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Creating Multilingual Sites With WPML

Total theme is fully compatible with WPML. This guide will show you how to build a multilingual site with WPML and Total theme.

Getting Started

Start by installing and activating the following:

Setting up WPML

When you activate WPML for the first time, you need to go through a setup wizard. Follow it to register WPML and choose your site’s languages, URL format, and translation mode.

If you’re new to WPML, we suggest you take a look at their Getting Started Guide. It quickly walks you through the different translation options you can use.

One of these options is Translate Everything, which automatically translates your site’s content as you add or edit it.

The Translate Some mode allows you to control which content you translate, as well as who will translate it. You can translate your content yourself, assign it to individual translators, or send it to a professional translation agency.

WPML Setup
Choosing a translation mode in the setup wizard

Translating Pages

Start by going to Pages → All Pages. Find the page you’d like to translate and click the plus icon under the language you want to translate your page into.

This will take you to the Advanced Translation Editor. If you have translation credits, you can translate your content automatically and review the translations. Otherwise, enter the translations for each sentence manually. Click Complete once you’re done.

WPML’s Advanced Translation Editor
Translating pages in WPML’s Advanced Translation Editor

You can also go to WPML → Translation Management and translate your posts and pages in bulk.

Translating Pages Built With WPBakery Page Builder

Total theme comes bundled with WPBakery Page Builder. Visit WPML’s documentation to learn how to translate pages built with the WPBakery Page Builder.

Translating Portfolio, Staff, and Testimonials Pages

The Total theme comes with custom post types such as Portfolio, Staff, and Testimonials. You can translate them in the same way as any other pages or posts. Before doing so, you need to set your custom post types as Translatable.

  1. Go to WPML  → Settings and scroll down to Post Types Translation.
  2. Set the custom post types of your choice to one of the two Translatable options.
WPML Translatable Post Types
Setting post types as Translatable

Translating Portfolio, Staff, and Testimonials Categories

You can translate Portfolio, Staff, and Testimonials Categories in the same way you would translate post categories and custom taxonomies.

The example below shows you how to translate Testimonials Categories from a central menu:

  1. Go to WPML  → Taxonomy Translation and use the dropdown menu to select the taxonomy term you want to translate.
  2. Click the plus icon to add your translations.
Translating taxonomies WPML
Translating taxonomies from a central menu

Translating Menus

With WPML, you can translate menus automatically, manually, or synchronize them across all your languages. For more information, see WPML’s guide to translating menus.

Translating Sliders

Total theme comes bundled with Slider Revolution. To learn how to translate sliders, visit WPML’s page dedicated to creating multilingual sliders using Slider Revolution.

Translating Texts From Total Theme, Plugins, and Other Places

Aside from the content that comes from your posts or pages, there are additional texts coming from your themes and plugins. To learn how to translate these texts, see WPML’s guide to String Translation.

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