If you wish to target global markets or you are doing business in a multilingual country like Canada or Switzerland, you may want to display your Online Store in more than one language. You can offer a multilingual catalog in your Online Store so your customers can shop in their preferred language.
Which languages are available in your Online Store
Online Store storefront is professionally translated into 51 languages. Here's how you can set your store default language and enable or disable additional languages.
1. You can view the languages available for automatic translation in Settings > General > Regional Settings > Store Language > Language Settings.
2. Click on Language Settings button to view the list of languages available.
3. To make a language a default language for your store, select the radio button next to the language. For example, the default language for this Online Store is English.
Multilingual email notifications
With additional languages enabled, Ecwid will send email notifications (Order Confirmations, Order Shipped, or automatic abandoned cart reminders) in your buyers’ browser language.
The following languages are supported for email notifications: English, Russian, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Czech, and Swedish.
If a customer’s browser language is not included in this list, the customer will receive email notifications in the default store language.
Note: Browser language detection is ignored for the notification in custom templates. If you've edited notifications, they will be sent in the language used in the template.
Automatic translation into multiple languages
Online Store detects the preferred language of your customer's browser and automatically shows store labels in that language.
If your visitor uses a language that is not among the languages enabled in Language Settings, she will see the text labels in your main store language.
While the default store labels are automatically translated into additional store languages, your unique custom text like product and category names and descriptions requires a manual translation. When you add custom translations, your whole Online Store will become multilingual and your store visitors will see both store labels and your catalog in their preferred browser language.
Product and category name translations
Now you can add translations of your catalog, including product names, descriptions, options, and category names. Online Store will automatically translate the rest of the content, such as texts on buttons, invoices, and email notifications.
To add translations of your product names and descriptions:
- Go to Catalog > Products.
- Select a product and click on Edit Product at the right:
- In the product management page, go to Translations.
- Add the translated product name and description to the respective language section under Translations:
- Click Save to confirm changes.
- Repeat for all other products that you want to offer in multiple languages. We recommend manual translation for your main international market to ensure the accuracy of your catalog. For the rest of the international translations, you can use automated translation services such as Google Translate.
Translating product options
If your products have options, you may add translations for option titles and selections:
- Go to Catalog and choose a product to edit.
- Click on Edit Product button to open its management page.
- Click the Options tab.
- Add a product option, if you haven’t done so yet, and click Save.
- Add the translated title and selections to the respective language sections that appear below that option:
- Click Save to confirm changes.
Translating category names and descriptions
After enabling additional languages, you can add translations of category names and descriptions:
- Go to Catalog > Categories.
- Click a category name in the list.
- Add the translation of the category’s name and description in the respective language section under Translations:
- Click Save to apply changes.
Note: if you do not enter the translations for categories, options, product title, or product descriptions, the default language version will be used instead.
How translation works for customers
After you enable additional languages and translate your catalog into it, your Online Store will become multilingual. Online Store will detect what is set as a primary language in a visitor's browser and, if you offer this language, your storefront will be shown in that language to the visitor. This includes store labels (automatic translations) and information about your products and categories (your manual translations). The translated content appears in:
- Storefront page and product lists;
- Category and product pages;
- Product filters
- Order Confirmations;
- Invoices
- Order details within a customer account;
- Product card and a single product widget.
Tip: To see the store through the eyes of your foreign customers, set the necessary language in your browser, and open your store page.
Languages are available on all Online Store plans.
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