How to Translate Theme

Translate Theme – There are cases that we need to change default texts of Our themes throughout website front end. Our themes use WordPress text domain capability, so there is no need to change any theme core files to achieve this goal. To make this happen you need to know few points.

Translate Theme – PO/MO files

WordPress uses 2 file pair with PO and MO extensions to understand where to put alternative texts inside code. PO file is a Key/Value pair file which will be used to add translations of specific phrases. MO file is compiled version of PO file which WordPress understands.

Our themes also have their own PO/MO file pair that you can use to translate different parts of the theme. Those files are located in wp-content/themes/theme name/languages folder.

How to edit PO files and Compile MO file out of it

You will need a software called POEDIT to edit PO files and add your translations inside that and generate MO file out of it. For more information please read this article in details:

Steps to Translate Jupiter or Ken Theme

Go to Settings > General > Site Language and set it to your desired language.

Install the Child Theme so that your translation will be safe upon updating core theme.

Go to wp-content/themes/theme name/languages  and copy folder and paste it into your child theme wp-content/themes/theme name-child

So that you will have a folder on your child theme called languages:

You will see  file there that you can use for translation (theme name.pot). Please consider that the name of these  files should be the same as your default language code which you have set in wp-config.php file explained at the beginning of tutorial.

The Loco Translate is a third party plugin which makes it possible to edit the PO files and compile them to MO files directly from the WordPress Admin section.

If for any reason you can not use the Loco Translate plugin, you can use POEDIT software to do your translation and generate MO files alternatively. For more detailed information on how to use POEDIT

Setting Default Language of WordPress

Since the introduction of WordPress version 4, there is a new option in general settings section which you can use to select your installation default language. Go to Settings > General > Default Language to see the option.