Is this your problem?
- Buttons, labels or emails stay in English
- Your translations disappear after a plugin update
- Page-builder text will not translate
- The language switcher shows the wrong page
- Visitors see the wrong language from the cache
What usually causes it
How to tell: The site language is set, but the plugin or theme has no translation for it yet.
How to tell: Your changes vanish every time the plugin updates.
How to tell: Headings and paragraphs you typed in the editor or the page builder.
How to tell: The text is typed straight into theme files, so it cannot be translated.
How to tell: The wrong language shows until the cache is cleared.
Before you touch anything
- Back up the wp-content/languages folder.
How to fix it, step by step
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1
Set the language and fetch files
In Settings, General, choose the site language. Then Dashboard, Updates, and press Update Translations.
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2
Save custom translations in a safe place
In Loco Translate, choose the Custom location, which lives in wp-content/languages/loco. Translations saved in the plugin folder are overwritten on update.
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3
Translate content in the multilingual plugin
Pages, posts and page-builder sections are content. Translate them in WPML or Polylang, which create one copy per language.
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4
Scan strings in WPML
In WPML, Theme and plugins localization, scan the theme and plugins. Then translate the found text in String Translation.
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5
Find hard-coded words
Search the theme for the English text. If it is not wrapped in a translation function, a developer needs to wrap it, in a child theme.
echo esc_html__( "Read more", "your-theme" ); -
6
Make the cache aware of language
Set the caching plugin to keep a separate copy per language, then clear it.
Stop and get help if
- The theme is full of hard-coded text and has no child theme.
- Translations were lost in an update and there is no backup.
Stop it happening again
- Keep custom translations in the Custom location.
- Use a child theme for any theme change.
- Check each language after updates.
Questions people ask
WPML or Polylang?
Both work. WPML is broader for shops and page builders. Polylang is lighter and has a free version. Pick one and stay with it.
Can I use machine translation?
For a first draft, yes. Have a person check the pages customers read before buying.