How To Use Magento 2 Language Translation: The Complete Guide

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Magento 2 supports a lot of languages. With this feature, online stores can appeal to customers from different countries. So if you’re an online global eCommerce store and are using Magento, setting up [Magento 2 language translation](https://www.appjetty.com/magento2-language-translator.htm) is the right option on the table.

Users can provide their shopping in local language with it. Trust is built and the buying experience improves as a result.

This article will explain how you can set up language packs, translate your content and manage multiple languages in Magento 2. We will be explaining everything simply enough that everyone, even the least knowledgeable readers, will be able to understand it.

Why Use Magento 2 Language Translation?
Customers like most to shop in a language they are native to. CSA Research’s report on a study that was done in more than 15 countries revealed that 76% of online shoppers would prefer to get the product with information in their own language. That’s a huge number.

Magento 2 gives you full control over language settings. You can:
Add language ...
... packs
Translate product details, labels, and buttons
Set different languages for different stores
This helps you grow your reach and improve user experience.

What is a Magento 2 Language Pack?
A file which contains the translated words and phrases is called language pack. It just substitutes the default English text on your store’s frontend with another language.

E.g. if you install a Spanish Language Pack, the “Add to Cart” will be displayed as “Añadir al carrito.”

Free language packs are available for download at the Magento Marketplace and at GitHub. Among those, the popular packs are:
=> Spanish
=> German
=> French
=> Chinese
=> Arabic

How to Install a Language Pack in Magento 2
Follow these steps to install a language pack:

Step 1: Download the Language Pack
Go to the Magento Marketplace or use Composer to install the pack. For example, to install French:
composer require mageplaza/magento-2-french-language-pack:dev-master

Step 2: Enable the Language Pack
After download, run these commands in your terminal:

php bin/magento setup:upgrade
php bin/magento setup:static-content:deploy fr_FR
php bin/magento cache:flush

Step 3: Change the Store Language
Go to your Magento admin panel. Navigate to:
=> Stores → Configuration → General → Locale Options → Locale
=> Select your language from the drop-down menu and save.
=> Now your store will show text in the new language.

How to Translate Custom Text
Language packs don’t translate everything. You may want to change product names, labels, or button text. Magento lets you do this manually.

Option 1: Inline Translation Tool
This tool allows you to translate right on the frontend.
To enable:
1. Go to Stores → Configuration → Advanced → Developer
2. Under “Translate Inline,” set “Enabled for Frontend” to Yes

Now, when you visit the site as an admin, you’ll see a small book icon next to each text. Click it to edit the text.

Option 2: CSV File Translation
You can also create a custom translation file.
1. Go to app/design/frontend///i18n/
2. Create a file like fr_FR.csv
3. Add lines in this format:
"Add to Cart","Ajouter au panier"
"My Account","Mon Compte"
4. Save and redeploy the static content.

How to Handle Multi-Language Stores
Magento 2 supports multiple store views. You can create one for each language.

Steps To Create A Multi-Language Store:
1. Go to Stores → All Store Views → Add Store View
2. Name it (e.g., Spanish Store)
3. Choose the language from the locale settings
4. Assign translated products and content to that store view

Now, visitors can switch languages using a drop-down menu on your website.

SEO Tips for Language Translation

If you’re using Magento 2 Language Translation for SEO, follow these tips:

=> Use hreflang tags to tell search engines about your translated pages
=> Create unique URLs for each language, like example.com/fr or example.com/de
=> Don’t use auto-translation tools like Google Translate for important content
=> Translate meta tags and descriptions for each language store view

These steps help your store appear in local search results.

Common Issues and Fixes

Issue 1: Translations Not Showing
Solution: Clear the cache and redeploy static content.

Issue 2: Partially Translated Pages
Solution: Check if your language pack is complete. Add missing terms manually using CSV.

Issue 3: Inline Translation Tool Not Working
Solution: Make sure you are in developer mode. Inline translation only works in that mode.

Final Thoughts
Any store serving global customers is going to find Magento 2 Language Translation a very useful feature. Trust improves, conversion boosts and your brand connects with people of different regions.

There are three ways to control translations: use ready-made language packs or custom CSV files, or use Magento’s inline tool. You can even display different content per region if you setup different store views.
Check your store for missing translations and keep your content nice and clean. Fully translating your Magento store makes it look more professional and works better.

Maulik Shah is the Founder and CEO of AppJetty, a fast growing software add-on store selling extensions and plugins for various technologies, including Odoo themes and odoo apps Magento 1 extensions and Magento 2 extensions. Maulik is a tech enthusiast and writes about the various aspects of ecommerce technology.