WordPress is popular around the globe. It is the perfect content management system regardless of nationality or language. Its default installation is available in almost any language you can imagine. Knowing that, we put emphasis on easy translation of all our themes and plugins.
So translating your WordPress Theme is really easy. While the English and German version are already packed to our themes, they can be switched to any tongue in less than 10 minutes. No code needed. All you need to do is click some buttons and input your text. Here’s a tutorial on that.
First of all, themes and plugins have to be ready for translation. Check this first if you want to buy & translate a WordPress Theme. All our WordPress Themes at themeforest are already prepared and ready for translation!
Begin with installing the localization (=translation) plugin. It is called Codestyling Localization. With it, translation becomes a breeze!
Video Tutorial
For anybody who prefers watching over reading, we have set up a little screencast. Check it out.
The written tutorial
Step 01 – Install the plugin
Go to wp-admin > Plugins > Add New and enter Codestyling Localization. Install and activate the plugin.
Step 02 – Where is the plugin?
As it’s a tool, you will find it in wp-admin > Tools.
Step 03 – Find the theme or plugin to translate
Look through the list or filter it using the links on top of the “Localization” page.
Step 04 – Find our active Theme
The list contains all translatable themes and plugins. The currently activated theme will have a light green background.
Step 05 – Add/Edit a language file
Adding or editing languages is pretty self-explaining. If you want to add a new language click on “Add new language”. A popup will open asking you which language you would like to create. This is essential for the right translation file to get pulled by your WP installation.
Attention: Now the “Rescan” link needs to be clicked once. Hit “scan now” to start the scan. By doing that, the plugin looks through the theme or plugin files and discovers any translatable string.
If you translate one of our themes, you will see the German language file already available. If you want to edit the file simply click on “Edit” on the right side of the green bar. No need for a rescan, but it won’t do any harm either.
Step 06 – Happy Translating!
Click “Edit” and a list of all the translatable strings will show up, ready to be edited. To start the translation process, you’ll have to call a string with the “Edit”-link in the list column “Actions”.
Translate the phrases by yourself or use the Google Translation, which nowadays delivers pretty good automatic translations. With a bit of tweaking here and there the translation will be done in no time.
Step 07 – Generate the .mo File
All words and phrases translated? Then it’s time to generate the .mo file. Sounds complicated? It isn’t. Just hit “generate mo-file” on top of the translation screen. Done!
The .mo-File is essential for a working localization. You’ll discover a green .mo button in the file languages list if it exists and a white button if it does not.
Step 08 – WordPress in your language
If you did not install WordPress in your language in the first place, the translation will not work just by translating themes or plugins. WordPress always uses the language code in the wp-config.php-file of your WordPress installation. Change it manually by entering the language code to the wp-config.php file in the WordPress installation root folder. If you have never done this before, please read this tutorial.
