#3204·zola

feature request: Translated pages reuse default metadata

Author: bemyakCreated Jul 26, 2026Updated Aug 11, 2026

I'm using Zola to help a creator to maintain a website. Currently is has 868 pages in two languages. One constant source of frustration and bugs is that the entire markdown preface have to be repeated for each language. An example:

markdown
+++
title = "Summer Flame"
weight = 456

[extra]
cover = "summerflame.png"
faction = "desert"
flavor = "A spark of a cheerful fire that fills the world with mysticism and light."
types = ["spirit", "warden"]

[extra.abilities]
"Summer night" = "lighter than day."

[taxonomies]
tags = ["summer"]
related = ["mustikka", "flowerbug", "tuli", "seer", "jinni", "salttree", "loimuri"]
+++

A translated page needs an overwrite just for title, flavor and abilities fields; the rest is always identical.

What do you think if there would be per-section (or global as well?) setting inherit_metadata, which would make translated pages inherit all preface fields from the default language page?

I believe this will be useful to all Zola users, since at allows omitting fields that are commonly repeated in translated pages, e.g. weight, date, slug, etc.

I can work on the implementation if approved.