Translating Merchant: An Overview
Would you like to show Merchant’s text in another language? The right tool depends on whether you’re running a single-language store or a multilingual one, and on where the text you want to change is stored.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the translation options for Merchant so you can pick the right approach for your store.
Before you get started, make sure you’ve installed and activated the Merchant plugin on your WordPress site. If you’re using premium modules, ensure you have Merchant Pro installed and active.
Translating into a single language
If you only want to localize your store into one main language, we recommend the free Loco Translate plugin. For step-by-step instructions, see our guide on how to translate Merchant with Loco Translate.
Translating a multilingual site
If you want a site translated into more than one language, we recommend either Polylang or WPML. We have a tutorial for each: Merchant with Polylang and Merchant with WPML.
Database strings vs. hardcoded strings
Some text is stored in the database, such as the strings you define in a module’s settings. On a multilingual site, you must use Polylang or WPML to translate these. On a single-language site, simply type the string you want in your chosen language directly in the module settings.
Other text is hardcoded into Merchant, meaning there’s no option to define it from the module settings. To translate these strings, you must use Loco Translate.
Note: When you switch languages with Polylang or WPML, the plugin updates WP_LANG to the selected language and loads everything tied to it, including the .mo and .pot files and the translated strings stored in the database for that language.
That’s it! You now know which translation method fits your store and where each type of Merchant text lives.
Next, ready to translate your first strings? Check out our guide on how to translate Merchant with Loco Translate to learn more.