Create Multilingual WordPress Site: 7 Steps

Here’s how to create a multilingual WordPress site in 7 steps:

Pick a multilingual plugin (WPML, Polylang, or TranslatePress)
Install and set up the chosen plugin
Set up language options (main language, additional languages, URL structure)
Translate your content (posts, pages, categories, tags)
Add a language switcher
Translate theme and plugin text
Test and improve your multilingual site

Quick Comparison of Popular Multilingual Plugins:

Plugin	Translation Method	SEO Support	Cost
WPML	Manual, Automatic	Yes	$29/year
Polylang	Manual, Automatic	Yes	Free (Pro version available)
TranslatePress	Manual, Automatic	Yes	$79/year

Follow these steps to make your WordPress site accessible in multiple languages, expanding your reach and improving user experience for a global audience.

Before You Start

Before you begin creating a multilingual WordPress site, make sure you have these basics in place:

WordPress Setup

Install WordPress on your server or hosting platform
If you’re new to WordPress, use the official guide or ask your hosting provider for help
Check that your WordPress site is working properly

WordPress Admin Basics

Learn how to use the WordPress admin area:

Navigate the dashboard
Create and manage content
Set up basic settings

Content Management Skills

Know how to:

Create and edit posts and pages
Use categories and tags
Organize your content

Skill	Why It’s Important
WordPress installation	Foundation for your site
Admin area navigation	Helps you manage your site
Content creation	Needed for translating content

1. Pick a Multilingual Plugin

Choosing the right plugin is key to making your WordPress site work in many languages. Here’s a look at three popular options:

WPML

WPML is a big plugin with many features. It can translate your content and theme. You can translate manually or use machine translation. It also helps with SEO. It costs $29 per year.

Polylang is free and easy to use. It’s good for small sites and blogs. You can translate manually or use tools like Google Translate. It works well with SEO plugins. There’s also a paid version with more features.

TranslatePress

TranslatePress lets you translate your site visually. It offers both manual and automatic translation. It works with SEO and page builders. It costs $79 per year.

Plugin Comparison

Here’s a simple comparison of these plugins:

Plugin	How It Translates	SEO Help	Cost
WPML	Manual, Automatic	Yes	$29/year
Polylang	Manual, Automatic	Yes	Free, Paid version available
TranslatePress	Manual, Automatic	Yes	$79/year

When picking a plugin, think about what your site needs. If you want lots of features, try WPML. If you’re on a budget, Polylang might work. If you like visual editing, look at TranslatePress.

2. Install and Set Up the Plugin

Get and Install the Plugin

After choosing your plugin, follow these steps to install it:

Go to your WordPress dashboard
Click Plugins > Add New
Search for your chosen plugin
Click Install Now

For premium versions:

Download the plugin from its website
Upload it to WordPress manually
Follow the plugin’s install guide

Turn On the Plugin

To activate your plugin:

Go to your WordPress dashboard
Click Plugins
Find your new plugin
Click Activate

First-Time Setup

Each plugin has a different setup process. Here’s what to expect:

Plugin	Setup Steps
WPML	• Enter site key • Choose default language • Set language URL format
Polylang	• Choose default language • Add other languages • Set language URL format
TranslatePress	• Choose default language • Add other languages • Set language URL format • Set up visual editor

Follow your plugin’s setup guide to start translating your site.

3. Set Up Language Options

Setting up language options is key for making your WordPress site work in many languages. Here’s how to do it with your chosen plugin.

Choose Main Language

First, pick the main language for your site. This is what visitors will see when they first come to your site. To do this:

Go to your plugin’s settings page
Pick the main language from the list
Save your choice

Add More Languages

After setting the main language, you can add more. This lets you make content in different languages. To add languages:

Go to your plugin’s settings page
Click "Add New Language"
Pick a language from the list
Set up the language details (like language code and flag)
Save your changes

Set Up URL Structure

The way your site’s web addresses (URLs) look for each language is important. It helps search engines and users. You can choose from:

URL Structure	Example
Subdirectories	example.com/en/, example.com/fr/
Subdomains	en.example.com, fr.example.com
Separate domains	example-en.com, example-fr.com

To set this up:

Go to your plugin’s settings page
Pick the URL structure you want
Set up the URL details
Save your changes

4. Translate Your Content

Translating your WordPress site’s content is a key step in making it work in many languages. This means translating posts, pages, categories, tags, and custom post types. You can do this by hand or use machines to help.

Translate Posts and Pages

To translate posts and pages, use plugins like WPML, Polylang, or TranslatePress. These tools help you translate content in different ways:

Translation Method	Description
Visual interface	See and edit translations side-by-side
Automatic translation	Quick machine translation
Manual translation	Type translations yourself

You can also use tools like Google Translate or DeepL to help with machine translation.

Translate Categories and Tags

Translating categories and tags helps keep your site easy to use in all languages. Your chosen plugin should have ways to do this. Make sure to translate all parts of your site, including custom post types.

Manual vs. Machine Translation

Type	Pros	Cons
Manual	More accurate	Takes more time
Machine	Fast	May need checking

Manual translation means doing it yourself or hiring someone. It’s more accurate but takes longer.

Machine translation is fast but might make mistakes. Always check machine translations to make sure they’re correct.

5. Add a Language Switcher

Set Up Language Switcher Look

A language switcher helps visitors change the site’s language. Most plugins offer different ways to show the switcher:

Display Option	Description
Flags	Small country flags for each language
Text links	Language names as clickable text
Dropdown menu	List of languages in a dropdown

Pick a style that fits your site’s look and is easy for visitors to use.

Where to Put the Switcher

Put the language switcher where visitors can easily find it. Good spots include:

Header
Footer
Sidebar

Many sites put it in the top-right corner. This helps visitors know where to look for it.

Change Switcher Design

You can change how the language switcher looks to match your site better. Here’s what you can do:

Customization	How to Do It
Change colors	Use CSS to set new colors
Change fonts	Pick fonts that match your site
Use custom flags	Add your own flag images

6. Translate Theme and Plugin Text

After translating your main content, you need to handle the text in your theme and plugins. This makes sure your whole site speaks the same language.

Find Text to Translate

First, you need to spot the words that aren’t translated yet. You can do this in two ways:

Use your translation plugin (like WPML, Polylang, or TranslatePress)
Try a special tool like Loco Translate or POEditor

These tools help you find and manage the words that need translating.

Use Tools for Translating

Once you know what to translate, you can use different tools to do the job. Here are some good options:

Tool	What It Does
WPML	Helps manage translations
Loco Translate	Lets you translate right in WordPress
POEditor	Manages translations and has a WordPress plugin
TranslatePress	Shows a live editor for translating

These tools make it easier to translate all the text in your theme and plugins.

Keep Translations Up-to-Date

Remember to check for new text to translate when you update your theme or plugins. This helps keep your site fully translated for all users.

To stay on top of translations:

Scan your site often for new text
Update your translations when you find new words
Check after every theme or plugin update

7. Test and Improve

Test All Languages

After setting up your multilingual site, check all languages to make sure everything works well. This includes:

Looking at translated content
Testing how the site works
Checking plugins

Here’s how to test your site:

Look at each language one by one
Check for broken links
Make sure translations are correct
See if the layout looks good

You can also:

Use Google Translate to compare your translations
Ask people who speak the language to look at your site

Check for Missing Translations

To make sure your site works well for all users, look for parts that aren’t translated:

Use your translation plugin to find untranslated content
Look for plugins or themes that might not be ready for translation
Check things like widgets and menus that might need translating

Speed Up Your Site

A site with many languages can be slower than a site with just one language. To make your site faster:

What to Do	How It Helps
Turn off auto-register strings	Fewer things for the site to process
Use a small translation plugin	Makes the site run faster
Make images smaller	Pages load quicker
Use caching	Helps pages load faster
Choose good WordPress hosting	Makes the whole site run better

Wrap-Up

Key Points Review

We’ve covered the main steps to make a WordPress site in many languages:

Pick a good plugin
Set it up
Choose languages
Translate your content
Add a language switcher
Translate theme and plugin text
Test and make it better

Keep Your Site Up-to-Date

To keep your site working well in all languages:

Task	Why It’s Important
Update content often	Keeps all languages current
Update plugins and themes	Fixes bugs and adds new features
Check for new text to translate	Makes sure everything is in the right language
Test regularly	Finds and fixes problems early

Common Problems and Solutions

Fix Translation Errors

When making a WordPress site in many languages, you might run into translation problems. Here’s how to fix them:

Check your plugin settings
Look for missing translations
Use the plugin’s tools to find errors
Read the plugin’s help guides

Solve Plugin Conflicts

Sometimes plugins don’t work well together, which can cause translation issues. To fix this:

Turn off plugins one by one to find the problem
Check if plugins work with each other
Ask plugin makers for help
Use a tool to manage your plugins

Manage SEO for Multiple Languages

Making your site easy to find in search engines for different languages is important. Here’s what to do:

Task	Why It’s Important
Use hreflang tags	Tells search engines about language versions
Make multilingual sitemaps	Helps search engines understand your site
Avoid duplicate content	Use proper URLs and meta tags
Make content for each language	Helps your site rank better in searches

These steps will help your site work well in many languages and be easy to find online.

FAQs

How do I translate a WordPress site to another language?

To translate a WordPress page:

Go to your WordPress dashboard
Hover over "Pages" and click "All Pages"
Find the page you want to translate
Hover over it and click "Edit"
At the top of the Block Editor, click the blue "Translate" button

How do I make my WordPress site multilingual?

To add a language switcher to your site:

Go to "Appearance" > "Menus" in your WordPress dashboard
Click the "Language Switcher" tab on the left
Select the languages you want to show
Click "Add to menu"

Your navigation menu will now display the selected languages.

Step	Action
1	Go to Appearance > Menus
2	Click "Language Switcher" tab
3	Choose languages to display
4	Click "Add to menu"

This will add a language switcher to your WordPress navigation menu, making your site multilingual.