Keep one translation key
Product code continues to refer to the same key while ReRune stores the Main text and its audience-specific alternatives together.
ReRune product guide
Show different app text by customer, brand, plan, or audience.
Translation variants keep customer-specific and white-label copy under the same translation keys. Define only the text that changes and let Main handle every case without an override.
Published and reviewed by the ReRune team on August 27, 2026.
One key, three outputs
support.contactMainFallbackContact support
customer_acmeContact your account manager
white_label_northstarContact Northstar support
Only the text that changes needs a variant. Every other request uses Main.
What is a variant?
A controlled text override for a known audience.
A variant is an alternative value for an existing translation key and language. The project keeps one Main value, then adds named overrides only where an audience needs different wording.
Override only what changes
A customer, brand, or plan can reuse the entire Main catalog and provide custom values for the small set of keys that differ.
Preserve a reliable fallback
If the active variant has no value for a key or language, ReRune uses Main content instead of leaving the interface without text.
Seven practical uses
Use variants wherever audience changes the wording.
Variants are useful when language alone does not determine what a person should read.
Customer-specific copy
Show “Contact your account manager” to one customer instead of the shared “Contact support.”
White-label app flavors
Show “Welcome to Northstar” in one branded app while the shared version says “Welcome to our app.”
Subscription plans
Show “Upgrade to Pro” to Free users while paid plans keep the normal product action.
Roles and permissions
Give administrators setup instructions and show members a shorter confirmation for the same action.
Regional requirements
Use region-specific legal or checkout wording within the same language when the requirement is not a locale change.
Experiments and rollouts
Compare “Start free trial” with “Try it free” without splitting the translation catalog into duplicate keys.
Partners and resellers
Show a reseller’s support name and contact instructions while the underlying product workflow stays shared.
How it works
Start with Main, then branch only where needed.
The model stays small because every variant inherits the complete Main catalog before its own overrides are considered.
- 01
Define project variants
Create stable runtime values such as customer_acme or white_label_northstar in project settings.
- 02
Write Main content
Main remains the required source of truth and the fallback for every supported language.
- 03
Add focused overrides
Select a variant in the translation editor and add plain or plural content only for the keys and languages that differ.
- 04
Publish together
Published delivery includes Main and its alternatives so the supported runtime integration can select the active value.
Each project option has a stable runtime value. The application activates the published option through its supported integration, and Main remains available when an override is absent.
Platform imports and exports currently contain Main translations only. Published SDK and raw CLI delivery include the stored alternatives.
Choose the right mechanism
Variants solve an audience problem, not a grammar problem.
Keeping these concepts separate makes the translation model easier to author, test, and explain.
Language or locale
Use a language or locale when wording changes because the reader uses English, German, Italian, or a regional language convention.
Plural form
Use plural content when grammar changes with quantity, such as “1 item” and “3 items.”
App context
Your app selects the active variant using information it already knows, such as the customer, brand, plan, role, region, or experiment. ReRune provides the matching text and uses Main when no custom value exists.
Translation variant
Use a variant when the product action stays the same but a known customer, brand, plan, role, region, experiment, or partner needs different text.
Questions
Translation variants, answered.
What is a translation variant?
A translation variant is an alternative value for an existing translation key and language. It is selected by a named project option and falls back to Main when no override exists.
Do white-label apps need separate translation projects?
Not when the apps share most of their product text. A single project can keep shared wording in Main and store brand-specific overrides only for the keys that differ.
What happens when a variant value is missing?
ReRune uses the Main value for that key and language. This lets variants remain sparse instead of duplicating the complete catalog.
Can a variant contain plural content?
Yes. A variant can contain plain text or supported plural content, provided the language already has Main fallback content for the key.
Are variants included in platform imports and exports?
Platform imports and exports currently operate on Main translations only. Published SDK and raw CLI delivery include alternatives.
Continue exploring
Connect variants to the rest of the localization workflow.
App localization platform
Keep shared app text and platform-specific delivery paths in one localization system.
Read the guideDeveloper localization platform
Connect translation management to repositories, automation, and release workflows.
Read the guideOTA localization updates
Publish approved app text through supported runtime delivery paths with bundled fallback.
Read the guideKeep every audience on the same translation foundation.
Start with Main, add the customer or brand copy that changes, and keep the rest of the localization workflow shared.
Start free