# How to translate a Shopify store

> Add a language, translate your content, check what automatic translation skips, then publish. A step-by-step guide based on Shopify’s documentation.

Published 2026-11-04, updated 2026-11-04. Source: https://forgefont.com/blog/translate-a-shopify-store

To translate a Shopify store, add the language under Settings > Languages, translate your content with the Translate & Adapt app, a CSV file or a compatible app, review the result, then publish the language. Each published language gets its own URLs, and a language selector lets customers switch.

## What do you need before you start?

Three things, according to [Shopify’s requirements for selling in multiple languages](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/international/languages/requirements):

- **A compatible theme.** All of Shopify’s free themes are compatible. For a third-party theme, ask its developer.
- **A language selector.** Most Shopify themes include one that you turn on in the theme settings.
- **A way to add translations.** That means Translate & Adapt, a compatible third-party app, or a file you import.

## The six steps

1. **Add the language.** Go to Settings > Languages, click Add language, select it, choose the domains it should appear on, and confirm. Nothing is visible to customers yet.
2. **Pick a translation method.** The table below compares them.
3. **Translate your content.** Start with what customers read before buying: product pages, collections, menus and your shipping and returns information.
4. **Fill the gaps by hand.** The next section lists what automatic translation leaves out.
5. **Publish.** On the Languages page, open the menu next to the language and click Publish, as described in [Shopify’s guide to managing languages](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/international/languages/manage-languages).
6. **Browse it like a customer.** Switch language with the selector, then go from a product to the cart and on to checkout. Look for leftover text in your default language and for buttons that break on longer words.

### Which translation method should you use?

| Method | Where | Suits |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Automatic translation | Apps > Translate & Adapt | A first draft of a whole store, which you then review |
| Manual translation | Apps > Translate & Adapt, or More actions > Localize on a product | Key pages where the exact wording matters |
| CSV file | Settings > Languages, Export then Import | Working with a human translator |
| Third-party app | Shopify App Store | Needs Translate & Adapt does not cover |

Automatic translation depends on where your store is based. [Shopify’s documentation](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/international/languages/translate-adapt-app/automatic-translation) gives up to 8 languages plus your default language in listed countries such as the United States, Canada and Germany, with a Translate now button and a weekly Auto-sync. Elsewhere, you get up to 2 languages and an Auto-translate button, without Auto-sync. Removing a language does not reset this limit, so choose carefully.

## What does automatic translation leave to you?

- **Legal policies.** Shopify cannot translate them automatically. Translate them manually, and consider a professional translator.
- **URL handles.** [You add them by hand](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/international/languages/translate-adapt-app/manual-translation) for each language. Sitemaps then include the translated handle, and a redirect is created from the default-language URL.
- **Text inside images.** If an image contains words, upload a separate version for that language.
- **Accuracy.** Shopify itself says to review translations before you publish them. Sizes, materials and care instructions deserve a careful read, ideally by someone who speaks the language well.

Good source text helps too. Our guide to [writing a product page](https://forgefont.com/blog/shopify-product-page-guide) covers what each page should say before you translate it.

## Three mistakes that are hard to undo

- **Changing your default language casually.** Shopify warns that this deletes your existing translations for the language you switch to. Export them first.
- **Publishing an empty language.** Where a translation is missing, the store shows your default language, so customers get a mix of both.
- **Unpublishing without redirects.** Links in that language then return a 404 error. Your translations are kept, but you should create redirects for those URLs.

## What comes after the translation?

A translated store is one part of [selling internationally on Shopify](https://forgefont.com/blog/sell-internationally-on-shopify). Shipping, currencies and taxes each need their own setup. Search engines also need to know which version suits which customer, which is the job of [hreflang tags on Shopify](https://forgefont.com/blog/shopify-hreflang).

If you are building a store from scratch, Forgefont writes it in the language you choose, out of seven. Starter includes 1 language, Pro 2 and Premium 5, and extra languages start at $17, paid once. [Configure your store](https://forgefont.com/configurer) to see the exact price with the languages you need.

## Frequently asked questions

### How many languages can a Shopify store have?

As of November 2026, Shopify allows up to 20 languages on the Basic, Grow, Shopify and Advanced plans, and up to 30 on Shopify Plus.

### Does Shopify translate the checkout?

Yes. Shopify says its checkout includes translated content for 49 languages. Once you publish a language, checkout and email notifications appear in the customer’s language, and you can edit the email translations.

### Can I use different images for each language?

Yes. Upload the file under Content > Files, then in the theme editor open the three-dot menu, click Localize and change the file on that language’s row. This is useful for images that contain text.