Change Language in Themes

Last updated: October 07 2024

Written and researched by experts at Avada Learn more about our methodology

CEO

If you’re aiming to reach a wider audience from different markets or offer a more localized shopping experience, tweaking your store’s theme language is a must. And you can do it easily right from your Shopify admin.

In this quick guide, we’ll show you how to change your Shopify theme language effortlessly and eliminate those pesky translation barriers holding your business back.

Method 1: Changing Shopify Theme Language Using The Theme Built-in Feature

Some Shopify premium themes come with built-in multilingual capabilities that allow merchants to switch to supported languages directly, typically EU languages, including English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish.

Here’s a guide to changing your Shopify theme language using the built-in theme feature:

From your Shopify admin, click Online Store
Under the Themes section, locate the theme for which you want to change language.
Click … next to the theme, then select Edit Languages
You’ll see the Change Theme Language button; click on it.
Select your preferred language from the dropdown.
Click Save.

Important Note: This method is primarily applicable to premium themes that offer built-in multilingual support. If your theme doesn’t have this feature, you’ll need to use the Language Editor (Method 2) for translations.

Method 2: Changing Shopify Theme Language Using the Language Editor

The Shopify Language Editor is a powerful tool that allows you to translate or customize any text within your theme, including headings, buttons, labels, and more. It’s particularly useful for free themes or those without built-in multilingual support.

Here is the step-by-step guide to using the language editor.

1. Go to Settings > Languages.

2. If you haven't already added the desired language to your store, click Add language and select it from the list.

3. Go to Markets > Add Market > Choose an active market to associate with the language.

4. From your Shopify admin, click Online Store > Themes section.

5. In the Theme library section, click … next to the language you want to modify.

6. Select Edit Theme Default Content.

7. Once you’re in the Language Editor, you’ll see various tabs and categories representing different sections of your store (e.g., Cart, Checkout, Product Pages). Click Localize to translate to the language you just added.

8. Click Auto Translate to automatically translate the whole theme, or use the Filter search bar if you're looking to translate specific text elements.

9. Click Save.

To preview the changes, refresh your store’s front page, and you’ll see the updated text in the chosen language.

Additional Tips and Considerations

Interestingly, we have collected for you some useful tips and considerations to keep an eye on when changing your theme’s language in Shopify:

Leverage Shopify’s Language Editor & Shopify Translate & Adapt app: Shopify’s built-in language editor and the Shopify Translate & Adapt app are very efficient for modifying text. For bulk translations, it’s more convenient to export your theme’s content as a CSV file, make edits, and then re-import it.
Third-Party Translation Apps: For extensive multilingual stores or automated translations, consider using apps like Weglot or Transcy.
Test All Translations: After making changes, preview the translated store in each language to verify that everything is formatted correctly. Keep an eye on dynamic elements like buttons or forms, as they sometimes need manual tweaking.
Be Mindful of SEO: Ensure your translated pages are set up with the correct hreflang tags. Many apps handle this automatically, but you should double-check for accuracy.
Professional Translation: For crucial elements like product descriptions and checkout information, consider hiring a professional translator to ensure accuracy and avoid confusion for your customers.

Bottom Line

Providing a localized experience by changing the language of your Shopify theme can significantly enhance the shopping experience for international customers and boost your store’s reach and conversions. By using Shopify’s built-in language editor or exploring third-party translation apps, you can create a multilingual storefront that caters to a global audience.

FAQs

Changing the store language sets a default global language for your store’s interface, automatically translating Shopify's standard elements (like cart buttons and form labels) into the selected language. The Language Editor, on the other hand, lets you manually edit and fine-tune specific text elements for more customization.

Yes, you can first change the global language of your store, then use the Language Editor to customize certain terms or adjust the translation of specific elements to match your brand’s needs.

If the Shopify theme doesn’t fully support the selected language, some elements may remain untranslated. In this case, you can use the Language Editor to manually translate those specific parts.

Use the search bar within the language editor to quickly find specific phrases or keywords. If you're still unable to locate the text, it might be hardcoded within the theme's files, requiring code editing or the assistance of a developer.

No, it doesn't replace built-in translations but allows you to modify or refine specific pieces of text. If you have a theme with a different language, the editor helps adjust the wording to better match your brand voice.

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Sam Nguyen

Sam Nguyen is the CEO and founder of Avada Commerce, an e-commerce solution provider headquartered in Singapore. He is an expert on the Shopify e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems. Sam loves talking about e-commerce and he aims to help over a million online businesses grow and thrive.