Security Policy Errors

Fix Microsoft 365 Attack Simulation Landing Page Displaying the Wrong Language

Algirdas Jasaitis Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to fix an issue where the Microsoft 365 Defender attack simulation landing page and associated messages appear in incorrect languages despite a specific language template being selected.

Fix Microsoft 365 Attack Simulation Landing Page Displaying the Wrong Language

Product: Microsoft 365 Defender
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Setting up and launching an attack simulation training campaign in Microsoft 365 Defender for end-users.
Observed behavior: The simulation landing page displays in German when Dutch was selected, and randomized payloads resulted in Spanish emails and French Teams messages despite selecting default language options.

Before you start

Before troubleshooting, ensure you have administrative access to the Microsoft 365 Defender portal and check if the intended recipient's default browser or Microsoft profile is set to a different language.

Solution 1Recommended

Adjust Language and Randomization Settings in Simulation Configuration

Ensure that payload randomization is not overriding your selected default language and distributing localized templates automatically.

Microsoft 365 Defender features an automatic randomization option for payloads. When enabled, this feature may distribute different supported language versions of emails and landing pages to different users or channels to increase simulation variance.

Access Attack Simulation Training

Edit the Simulation

Select the active or draft simulation experiencing the issue and click 'Edit simulation'.

Modify Randomization Settings

Navigate to the Payload section. If 'Randomize payloads' is selected, disable it or ensure that the randomly selected payloads only include the language you intend to use (e.g., Dutch).

Verify Template Language

Under the landing page configuration, explicitly set the language dropdown to your desired language and ensure no other alternative languages are ticked.

Preview the Simulation

Before saving, use the 'Preview' function to verify the exact language that will be rendered on the landing page.

Adjust Language and Randomization Settings in Simulation Configuration

Language Caching: Changes to landing pages might take a moment to propagate. Always preview the exact simulation link in a fresh, incognito browser window.

Solution 2

Verify Recipient Browser and Account Language Preferences

Determine if the recipient's localized settings are forcing the page to translate or load a different region's template.

Solution 3

Report the Issue to Microsoft 365 Defender Support

Escalate the issue if the published simulation continues to ignore your explicitly configured language settings.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my attack simulation Teams message appear in French?

This commonly occurs if 'Randomize payloads' is enabled in the simulation configuration. Randomization can automatically distribute variations of the payload in different supported languages to different users or communication channels.

Can the recipient's web browser change the simulation landing page language?

Yes. In certain scenarios, the rendering engine may detect the user's browser default language or their Microsoft 365 account profile language and attempt to serve a localized version of the landing page instead of the template's default.

How do I force a single specific language for all simulation targets?

You must turn off payload randomization during the simulation setup. Then, explicitly select your target language from the template dropdown and verify that no secondary languages are ticked in the configuration.

Why are other languages still available after I rejected random options?

If you selected a default option but other languages remain available, the payload template itself might have multiple languages configured. You need to edit the specific payload template being used and remove all unwanted language translations.

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