Responsive Miracle How do I translate a WordPress theme?
Start with Settings > General > Site Language, because themes from WordPress.org often get a ready language pack. For strings that stay in English, use the free Loco Translate plugin or Poedit to turn the theme's .pot file into .po and .mo files. For a site in several languages, add a multilingual plugin such as WPML or Polylang.
Best for: site owners who run a non-English site or plan a multilingual one
Your theme looks right, but the buttons still say Read More and Search in English. To fix that, you need to translate a WordPress theme, and it is easier than it sounds. There are two separate jobs here: translating the theme’s own interface text, and publishing your content in several languages. This guide covers both.
Step 1: set the site language
Go to Settings > General and pick your Site Language. WordPress then downloads the core translation. In addition, themes from the WordPress.org directory often get community language packs, and those install automatically when a translation exists for your language.
Check the front end afterwards. If most strings changed, you are done. If some stay in English, move on to step 2.
Step 2: translate a WordPress theme with Loco Translate
The free Loco Translate plugin edits translations inside the dashboard. After you install it, open Loco Translate > Themes, choose your theme and add a new language. Then translate each string and save. The plugin writes the .po and .mo files for you.
Save your translation in Loco’s custom location rather than inside the theme folder. Otherwise, the next theme update can overwrite your work.
Step 3: use Poedit for offline work
Poedit is a desktop editor for the same files. Open the theme’s .pot template, which usually sits in the theme’s languages folder, and save your translation as a .po file. Poedit then compiles the matching .mo file.
Finally, upload both files to wp-content/languages/themes/. Name them with the theme’s text domain and your locale, for example astra-de_DE.po and astra-de_DE.mo.
Making the whole site multilingual
Translating strings changes one language. For two or more, you need a multilingual plugin. WPML is a paid plugin that many premium themes list as compatible. Polylang, on the other hand, has a capable free version. Both let you translate posts, pages, menus and theme strings, and both add a language switcher.
So, before you buy a theme for a multilingual site, look for WPML or Polylang in its compatibility list. Our multipurpose theme collection is a good place to start. And if you are not sure which theme a multilingual site you admire runs, our WordPress Theme Detector will tell you.
Translating WordPress themes — quick answers
Is it free to translate a WordPress theme?
Yes. Language packs, Loco Translate, Poedit and Polylang all have free options. You only pay for premium multilingual tools such as WPML.
Will a theme update erase my translation?
Only if the files sit inside the theme folder. Keep them in wp-content/languages/themes/ or in Loco Translate’s custom location.
What is a .pot file?
It is the template that lists every translatable string in the theme. You do not edit it directly; instead, you create a .po file for each language from it.
Do translations work with right-to-left languages?
Yes, if the theme is RTL ready. WordPress switches the text direction when you choose a right-to-left site language such as Arabic or Hebrew.
