Automatically Translate WordPress: A Step-by-Step Guide

Those looking to expand overseas have no time to waste. Agility is key to succeeding in international markets, and delaying product launches and website updates can see your brand lose out on sales and engagement. Automating translations is a key tactic in the bid to remain competitive, bringing with it the following advantages:

• Cost savings: AI translation handles large volumes of content quickly and affordably, so translators and in-house teams can spend their time where it counts.
• Speed and efficiency: Automated translation enables you to update your website in real-time. This is particularly beneficial for ecommerce sites that need to translate product descriptions or promotional content rapidly.
• Consistency: Automated tools ensure that terminology remains consistent across all translated content. This is crucial for maintaining brand voice and clarity, especially when dealing with technical or industry-specific language.

So how to automatically translate in WordPress? By using a dedicated translation plugin, of course!

Weglot 2.0 builds on the Weglot you know, bringing AI translations built around your brand, a redesigned translation experience, and built-in multilingual visibility. It translates 100% of your website, including posts, pages, and WooCommerce content, so you can publish in new languages with confidence.

This article will walk you through the process of setting up Weglot to configuring your language preferences – follow our guide and you too can accelerate your expansion efforts!

How to Automatically Translate your WordPress Site with Weglot‍

Weglot is the translation plugin for WordPress that creates AI translations of your entire site, from posts and pages to menus and plugin content. To get started, first register for a Weglot account and install the Weglot plugin from the WordPress.org repository.

Once installed, navigate to the new Weglot section in your WordPress dashboard. Here you will need to:

• Enter the API key provided upon creating your Weglot account.
• Check the source and target languages you chose when creating your Weglot project. You can change them anytime from your Weglot dashboard and translate your content into multiple languages.

After making these selections, click Save Changes. Weglot then translates 100% of your site’s content with AI, including posts, pages, and even content from themes and plugins. Your multilingual website is up and running within minutes, and every translation is ready for you to review.

To check your translations, you can use the front-end language switcher in the bottom-right corner of your site:

Behind the scenes, Weglot’s AI Translation Model combines leading AI models with your Brand Profile, Translation Guidelines, and website context, so terminology and tone stay consistent across every language. Be aware that the first time a user visits a translated page, there may be a slight delay as Weglot processes the translation. However, subsequent visits will load instantly as the translations are cached.

Additionally, Weglot has multilingual visibility built in: it automatically creates language-specific URLs, adds hreflang tags, and translates your metadata, so search engines and AI-powered discovery experiences can find and index your translated pages from day one.

How to Manually Refine AI Translations

Even with AI translations you can trust from the very start, you may want to adjust specific wording for accuracy and style. Once your site is translated, Weglot gives you several ways to review and refine translations:

1. Manage translations in the Translation List: This interface in the Weglot dashboard lets you view and edit translations easily. You can see the original text alongside its translated counterpart, making it simple to make adjustments.

2. Create accounts: If you wish to collaborate with freelancers or colleagues, you can create accounts with limited access to your Weglot dashboard. This way, others can help refine translations without having full control over your project.
3. Order translations from professional services: Weglot also enables you to order translations from professional services directly. This option is ideal if you require expert-level translation for specific content.

Additionally, Weglot features a Visual Editor that allows you to see live previews of your site while editing translations. By hovering over any text on your website, you can click an icon to make changes directly in context. This flexibility ensures that your translations are not only accurate but also connect well with your audience.

To edit a translation, you can hover over any text on the live preview of your site and click the pencil icon:

The translation opens in the side panel, where you can edit it directly:

Another useful feature is Translation Guidelines, which let you set rules for specific terms, ensuring consistency across all translations. For example, if a particular term should always be translated in a certain way (or not translated at all), you can define it in your Guidelines.

Enable Users to Automatically Translate Content on the Front End

To enhance user experience on your multilingual site, Weglot provides an intuitive front-end language switcher. This feature allows visitors to select their preferred language easily and is crucial for engaging a diverse audience.

You can customize the appearance and placement of this language switcher according to your site's design preferences. Options include:

• Displaying it as separate menu items or a dropdown.
• Using it as a WordPress widget.
• Implementing it through a shortcode.
• Adding it directly into your site's HTML.

By enabling this functionality, you empower users to navigate your content in their chosen language effortlessly.

Such AI translation capabilities not only make it easy for users to find content in their preferred language but also contribute significantly to increasing customer satisfaction and potential sales. With Weglot's straightforward setup and robust features, you can open your website up to a global audience, minus any technical know-how.

Take Your WordPress Site Global with AI Translation

If you’re looking to expand your reach and engage a global audience, high-quality AI translations are a must-have.

As we’ve seen, the Weglot plugin translates 100% of your WordPress site’s content with AI, including content from your themes and plugins. The Visual Editor lets you refine translations directly on your pages, so every wording fits your design and your audience, and the language switcher gives visitors full control over which site version they see.

To explore the benefits of AI translation for your WordPress site, sign up today for a 14-day free trial of Weglot and take the first step toward going global!