Learn how to use WPML on multisite setups to translate your site network and individual subsites into multiple languages.
Adding WPML to a WordPress multisite network allows you to use different languages and translation settings for each website.
Types of Multisite URL Setups Supported
WPML supports the following multilingual URL setups on multisites:
Fully Supported
| Subsites in directories and languages in directories | Subsites in subdomains and languages in directories |
|---|---|
| domain.com/subsite-1/fr/ domain.com/subsite-1/es/ domain.com/subsite-2/de/ | subsite-1.domain.com/fr/ subsite-1.domain.com/es/ subsite-2.domain.com/de/ |
Conditional and Experimental
| Subsites in directories and languages in subdomains | Subsites in subdomains and languages in subdomains |
|---|---|
| fr.domain.com/subsite-1/ fr.domain.com/subsite-2/ es.domain.com/subsite-1/ | subsite.fr.test.com |
| Only possible by using the sunrise.php file (see more in How Can I Use Different Domains Per language?) | Only possible if the domain is properly pointed via DNS entry and doesn’t conflict with another subsite |
On the same subsite, it’s not possible to have some languages in domains and other languages in directories.
Installing WPML on a Multisite Setup
To install WPML, you can use the lightweight OTGS Installer plugin to avoid manual download and upload of WPML components.
After you buy WPML:
- Go to the Downloads section in your account and download the OTGS Installer zip file.
- Head to My Sites → Network Admin to upload the new plugin.
- Once uploaded, you can Network Activate.
Registering WPML on a Multisite Setup
With the OTGS Installer activated, you can now register WPML and download its core components (and any additional ones you need). Register your main site first so that the same site key will apply to all subsites.
After registering, you can:
- Activate WPML on the main site and the subsites of your choosing. If you want the flexibility to deactivate WPML on individual subsites when you want, go to each subsite to activate WPML separately under Plugins.
- Activate WPML on your whole multisite network. Go to Installed Plugins and Network Activate to activate WPML on every site of your setup.
Configuring WPML on Each Subsite
You must configure WPML individually on each of your subsites. Go to WPML → Setup and follow the setup wizard.
Once you finish the setup, you’ll have access to WPML functions and will be able to start translating your content throughout your multisite network.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Use Different Domains Per Language?
If you want to use a different domain per language, you need a drop-in plugin called sunrise.php. This plugin loads early in the WordPress loading process, so it helps WPML match each requested domain with the corresponding language.
Here’s how to install this plugin:
1. Copy the sunrise.php file from WPML’s ../sitepress-multilingual-cms/inc/tools/ folder to your wp-content folder. If you already have a sunrise.php file in your wp-content folder, add the content from WPML’s sunrise.php file to the existing file. Do not place it after a return statement.
2. Add the line define(‘SUNRISE’, ‘on’) to your wp-config.php file.
3. Make sure that your domains have the correct DNS set and that they point to the same folder as the domain of the default language. For instructions, follow this tutorial on setting up domains per language.
How Can I Use Automatic Translation On Multisites?
WPML offers the option for automatic translation of all content on your sites.
To use automatic translation, choose between our Pay-as-you-go and Prepaid credits plans.
If you want to use automatic translation on a specific subsite, you can either:
– Sign up for pay-as-you-go on the subsite. In this case, a subsite gets its own payment method for automatic translation, or
– Connect a subsite with the main site using a migration code to share its credits.
Important: You cannot assign prepaid credits to a specific subsite from your WPML account as subsites share the main site’s key.
How Do I Reset WPML On My Subsites?
If you ever need to reset WPML on any of your subsites, go to My Sites → Network Admin and click on WPML. From here, you can reset any of your individual subsites. Be sure WPML is activated on your main site to be able to see the WPML menu.
If you encounter any issues while setting up your WordPress multisite with WPML, contact our support team for assistance.