{"id":35969,"date":"2022-08-09T07:00:18","date_gmt":"2022-08-09T14:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dhblog.dream.press\/blog\/?p=35969"},"modified":"2025-05-21T18:50:39","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T01:50:39","slug":"wordpress-multilingual-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wordpress-multilingual-website\/","title":{"rendered":"Decoding WordPress: Creating a Multilingual Website"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a website owner, accessibility<\/a> should be one of your highest priorities. That\u2019s because if a portion of your visitors can\u2019t read your content<\/a>, you\u2019re likely missing out on an interested audience. By not making your site multilingual, your reach will be limited to visitors who are able to read your language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, WordPress makes it easy to add multilingual features to your website. To do this, you can install a multilingual plugin<\/a> or use translation software to add material in other languages. This way, you can offer multilingual content to users all over the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, we\u2019ll explain what a multilingual website is and why you should consider creating one. Then, we\u2019ll discuss how you can add multilingual features to your website. Let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Introduction to Multilingual WordPress Websites<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Essentially, a multilingual website provides the same content in more than one language. This means, no matter how the original article is written, users can be redirected to their native language:<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Multilingual<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Rather than only using a single language, you can add multilingual features to your website. Whether you use a multilingual plugin, Google Translate, or manual translations, you can start sharing your content worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multilingual Features in WordPress 6.0<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

WordPress 6.0<\/a> brought many updated features, including extended Full Site Editing<\/a> and site-wide blocks<\/a>. However, the core software doesn\u2019t come with multilingual functionality. Although WordPress itself doesn\u2019t yet support<\/a> out-of-the-box bilingual or multilingual features, many plugins enable you to easily translate your posts and pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, WordPress is consistently working on new features. Here is the development roadmap for WordPress\u2019 multi-year Gutenberg Project<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Easier Editing<\/b>: Development of the Block Editor<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Customization<\/b>: Full Site Editing, Block Patterns, Block Directory, and Block-based themes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Collaboration<\/b>: Multi-author collaboration<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Multi-lingual<\/b>: Implementation of multilingual features<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Currently, we are in phase two of the Gutenberg Project. Therefore, if you want to build a multilingual website with just core WordPress software, you\u2019ll have to wait for a while, as there is no current timetable on when the project will reach phase four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In the next few years, we should also see other Content Management Systems (CMS)<\/a> become multilingual-ready. If you use a headless CMS<\/a>, the future will likely bring support for multilingual content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Benefits of Creating a Multilingual Website<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    No matter the type of content you produce, you can benefit from creating a multilingual website. Whether you run a business website<\/a> or a small blog<\/a>, translating your content can be an effective way to grow your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By translating your website, you can significantly increase your organic traffic<\/a>. Although English is the most common language on the internet, it only makes up 25.9%<\/a> of online users. That means, if you don\u2019t translate your English content into another language, you could fail to reach a larger, global audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Besides, creating a multilingual website can improve your Search Engine Optimization (SEO)<\/a>. If you\u2019re trying to gain traction with English keywords, you may have noticed that these have a lot of competition. In other languages, the same keywords can be far less saturated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For example, the keyword \u2018meal delivery\u2019 has a high amount of searches and competition. With an expensive top-of-page bid, you may not want to use it:<\/p>\n\n\n

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    \"English<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    However, using \u2018entrega de comida\u2019 can improve your results. By simply translating your keyword<\/a> into Spanish, you can run a cost-effective ad campaign without competing with other websites<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Spanish<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Additionally, offering content in a visitor\u2019s<\/a> native language can provide a better User Experience (UX)<\/a>. Instead of having to rely on Google Translate, users can immediately understand your website and find the information they\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This can also make your website more credible and trustworthy. When you can remove a communication barrier, users from all over the world may be more likely to trust what you\u2019re saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Types of Multilingual Plugins<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Since WordPress isn\u2019t multilingual-ready<\/a> out of the box, one effective option is to install a multilingual plugin. With these plugins<\/a>, you can start publishing content in other languages. However, some multilingual plugins can offer more in-depth translations than others. Let\u2019s look at a few different types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Comprehensive Multilingual Plugins<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The best multilingual plugins will enable you to translate every part of your website, from your written content to your themes<\/a> and plugins. When you want to make your entire website multilingual, these plugins can be effective tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One of the most popular multilingual plugins is TranslatePress<\/a>. After installation, you can use its front-end editor to translate everything you can see on your website<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"TranslatePress<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Additionally, by integrating TranslatePress with Google Translate or DeepL, you can set up automatic translation for all of your content. Please note that relying on a service that leverages machine translations will not work as well as having someone who can natively understand the language you are translating your content to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fortunately, you can fix any mistakes that machine translations may make manually and see a live preview of these changes during the editing process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Polylang<\/a> is another powerful multilingual plugin that enables you to translate your posts<\/a>, pages<\/a>, media, categories, and tags. You can even create translations any custom post types, widgets, navigation menus, and URLs:<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Polylang<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Plus, Polylang can improve your multilingual SEO. By setting up HTML hreflang tags, SEO-friendly URLs<\/a>, and open graph tags, Polylang can help you to start showing up in global search results<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Both of these plugins are free to download. However, if you want to access advanced features and add-ons, you\u2019ll likely need to purchase the premium versions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Automated Translation Plugins<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Alternatively, some multilingual plugins connect to automated translation services. This type of plugin can provide translations for certain parts of your website<\/a>, but won\u2019t be nearly as comprehensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For example, Translate WordPress with GTranslate<\/a> can make your website multilingual using Google Translate. With this plugin, you can add different languages in a widget, allowing users to easily switch to their native language:<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"GTranslate<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    The free version of GTranslate includes statistical machine translations. With a premium version, you can access Google neural translations, which can be much more accurate. Also, the core software does not support manual revisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re a software developer<\/a>, you may benefit from using Loco Translate<\/a>. Unlike the other options on this list, Loco Translate enables you to update the language files in your theme or plugins:<\/p>\n\n\n

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    \"Loco<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Using the built-in translation editor, you can modify WordPress translation files directly in your admin dashboard. This will contain integrated automatic translation services to help you design a multilingual-ready theme or plugin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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