Do you want to translate a WordPress plugin in your language? Many WordPress plugins are fully translation ready and can be easily translated by anyone in the world. In this article, we will show you how to easily translate a WordPress plugin in your language (without knowing any code).
Why and When You Should Translate WordPress Plugins
WordPress itself is available in many languages and can be translated into other languages as well. As a user you can use WordPress in your own language, and you can even create multilingual websites using plugins.
Most top WordPress plugins are also translation ready. You can help plugin authors by contributing translations in other languages. This will help thousands of other WordPress users as well.
Note: If you’re interested in translating any of our plugins like WPForms and MonsterInsights, then we will be happy to offer you a complimentary license of our Pro version in exchange. Simply reach out to us via our contact form to get started.
That being said, let’s take a look at how to easily translate WordPress plugins in your language.
Method 1: Helping Translate a WordPress Plugin in Your Language
This method is easier and highly recommended because it not only helps you use the plugin in your language, but it also helps other users automatically use the plugin in their language.
WordPress.org currently hosts a web based translation tool that allows anyone to contribute translations for WordPress plugins hosted on WordPress.org.
When you visit a plugin page, you will see a notification asking for your help in translating the plugin in your language.
If you do not see this notice, then you can also search the Translating WordPress website for the plugin.
You will be asked to select your language, and then you can start contributing.
On the translation screen, you will see a simple user interface with source text and text area to provide translation for specific words.
Method 2: Translate a WordPress Plugin For Your Own Website
This method allows you to translate a WordPress plugin for your own use. You will be translating the plugin inside your WordPress admin area, and your translations will immediately take effect on your website.
First thing you need to do is install and activate the Loco Translate plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
Upon activation, you need to visit the Loco Translate » Plugins page to start translating your plugins.
You will see a list of all plugins currently installed on your website. You need to click on the plugin that you want to translate.
On the next screen, you will see a list of languages available for the plugin along with the translation progress status for each language.
If the language you want to translate in is listed there, then you need to click on it. Otherwise, you can click on the ‘New language’ button at the top.
On the new language page, first you need to choose your language. You have two options available. The first option is WordPress language. This option will automatically start using this language file if a user sets the WordPress admin area to be in this language. The second option is to use a custom language.
Next, you need to choose where you want to store the translation files. By default, Loco Translate will recommend saving the translation file in its own folder. You can change that to save translation files in WordPress languages or plugin’s own languages folder.
Once you have configured your settings, click on the start translating button to continue.
Translating a plugin is really simple. You will see the source text and below it you will see the translation field.
Simply enter your translation for the source string and then select the next string to translate.
Don’t forget to click on the save button to store your progress.
Method 3. Translate a WordPress Plugin on Your Computer
You can also translate a WordPress plugin on your computer using gettext translation apps. This is convenient, and you can also submit your translations to plugin authors, so they can include it in their plugins.
First you need to download the plugin you want to translate on your computer. Next, you need to double click the plugin zip file to extract it.
After you have extracted the file, open the plugin’s folder and locate the languages folder. Inside it, you will find a .pot file. This is the translation template file that you will need to translate the plugin.
If the plugin doesn’t have a .pot file or a languages folder, then it is most likely not translation ready. In that case, you can contact the plugin author, and ask if they have any plans to make their plugin translation ready.
Once you have the .pot file, you are ready to translate the plugin in any other languages you want.
First, you need to download and install the Poedit app on your computer. Poedit is a free translation app for Mac and Windows.
After you have the app installed, go ahead and open the app. You will see a wizard asking you to select an option. If you are using the pro version of the app, then you can select translate a WordPress plugin or theme. Otherwise, you need to select ‘Create new translation’ option.
You will be asked to select the plugin’s POT file. Once you select the file, Poedit will ask you to select the language of the translation.
Simply type the language name or select from the drop down menu and click on the OK button.
Poedit will now show the translation interface. You will see the list of strings available. All you have to do is click on a string to select it and provide a translation.
Once you have completed the translation, you are ready to save and export it. You need to go to File » Save and name your file after the language name and country code e.g. fr_FR for French and France, en_GB for English and Great Britain.
Poedit will save your translation in .po and .mo files. You need to place these files in your plugin’s languages folder to start using them right away.
We hope this guide helped you learn how to translate WordPress plugins. You may also want to see our list of best WordPress translation plugins for your website.
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Thank you for the article. I followed the the 3rd method. I did get the .po fie. But I did not get the .pot file. Any suggestions, please.
If the plugin has not included a pot file you would want to reach out to that plugin and they can usually assist.
In LocoTranslate, I opened the WPForms plugin to translate it. When I click on “New Language”, it shows an empty screen inside the LocoTranslate.
It happens with all plugins. Do you have a solution for that?
We would recommend reaching out to LocoTranslate’s support for them to take a look at the issue and they would be able to assist.
Hi. I translate plugins using Poedit and then I place the .mo and .po files in the plugin’s language folder. They work fine. The problem is when it comes to plugin update. Then the custom language file is removed along with the update and I have to upload the translation files again to make the plugin work in custom language. How can this problem be solved? Where to keep translation files not to loose them at plugin update?
If you reach out to the plugin’s support and let them know about your mo and po files the author should be able to add them to the plugin itself so anyone who downloads the plugin has access to those files as well and they aren’t removed in the future
We can also automatic machine translate all translatable strings of any theme or plugin in any language if we use “Loco Automatic Translate Addon” along with Loco Translate plugin.
That is one option that you could use while waiting for the plugin to translate into your language.
Some plugin translations only work when the .mo file is placed in /wp-content/languages/plugin/plugin-name-xx_XX.mo and not in /wp-content/plugins/plugin-name/languages/xx_XX.mo. I haven’t figured out when one works and when the other. It would have been useful to have this answered in the article.
@Sinethemba check that you have Administrative role. You need to be an Admin in order to see/change this setting.
Hi,
I did everything as suggested: tried using LOCO and also POEDIT, but the language did not change.
I cannot locate the site language option in my settings, it is not there at all. I figure this is the reason.
I want to customize dashboard wording of a plugin.