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WPML String Translation

Amir
Updated
October 23, 2024

WPML String Translation allows you to translate texts that are not in posts, pages, and taxonomy. This includes the site’s tagline, general texts in admin screens, widget titles, and many other texts.

In String Translation, you can translate static text elements on your website that come from translation-ready themes and plugins. If you are a developer creating a theme, plugin, or custom-built website and want to add multilingual support to it, see how to deliver an internationalized WordPress project.

Download and Activate String Translation

WPML’s String Translation module comes with the Multilingual CMS and Multilingual Agency account types.

The OTGS Installer plugin lets you easily install and activate the WPML core plugin, String Translation, and all other WPML components.

Alternatively, you can download the String Translation add-on from your WPML.org account, under the Downloads section.

Once you install and activate it on your site, navigate to WPML → String Translation.

How to Find and Translate Strings with WPML

Most sites contain many strings to translate. These strings come from the different themes and plugins on your site. To identify and select the specific strings you want to translate, you can use the dropdown menus at the top of the String Translation page. You can also search for the exact text you want to translate.

Filtering strings for translation

Can’t find a particular string you would like to translate?

By default, WPML doesn’t load every string into the String Translation table.

See how to find strings and add them to String Translation.

Translating Strings by Yourself

Once you have located a string you would like to translate, click the plus icon under the flag of the language you would like to translate it into.

Clicking the plus icon to translate a string

You can save your translation by hitting the enter or tab keys on your keyboard or simply clicking out of the window. The tab key allows you to switch between languages without having to click.

You can also select multiple strings for translation. Click the checkboxes next to strings and select the languages from the list. Then, click Translate and go to WPML → Translations to translate them using the Advanced Translation Editor.

Sending Strings to Translators

With WPML, you can send strings to your translators. Click the checkboxes next to the strings you want to send for translation. Then, select the languages from the list and add the strings to the translation basket.

Adding strings to the translation basket

From the translation basket, assign the translation job to your translator(s) to translate the strings using the Advanced Translation Editor. You can also send the job to be translated by a translation service.

Automatically Translating Strings

To automatically translate strings in String Translation, start by selecting the items you want to translate. This will open a section titled Translate selected strings, with a list of the available languages. Select the languages you want to translate into and click Translate.

WPML will now automatically translate your strings and update the table when ready.

How to Delete a String

When you no longer use a certain theme or a plugin you might wish to remove the strings associated with it. To do this, simply select the strings you want to remove and click Delete selected strings.

Deleting a string

To delete all the untranslated strings belonging to a certain domain, scroll down to Remove strings by domain and click Remove strings. Select the domains of strings you don’t need anymore and click Remove. The untranslated strings in these domains will no longer appear on the String Translation screen.

Removing all the strings for a certain domain

You can always add the strings again by going to WPML → Theme and Plugins Localization. Choose the plugin or theme and scan it to make its strings available for translation again.

How to Translate Themes and Plugins Coded in Languages Other than English

If a theme or plugin you’re using is coded in a language other than English, WPML may miscategorize the source language of strings. Please see our documentation on how to change the source language of individual strings and entire domains on the String Translation page.

Import and Export PO Files

You can import translations from other sources and export your current translations using PO files.

If you choose to export strings without their translations, the file extension will be .pot (Portable Object Template). If you choose to include translations, the extension would be .po.

When you import translations, you must choose the language to import to.

For Developers: Creating a Language Configuration File

Theme and plugin authors are encouraged to include a language configuration file in their code, which tells WPML which strings from the wp_options table to register for translation. This can save a lot of time for end users configuring multilingual sites.