How to Implement Multi-Language Support in WordPress
Posted on 18th June 2023
What is Multi-Language Support?
Multi-language support is the ability to create content in multiple languages and to display it in the language of the user’s choice. This is especially important for websites that are targeting international audiences.
There are two main ways to add multi-language support to a WordPress site:
- Using a WordPress plugin
- Manually adding support
Using a WordPress Plugin
There are many WordPress plugins that offer multi-language support. Some of the most popular include:
Using a plugin is the easiest way to add multi-language support to a WordPress site. All you need to do is install and activate the plugin, then configure it according to your needs.
Manually Adding Multi-Language Support
If you don’t want to use a plugin, you can also add multi-language support to WordPress manually. This is a more advanced approach and is not recommended for beginners.
To manually add multi-language support, you will need to edit your WordPress code. This can be done either by editing your theme files or by using a plugin that allows you to add code to your site.
Once you have access to your WordPress code, you need to add the following functions:
load_theme_textdomain()get_locale()switch_to_locale()
You can find more information on how to add these functions in the WordPress Codex.
Configuring Multi-Language Support
Once you have added the necessary code, you need to configure your WordPress site to display content in the desired language. This can be done from the WordPress admin dashboard.
First, you need to select the language you want to use from the General Settings page. Next, you need to add a language file for each language you want to support. These files can be found in the wp-content/languages directory.
Finally, you need to configure your WordPress theme to display content in the desired language. This can be done by editing your theme files or by using a plugin that allows you to add language support to your theme.
Conclusion
Multi-language support is an important feature for any WordPress site that is targeting international audiences. There are two main ways to add multi-language support to WordPress: using a plugin or manually adding support.
Using a plugin is the easiest way to add multi-language support to WordPress. If you don’t want to use a plugin, you can also add multi-language support to WordPress manually. This is a more advanced approach and is not recommended for beginners.
If you want to offer your WordPress site in multiple languages, you have two options:
1. Use a plugin like WPML or Polylang
2. Manually add language files to your theme
We’ll show you how to do both.
Option 1: Use a Plugin
The easiest way to add multi-language support to WordPress is to use a plugin. We recommend either WPML or Polylang.
WPML is a popular plugin that’s designed to work with almost any WordPress theme or plugin. It’s available as a free version with limited features or a premium version starting at $29.
Polylang is a free plugin with similar features to WPML. It’s available as a free plugin from the WordPress plugin repository.
Once you’ve installed and activated your chosen plugin, you’ll need to set up your languages. For WPML, go to WPML » Languages and add your languages. For Polylang, go to Settings » Languages and add your languages.
You can now start translating your content. For WPML, go to WPML » Translation Management and select the content you want to translate. For Polylang, go to Posts » All Posts and select the post you want to translate.
You can either use the built-in translation editor or hire a professional translator.
Option 2: Manually Add Language Files
If you don’t want to use a plugin, you can add multi-language support to WordPress manually.
First, you’ll need to create a language file for each language you want to add. You can name these files anything you want, but we recommend using the ISO 639-1 code for each language. For example, for French, you would use fr_FR.po.
These files contain all of the text that will be translated on your site. You can create them using a program like Poedit.
Once you’ve created your language files, you need to add them to your theme. You can do this by adding the following code to your theme’s functions.php file:
function my_theme_load_textdomain() {
load_theme_textdomain( ‘my-theme’, get_template_directory() . ‘/languages’ ); }
add_action( ‘after_setup_theme’, ‘my_theme_load_textdomain’ );
Replace my-theme with your theme’s slug and fr_FR with your language file.
You can now start translating your theme’s text by going to Appearance » Menus and selecting the language you want to edit from the dropdown menu.
You can also use a plugin like Loco Translate to manage your translations.
That’s all there is to it! You should now have a multilingual WordPress site up and running.
2. Set up your WordPress site
Now that you’ve chosen your translation plugin, it’s time to set up your WordPress site to use it. In most cases, you’ll need to install the plugin on your site and then configure it to work with your specific needs.
For example, with the Polylang plugin, you’ll need to install and activate the plugin, then go to Settings > Languages to add your site’s languages and configure your language settings.
Once you’ve done that, you can start translating your content. In most cases, you’ll need to create separate versions of your content in each language. For instance, if you have a page in English, you’ll need to create a separate page in each of the other languages you want to support.
3. Translate your content
Now that your site is set up to use multiple languages, it’s time to start translating your content. In most cases, you’ll need to create separate versions of your content in each language.
For instance, if you have a page in English, you’ll need to create a separate page in each of the other languages you want to support. To do that, you can use the translation tools provided by your plugin.
For example, with the Polylang plugin, you can go to the post or page you want to translate and click on the “Add new translation” link. That will take you to a new page where you can enter the translated version of your content.
Once you’ve translated your content, you can then use the plugin’s tools to display it on your site. In most cases, you’ll need to use a language switcher to let visitors choose which language they want to see.
4. Use a language switcher
In most cases, you’ll need to use a language switcher to let visitors choose which language they want to see. A language switcher is a tool that lets visitors change the language of your site on the fly.
There are a few different ways to add a language switcher to your WordPress site. The most common method is to use a plugin. For example, the Polylang plugin includes a language switcher widget that you can add to your site’s sidebar or other widget area.
Another option is to use a WordPress theme that includes a language switcher. For example, the WPML – Multilingual CMS theme includes a language switcher in the header area of the theme.
Finally, you can also add a language switcher manually by adding a few lines of code to your site. For example, you can add the following code to your site’s header.php file:
Just replace “en”, “de”, and “fr” with the codes for the languages you want to support.
5. Test your site
Once you’ve translated your content and added a language switcher, it’s important to test your site to make sure everything is working properly. Start by testing the language switcher to make sure it’s displaying the correct language for each option.
Then, browse around your site and test each page and post to make sure the correct translation is being displayed. Pay attention to any pages or posts that are not being translated correctly.
If you find any problems, go back and double-check your settings and translations. Once everything is working properly, you’re ready to launch your multilingual WordPress site!
