Locales
Your locale controls how dates and numbers are written throughout TimberCloud — the difference between 12/31/2024 and 31.12.2024, or 1,234.56 and 1.234,56. It also steers a set of regional field helpers (tax wording, postal-code format, and more). This page explains how to pick one and what it changes.
Availability: Every plan, including Free.
What a locale is
A locale pairs a language with a region — for example en-US is English (United States) and de-DE is German (Germany). In TimberCloud, the locale doesn't translate the interface (the dashboard stays in English); it decides how your dates and numbers are formatted.
Setting your locale
- Go to Settings → Company → Locale & Currency Settings.
- Choose your Country/Region — TimberCloud suggests a matching Default Locale automatically.
- To use a different one, pick it from the Default Locale dropdown.
- Check the Format Preview to confirm the date, number, and currency samples look right.
- Click Save Changes.
Important: The locale applies to new transactions and documents. Existing quotes, invoices, and orders keep their original formatting.
Locales you can choose
The Default Locale picker offers about 26 locales across the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. Each formats dates and numbers in its regional style:
Americas
| Locale | Region | Date | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
en-US | English (United States) | MM/DD/YYYY | 1,234.56 |
en-CA | English (Canada) | DD/MM/YYYY | 1,234.56 |
fr-CA | French (Canada) | DD/MM/YYYY | 1 234,56 |
es-MX | Spanish (Mexico) | DD/MM/YYYY | 1,234.56 |
pt-BR | Portuguese (Brazil) | DD/MM/YYYY | 1.234,56 |
Europe
| Locale | Region | Date | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
en-GB | English (United Kingdom) | DD/MM/YYYY | 1,234.56 |
de-DE | German (Germany) | DD.MM.YYYY | 1.234,56 |
fr-FR | French (France) | DD/MM/YYYY | 1 234,56 |
es-ES | Spanish (Spain) | DD/MM/YYYY | 1.234,56 |
it-IT | Italian (Italy) | DD/MM/YYYY | 1.234,56 |
pt-PT | Portuguese (Portugal) | DD/MM/YYYY | 1.234,56 |
nl-NL | Dutch (Netherlands) | DD-MM-YYYY | 1.234,56 |
sv-SE | Swedish (Sweden) | YYYY-MM-DD | 1 234,56 |
no-NO | Norwegian (Norway) | DD.MM.YYYY | 1 234,56 |
da-DK | Danish (Denmark) | DD-MM-YYYY | 1.234,56 |
fi-FI | Finnish (Finland) | DD.MM.YYYY | 1 234,56 |
pl-PL | Polish (Poland) | DD.MM.YYYY | 1 234,56 |
ru-RU | Russian (Russia) | DD.MM.YYYY | 1 234,56 |
tr-TR | Turkish (Turkey) | DD.MM.YYYY | 1.234,56 |
Asia-Pacific
| Locale | Region | Date | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
en-AU | English (Australia) | DD/MM/YYYY | 1,234.56 |
ja-JP | Japanese (Japan) | YYYY/MM/DD | 1,234.56 |
zh-CN | Chinese (China) | YYYY/MM/DD | 1,234.56 |
ko-KR | Korean (South Korea) | YYYY.MM.DD | 1,234.56 |
Middle East & South Asia
| Locale | Region | Date | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
ar-SA | Arabic (Saudi Arabia) | DD/MM/YYYY | ١٬٢٣٤٫٥٦ |
he-IL | Hebrew (Israel) | DD/MM/YYYY | 1,234.56 |
hi-IN | Hindi (India) | DD/MM/YYYY | 1,23,456.78 |
Note: This picker is about formatting, not interface language. For serving customers in another language, see Language Support, which also lists the wider set of languages available for date and month names.
Regional field helpers
Beyond dates and numbers, your country drives a few practical field helpers on forms and documents. TimberCloud is honest here: these have purpose-built rules for the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, and a sensible default everywhere else.
| Helper | What it does | Bespoke countries | Default elsewhere |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax label | The wording on tax lines (invoices, totals) | US → "Sales Tax", UK → "VAT", Canada → "GST/PST", Australia → "GST" | EU countries → "VAT"; all others → "Tax" |
| Postal code | The format hint and validation for postal/ZIP fields | US, UK, Canada, Australia (plus Germany, France, Japan, Netherlands) | A flexible format that accepts most inputs |
| Phone number | Formatting hint for phone fields | US, UK, Canada, Australia | A flexible format |
| Measurement units | Length and weight defaults | US → imperial (inch, lb); UK → mixed; Canada/Australia → metric | Metric (cm, kg) |
| Business registration label | What the tax/registration ID field is called | US → "EIN", UK → "Company Number", Canada → "Business Number", Australia → "ABN" | "Registration Number" |
| Address layout | Field order on address forms | US, UK | A general layout |
The takeaway: if you operate in the US, UK, Canada, or Australia, these labels and formats will feel native. Elsewhere, everything still works — you just get generic wording and flexible formats rather than a locally tailored one.
Tip: If a country you operate in should have its own tax label or address format, let support know. Coverage expands over time.
Troubleshooting
Dates or numbers show the wrong format — Confirm your locale at Settings → Company → Locale & Currency Settings, then refresh so the regional formatting can finish loading. Formatting follows your company locale, not your browser's language.
Calendar shows English month or day names — The regional formatting may still be loading; refresh and check again. English is the fallback until it loads.
The tax label or units aren't localized — Those helpers only have bespoke rules for the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. Other countries get the sensible default described above.
Next Steps
- Currencies — choose your currency and see how decimals are handled.
- Language Support — present your catalog and messages in any language.
- Internationalization overview — the one-time setup checklist.
- Company Settings — where Locale & Currency Settings live.