Complete Guide to Adding a Language Switcher in WordPress

One of the essentials to take your site to a global audience is to make your site multilingual. A multilingual website can significantly expand your reach and improve user experience. But for that, you will need to offer the users a language switcher. So they can choose between different languages of your site content easily.

Adding a language switcher to your WordPress site is a simple process with the help of the WordPress plugin, Polylang. It allows you to manage content efficiently and offers a smooth switching experience to users.

In this blog, we’ll learn how WordPress developers add a language switcher to WordPress sites. But before that, let’s understand the functionality it may have and the benefits it offers.

What is a Language Switcher in WordPress Site?

A language switcher is a feature on a WordPress site that allows users to switch between different languages. It typically appears as a dropdown menu, a set of flags, or simple text links. Usually, it is located in the website’s header, footer, or sidebar.

By providing a language switcher, WordPress development company ensures their site is accessible to a wider audience. Additionally, this feature improves user experience for those who prefer to read content in their native language.

Features of a Language Switcher in WordPress Site

A language switcher can include multiple features that could enhance the way users interact with it. Here are some common features you can include in your WordPress site:

• Language Selection: Users should be able to easily choose their preferred language from a clear and concise list.
• Quick Switching: The website should seamlessly transition to the selected language without requiring page reloads.
• Language Indicators: Clear visual cues, such as flags or language names, should help users identify available languages.
• Default Language: A default language should be set for new visitors.
• Language Detection: Automatically detecting the visitor’s preferred language based on browser’s language settings (or location).
• Cookie-Based Preferences: Remember the user’s language choice for future visits.
• Customization: Allow users to customize the appearance of the language switcher (e.g., font, color, position).

Adding a language switcher to your WordPress site with these features enhances user experience. Additionally, it improves your website’s global reach, making your content accessible across different languages.

Benefits of Adding a Language Switcher to WordPress Site

Adding a language switcher to your WordPress site offers a range of benefits that enhance user experience and expand your reach. Here are the key benefits:

• Enhanced User Experience: Allows visitors to select their preferred language, making it easier for them to understand the content.
• Increased Audience Reach: Makes your website accessible to a global audience, catering to visitors of multiple languages. Plus, it is essential to attract and engage users from international markets.
• Better User Engagement: Users are likely to engage with content presented in their native language, leading to increased time spent on the site.
• Improved Conversion Rates: Multilingual content can lead to higher conversion rates as users feel more comfortable and understood. That results in higher sales, sign-ups, and makes other target goals achievable.
• Competitive Advantage: This feature differentiates your website site from competitors who may not offer multilingual support. That can place you ahead of them, increasing the chance of entry into a new market.

By adding a language switcher to your WordPress site, you can unlock opportunities for growth and success. Now, let’s move to the next section, where we’ll learn about how WordPress development experts add language switchers to their sites.

How to Add a Language Switcher to WordPress Site?

Adding a language switcher to your WordPress site using Polylang is a straightforward process. Polylang is a popular and easy-to-use multilingual plugin that facilitates this process. Follow these steps to add a language switcher to your site using Polylang.

Step 1: Install and Activate Polylang

The first step involves installing the WordPress plugin, Polylang. This plugin will enable you to create and manage multilingual content on your WordPress site.

• Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
• Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
• In the search bar, type “Polylang.”
• Click Install Now next to the Polylang plugin.
• Once the installation is complete, click Activate.

Here, we installed and activated the Polylang plugin, which is now ready to help you manage multilingual content on your site.

Step 2: Configure Polylang Settings

After activation, you’ll be directed to the Polylang setup wizard. Here, you need to configure its settings, including adding the languages you want to use on your site. To do so:

• Go to Languages in the Polylang menu.
• Click on Add New Language.
• Select your default language from the dropdown menu.
• Click Add New Language.
• Repeat this process to add additional languages.

In this step, we configured Polylang settings by adding the default and additional languages we want on our website.

Step 3: Set Up Translations

Now that you have added the languages, you need to set up translations for your posts, pages, categories, and tags. For that:

• Go to Posts or Pages in your dashboard. You’ll see new language options next to each post or page.
• Now, Click the “+” icon next to a language to add a translation.
• Enter the translated content and save the changes.

We configured translation for the site’s content, which allows each post and page to be available in multiple languages.

Step 4: Add Language Switcher

Adding a language switcher allows visitors to select their preferred language easily. You can add the switcher to menus, widgets, etc.

Display the Language Switcher in the Navigation Menu:

• Go to Appearance > Menus.
• Select the menu you want to add the language switcher to or create a new menu.
• Click on the Languages tab on the left side.
• Check the box next to Language Switcher and click Add to Menu.
• Drag and drop the language switcher to your desired position in the menu.
• Click Save Menu.

Display the Language Switcher in a Widget:

• Go to Appearance > Widgets.
• Find the Language Switcher widget.
• Drag and drop the Language Switcher widget to your desired widget area, such as the sidebar or footer.
• Configure the widget settings (e.g., display flags, language names, dropdown) and click Save.

Here, we added a language switcher to the WordPress site’s menu and widget area, allowing visitors to switch languages easily.

Step 5: Configure Additional Settings

Configure additional Polylang settings to optimize how languages are managed on your site, including URL modifications and string translations.

Language Settings:

• Go to Languages > Settings.
• Configure the settings for URL modifications, such as language code in URL or different domains per language.
• Adjust other settings like custom post types, WordPress taxonomies, and media.

String Translations:

• Go to Languages > String Translations.
• Translate the theme and plugin strings that are not part of posts or pages.

Here, we configured additional Polylang settings, including URL modifications and string translations.

Step 6: Test the Language Switcher

Now, test the language switcher to ensure it works correctly and that all content is displayed in the correct language. Here is how:

• Visit your site to ensure the language switcher appears in the desired location.
• Test the language switcher by switching between languages and verifying the content changes accordingly.
• Ensure that all elements, including posts, pages, and menus, are translated and displayed correctly in the selected language.

Here, we tested the language switcher to confirm that it functions correctly and displays content in the appropriate language.

Adding a language switcher to your WordPress site using Polylang is an effective way to create a multilingual website. By following the above steps, you can easily configure Polylang and add and manage translations with seamless language-switching. To enhance your site with this feature, you can consider hiring WordPress developers.

FAQs About Adding Language Switcher to WordPress Site

Conclusion

Adding a language switcher to your WordPress site is a way to enhance the site’s user-friendly experience for a global audience. By implementing a language switcher, you enable your visitors to access content in their preferred language. That increases the engagement and conversion rates, leading to more sales or business.

By installing and activating the Polylang plugin, you can manage content effectively. It lets you integrate a language switcher into your site and customize its appearance. If you want to build a site with language switcher functionality added, hire WordPress developers.