again)

Connect the API Key in Lokalise

In your Lokalise project, go to Settings → Integrations

Find the Iterable integration and click Configure

Paste your Iterable API key

Select your Data Center (US, EU, etc.)

Click Authorize

Lokalise will connect to your Iterable account and begin importing your template library. This typically takes 30-60 seconds.

Step 5: Import Your Template into Lokalise

In Lokalise, navigate to Content Management → Import

You'll see a list of all your Iterable templates

Use the search bar to find your template by name

Select your template

Click Import from Iterable

Select your target languages (French, German, etc.)

Click Import

Lokalise will extract all translatable content from your email template, including:

Headlines

Body copy

Button text (CTAs)

Alt text for images

Preheader text

Any other text elements

What gets imported: Only text content is extracted. Your HTML structure, design, and code remain untouched in Iterable.

Step 6: Translate Your Content

For Translation Teams

In Lokalise, go to the Editor tab

You'll see all text elements from your email

For each text element, enter translations in the target language columns

Use the built-in translation memory to maintain consistency across campaigns

Mark translations as Reviewed when complete (if using approval workflows)

For AI Translation

In the Editor, select the text elements you want to translate

Click AI Translate or Pre-translate (depending on your Lokalise plan)

Select your target languages

Review the AI-generated translations before approving

Pro Tip: Always review machine translations for marketing copy. AI is fast but may miss brand voice, cultural nuances, or marketing context.

Step 7: Export Translations to Iterable

In Lokalise, go to Content Management → Export

Select your translated template

Verify that all translations are complete (you'll see a progress indicator)

Click Export to Iterable

Lokalise will automatically update your Iterable template with all language versions. This usually takes 15-30 seconds.

Step 8: Verify Your Translations in Iterable

Return to Iterable and open your template

Use the Locale dropdown to switch between languages

Review each language version to ensure:

All text has been translated

Text fits within your design (watch for text expansion in languages like German)

CTAs and links are correct

Special characters display properly

Images with alt text have been translated

Before sending: Always send test emails in each language to catch any formatting issues.

Updating Existing Translated Templates

If you need to update a template that's already been translated:

Make changes to your Figma design

Export the updated template to Iterable (it will overwrite the existing template)

In Lokalise, re-import the template

Lokalise will show which text elements have changed

Update only the changed translations

Export back to Iterable

Your existing translations remain intact—you only need to translate the new or modified content.

Need help? Contact Email Love support at support@emaillove.com or join our Discord community.