Learn how to use Google Translate in WordPress and create a multilingual website with more languages.
Google Translate used to have a widget you could add to your website, letting users view your site in different languages. Unfortunately, this widget was discontinued in 2019 and is no longer available.
The good news is there’s better solutions – such as WPML, the most popular multilingual plugin for WordPress, powering over 1,000,000+ websites.
How to Use Google Translate with WPML
WPML can help you translate your entire WordPress website using Google Translate, letting users view your content in their preferred language.
Unlike the old widget that simply translated content on the fly, WPML stores translations on your website, letting your content rank in other languages without slowing down your site. Besides being SEO-friendly, WPML also includes everything you need to build a multilingual website, such as:
- Add as many languages as you want.
- Review and edit automatic translations.
- Organize translations with subfolders and subdirectories.
Here’s a quick video showing how to translate your site using Google Translate and WPML.
1. Install and Activate WPML
To get started with WPML, install and activate the plugin on your WordPress website. WPML is a premium plugin, so you’ll need to purchase a license first.
2. Choose Your Target Languages
Once activated, head over to WPML → Setup to choose the languages you want to translate into. If you haven’t yet decided which languages you want – don’t worry, WPML lets you add (and remove) languages later.
Before continuing forward, remember to set your translation engine to Google Translate in WPML’s settings.
3. Send Content for Translation
To translate your website with Google Translate, start by going to WPML → Translation Management. This will open a dashboard with all your website content organized into sections, like pages, posts, and custom posts.
To translate content, simply select your items, choose Translate automatically as your translation method, and click the Translate button.
Google Translate will now automatically translate your content, notifying you at the top of the dashboard when translations are ready.
4. Review Automatic Translations
Google Translate can create excellent translations. That said, they might not always capture the exact meaning or preferred tone. With WPML, you can perfect translations by editing them using the Advanced Translation Editor.
Simply go to WPML → Translations and select the content you want to review. WPML lets you edit texts, links, and any other content on your page – without breaking your formatting.
Bonus: Add Language Switcher
WPML lets you add a language switcher anywhere on your website, including:
Header
Footer
Widgets
Pages & Posts
To add a language switcher, simply go to WPML → Languages, and click the switcher you want to add.
How Much Does Google Translate Cost?
All WPML plans include a free amount of words you can automatically translate at no extra cost:
- Multilingual CMS – 45,000 words
- Multilingual Agency – 90,000 words
For most websites, this amount is enough to automatically translate into 2-3 languages. That said, if you have a big website and need to translate more words, you can buy additional automatic translation at affordable rates.
To learn more about our pricing, and alternative translation engines, see our automatic translation.
Get Started with WPML
Ready to make your WordPress site multilingual with Google Translate? Get started with WPML today and automatically translate your entire website in just a few clicks.