More languages, done right
Multilingual WordPress sites with WPML and Polylang
A badly built multilingual site is worse than a single-language one: half-translated pages, languages mixing together, Google indexing the wrong version in the wrong country. WordPress isn't multilingual by birth — it becomes so with WPML or Polylang, and the difference between a correct setup and an improvised one is paid in traffic and credibility.
It's one of our specialties: we set up, repair and maintain multilingual sites, from choosing the right tool to international SEO. The very site you're reading exists in Italian and English, with hreflang handled properly.
WPML or Polylang? It depends on the site
The two main multilingual tools for WordPress have different philosophies. WPML is the most complete solution: professional translation management, integration with services and machine translation, commercial support — ideal for large sites, complex WooCommerce stores and workflows with translators. Polylang is lighter with an excellent free version: perfect for sites that must stay fast and for teams handling translations in-house.
We know both in depth, and we have no tool to sell you: in the diagnosis we weigh site size, number of languages, who will translate and budget, and we recommend the right choice — with the reasoning.
Multilingual SEO: where sites win or lose everything
Multilingual is above all an SEO topic. A correct setup requires: proper hreflang tags on every page (not just the home), clean per-language URLs, a sitemap with alternate versions, translated — not copied — meta titles and descriptions, and a clear strategy for content not yet translated (never leave mixed pages).
These are exactly the errors we find most often in sites that arrive at the workshop: missing or circular hreflang, duplicate versions cannibalizing each other, mixed-language content that Google demotes. Our setup prevents them; our intervention fixes them on existing sites.
The multilingual problems we fix
Typical interventions on sites that are already multilingual:
- Translations disappearing or mixing after a WPML/Polylang update
- Untranslated theme and plugin strings (menus, footers, forms in the wrong language)
- Multilingual WooCommerce: products, checkout and order emails in the customer's language
- Language switchers sending users to the home page instead of the matching page
- Traffic collapse after enabling multilingual (almost always hreflang or duplicates)
- Migration from one multilingual plugin to another without losing translations or SEO
Multilingual that stays healthy
A multilingual site has twice (or three times) the surfaces that can break: every WPML or Polylang update must be verified across all languages, every new piece of content must be translated or handled. In our WordPress maintenance plans, multilingual sites get a dedicated post-update verification protocol.
And when multilingual meets custom requirements — translated fields in custom blocks, per-language structured content — development steps in: tools like ACF Pro and Gutenberg work beautifully with WPML and Polylang, when integrated by people who know them.
Frequently asked questions
WPML or Polylang: which is better?
It depends: WPML for large sites, complex WooCommerce stores and professional translation workflows; Polylang when lightness and budget matter and translations are handled in-house. In the diagnosis we recommend the right choice for your case, with the reasoning.
Does multilingual slow the site down?
If badly configured, yes. Done right (the right tool, per-language caching, optimized queries) the impact is minimal. Polylang is generally lighter; a well-configured WPML handles even large sites without trouble.
I enabled multilingual and traffic collapsed: why?
It's almost always missing or wrong hreflang, or duplicate versions competing with each other. The damage is reversible: we fix the tags and the structure, and rankings recover.
Can you translate a WooCommerce store too?
Yes: products, categories, checkout, order emails and even Google Shopping feeds in the right language. Multilingual WooCommerce has plenty of specific traps — we know them all.
Do you also translate the content itself?
We set up the translation workflows (manual, professional or machine translation with review) and prepare the site to receive them. For professional translations we work with the services integrated in WPML or with your own translators.
Tell us about your site
Free diagnosis and a clear quote within 48 hours. No commitment.
Request a fix