Do you need to create multiple languages for your WordPress website built with the Hoteller theme. Our theme is compatible with WPML Plugin, one of the most popular WordPress multilngual tools, in this article we’ll show that it’s really easy to translate your website!
To build a multilingual WordPress website, you’ll need:
- a Hoteller theme
- All Hoteller’s required plugins
- WPML plugin with optional addons
Languages
Firstly, add the languages you are going to translate the theme to: go to WPML > Languages > Add Language. Then add the language you want to translate.
There are lots of settings you can apply according to your needs:
- Set a default language
- Language URL format
- Language switcher options (the order of languages and how to handle languages without translation)
WPML translation modes and tools
- Translate Everything AutomaticallyAll of the site’s main content will be automatically translated into all secondary languages as content is published or updated. Translations can then be reviewed on the front-end and edited by the user (or local translator) if needed.
- Translate What You ChooseUsers can pick and choose what to translate, when to translate it, and who will translate it. This mode allows for content to be translated yourself via WPML’s Advanced Translation Editor, translated by professional translation services, or even translated by a team of local translators. You can also translate content automatically with this option – the difference between this and Translate Everything Automatically is you choose what gets translated automatically.
Translating content in pages, posts, and custom post types
First, please make sure you make custom post types you want to be translatable using WPML from WPML > Settings > Post Types Translation.
If you choose the Translate Everything Automatically mode, all page, post and CPT content will be translated automatically. Any smaller texts, like widgets or form fields that are not translated automatically can be translated via the String Translation Module.
Translating Posts, Pages and Elementor Page Designs Built with Widgets
The Elementor page builder allows you to create page designs using widgets. Each widget adds a different feature or element to your page, like text, images, or buttons.
Since Elementor widgets are a part of your page content, when you translate a page, you translate the widget title and content as well.
In WPML, you can send all posts, pages, and other item types for translation from the Translation Management Dashboard. To get started, go to WPML → Translation Management:
- Use the All types dropdown menu to select the post type you want to translate. For example, to translate your pages, select Pages and click the Filter button.
Filtering for and selecting the page you want to translate in Translation Management
- Select the page(s) you want to translate and choose your target languages.
Selecting the pages you want to translate
- Select how you want to translate the pages:
- To quickly translate your Elementor website using high-quality automatic translations, select Translate automatically. You can also choose your preferred translation engine.
- To translate content yourself, with a translator, or translation service, select Assign to a translator. This button will say Translate myself if you’re the only translator on your site.
- Click Start translating to send your pages to translation.
After a few minutes, you can easily review automatic translations from the WPML → Translations page.
If you’re translating yourself, you can also take the translation job from WPML → Translations. This opens the Advanced Translation Editor, where you can add translations for all of your page content.
Translating the page in the Advanced Translation Editor
Elementor lets you use the Nav Menu widget to add the menus that you’ve created in WordPress to pages or templates. You can then design the menu in whatever way you want.
With WPML, you can easily translate your menus, add and translate custom links, and even create different menus per language.
Learn more about translating WordPress menus with WPML.
Adding a Language Switcher to Elementor Page Builder Designs
With your Elementor pages translated, you’ll want to give your visitors a way to switch between the different language versions.
With WPML, you can add a language switcher to your Elementor site by going to WPML → Languages. There, you have the option to add a language switcher to your site’s menu, widget area, or footer.
Alternatively, you can add the WPML Language Switcher widget to your Elementor pages or templates.
Creating Elementor Pages with Different Content or Designs Per Language (Optional)
WPML lets you create different Elementor pages with unique content and design for each language. This is optional but can be beneficial for tailoring your site to specific cultural preferences.
Let’s say your website is aimed at both English-speaking and Japanese-speaking audiences. For the Japanese version, you might want different content and a style that aligns more closely with Japanese web design principles.
To have different content and page designs across languages, you need to manually translate your pages.