How to Translate a Template into Your Language

Posted on by Tony

When you find the perfect website template, it can feel like you’ve struck gold—everything looks polished, well-designed, and ready to showcase your ideas. But there’s often one challenge that pops up: the template isn’t in your language. Whether it’s a WordPress theme, an HTML template, or a Shopify design, many templates are built in English by default. If you want to make your site truly yours, translating the template into your own language is a key step. Luckily, with the right approach, it’s much easier than it sounds.

Why Translate a Template?

Translating a template isn’t just about convenience—it’s about creating a better experience for your visitors. When your audience lands on your website, they want to feel at home. Seeing navigation menus, buttons, and forms in their native language builds trust and improves usability. It also boosts SEO by allowing your content to target local keywords more effectively.

Understanding Template Translation Basics

Before you dive into the actual process, it helps to understand where the text in your template comes from. In most templates, text appears in a few different areas:

  • Static text in code (like buttons that say “Read More” or “Contact Us”)
  • Theme or plugin files (in WordPress or CMS-based templates)
  • Content you add manually (blog posts, product descriptions, etc.)

Knowing this helps you figure out what can be translated automatically and what requires a hands-on approach.

Translating HTML Templates

If you’re working with a pure HTML template, translation usually means editing the code directly. Open the template files with a text editor, search for English phrases, and replace them with your language.

Best Practices for HTML Translation:

  • Keep the HTML structure intact—only change the text between tags.
  • Double-check special characters (like accents or non-Latin letters) and ensure your file is saved in UTF-8 encoding.
  • Translate alt text for images to improve accessibility and SEO.

While this method is manual, it gives you full control over the translation.

Translating WordPress Templates

WordPress templates are a bit more advanced, but also more convenient if you know the right tools.

Step 1: Check if the Theme Is Translation-Ready

Most modern WordPress themes are “translation-ready,” which means they use .po and .mo files. These are portable object files that store text strings for translation.

Step 2: Use a Translation Plugin

The easiest way to translate a WordPress theme is by using plugins like Loco Translate or WPML.

  • Loco Translate lets you directly edit text strings inside your WordPress dashboard.
  • WPML allows for full multilingual support if you want your site in more than one language.

Step 3: Translate Widgets and Plugins

Don’t forget that many plugins also come with default text. For example, a contact form plugin might display “Submit.” Use the same plugin-based approach to translate these parts too.

Translating E-Commerce Templates

If you’re working with platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, or PrestaShop, translation plays an even bigger role because it directly affects customer trust.

  • Shopify: Use the “Translate & Adapt” app to localize your store.
  • WooCommerce: Pair with WPML or Polylang for complete translation of product pages, checkout processes, and confirmation emails.
  • PrestaShop: Comes with built-in localization settings, allowing you to switch languages in the back office and customize text.

The key is ensuring that every step of the buying journey—from browsing products to receiving an email confirmation—feels natural to your customers.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Translating Templates

Even though translation seems straightforward, there are a few common pitfalls:

  • Mixing languages: Leaving half the site in English and half in your language looks unprofessional.
  • Ignoring SEO: Simply translating isn’t enough—use localized keywords for titles, headings, and meta descriptions.
  • Skipping forms and error messages: These small details matter a lot for user experience.
  • Relying only on machine translation: Automated tools like Google Translate can help, but always review text for accuracy.

SEO Benefits of Translating Templates

When you translate a template into your language, you also open up new opportunities for organic traffic. Search engines prioritize local content, so if you’ve been running a website in English but your audience is primarily in another language, you’re likely missing out on a lot of potential visitors.

Adding proper hreflang tags and using localized keywords in your translated template can dramatically increase your visibility.

Tools That Make Template Translation Easier

Here are a few tools that can save you time and frustration:

  • Poedit: A free app for editing .po files.
  • DeepL or Google Translate: Useful for generating first drafts, but always review manually.
  • Crowdin or Lokalise: Great for teams who want to manage translations collaboratively.

Personal Tip: Start Small

When I translated my first WordPress template into another language, I thought I had to translate everything at once. That mindset only made the task overwhelming. What worked better was starting with the basics: the homepage, menu, and footer. Once those were localized, I moved on to blog posts and widgets. Breaking the process into small steps not only made it easier but also allowed me to launch faster and improve gradually.

Translating your template isn’t just about changing words—it’s about making your website feel personal, trustworthy, and professional. Once you see how much smoother your visitors’ experience becomes, you’ll realize it was worth every minute.