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Updated
March 18, 2024

WPML lets you translate URL slugs into different languages. This includes translating slugs for pages, posts, custom post types, and taxonomies.

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What is a URL slug?

A URL slug is the part of a URL that identifies a specific page on a website. Both search engines and users rely on slugs to understand the topic of a page, so it’s important to make them clear and easy to read. 

URL with custom post type and page title slugs
URL with custom post type and page title slugs

Why translate URL slugs?

When building a multilingual website, it’s essential to translate URL slugs. By translating your slugs, both users and your website benefit: 

  • Better User Experience – translating all elements (title, meta, URL, etc.) creates a consistent user experience for your reader. 
  • Higher Click Through Rate (CTR) – users are more likely to click on a page that is fully translated into their language. 
  • Include Target Keyword in URL – people use different keywords in every language. Translating URL slugs lets you include the relevant keyword for your target audience. 

Translate URL Slugs with WPML

WPML can easily translate any URL slug. This includes pages, posts, custom post types, and taxonomies. 

To translate URL slugs with WPML, you need the String Translation addon, available in both the Multilingual CMS and Multilingual Agency account types. 

Translate URL Slugs for Custom Post Types

To translate URL slugs for custom post types with WPML:

1. Go to WPMLSettings and scroll down to Slug translations.

2. Check the box to enable custom post type and taxonomy slug translations. Click Save.

Enabling translation of custom post and taxonomy base slugs
Enabling translation of custom post and taxonomy base slugs

3. In the Post Types Translation section, set your custom post type to one of the Translatable options and click Save. In our example, our custom post type is Brushes.

Setting the custom post type to one of the translatable options
Setting the custom post type to one of the translatable options

4. After clicking Save, the option to set different slugs will appear. Click on it, and type in the translation for the custom post type slug.

Translating slugs for custom post types
Translating slugs for custom post types

5. Enter the translations and hit Save again. On the front-end, the translation for your custom post type should appear in your URL.

Viewing the translated custom post type in the URL
Viewing the translated custom post type in the URL

Translate Page and Post URL Slugs

By default, when you send pages and posts for translation, WPML automatically translates their URL slugs using the title. 

For example, a page titled – Best Vacation Destinations in Summer, has the following URL: 

www.example.com/best-vacation-destinations-in-summer/

When translated into Spanish, WPML will use the new page title – Mejores Destinos de Vacaciones en Verano, to automatically create the URL slug: 

www.example.com/es/mejores-destinos-de-vacaciones-en-verano/

Translate Taxonomy URL Slugs

To translate taxonomy URL slugs, follow our taxonomy translation guide

Optimize Translated URLs for SEO

Translating URL slugs helps users and search engines understand your content. To make sure it also reaches the right user, use dedicated language URLs.

Formatting options for language URLs
Formatting options for language URLs

Language URLs indicate the language or region that the content is made for. By specifying this information, search engines understand the audience you’re targeting, and can serve your content to the right user. 

With language URLs, you can:

  • Improve Indexing – organizing your URLs helps search engines easily find and index them. 
  • Geo Target Content – specify the country and region search engines should serve your content to. 
  • Specify Target Audience – clearly indicate the intended audience for your content.

WPML helps you organize your translated URLs using subfolders, subdomains, and different domains per language. To learn more about formatting your URLs with WPML, visit our language URLs guide

Send Slugs to Translators

If you’re working with translators, you can send them slugs to translate. To send slugs to your translators:

1. Go to WPML Settings. Scroll to Translated documents options.

2. Under Page URL, choose the Translate option. Click Save.

Setting the option to Translate

3. Translators will now be able to see slugs in the Advanced Translation Editor when you send them content for translation.

Developer Resources

If you are a developer, you can read more about manually translating slugs for custom post type archives in our Developers Information section.

Get Started with WPML

To translate URL slugs with WPML, you need the Multilingual CMS or Multilingual Agency account type. Visit our pricing page to compare plans and learn more about WPML’s features.