WPML (WordPress Multilingual) is a comprehensive multilingual plugin that allows you to create and manage multilingual websites in WordPress. It consists of a core plugin and various add-ons that provide additional features for translation, content localization, and compatibility with other plugins. Here’s an overview of the main components of WPML:
1. Multilingual CMS WPML: This is the core plugin that makes WordPress multilingual. It provides essential features for translating and managing multilingual content on your website. With this core plugin, you can create and control translations of your site’s content.
2. WPML Translation of Strings: The String Translation plugin, one of the add-ons, enables you to translate interface strings directly from within WordPress. This includes not only translating static texts but also user-generated content outside of posts and pages, such as taglines and SEO details.
3. Control of WPML Translation: The Translation Management add-on allows site administrators to manage translation jobs efficiently. You can assign translation tasks to ordinary users and monitor the status of translations on your site.
4. WPML Localization of Media: This plugin allows you to use the WordPress Gallery in multiple languages, ensuring that images are displayed correctly for each language.
5. Sticky WPML Links: The Sticky Links plugin helps keep internal links intact, automatically updating connected pages when you make changes to permalinks, hierarchy, or page slugs.
6. CMS WPML Navigation: The Navigation plugin for the CMS adds various navigational elements, including breadcrumbs, drop-down menus, and navigation sidebars, which enhance your site’s navigation.
7. Compatibility with Other Plugins: WPML offers compatibility with a range of other popular plugins, making it easier to create multilingual versions of your website. Some of the supported plugins include:
- Multilingual WooCommerce: Allows you to create multilingual e-commerce websites using WooCommerce.
- Multilingual Gravity Forms: Enables the translation of forms created with Gravity Forms.
- Multilingual Contact Form 7: Allows you to translate Contact Form 7 forms.
- Multilingual BuddyPress: Ensures compatibility with BuddyPress for creating multilingual social network websites.
- Multilingual Advanced Custom Fields: Facilitates the translation of content within custom fields created with Advanced Custom Fields.
- WPML All Import: Works with WP All Import to import multilingual content into WordPress.
- Multilingual MailChimp for WordPress: Ensures that content provided in the MailChimp for WordPress plugin can be easily translated.
WPML supports various languages, making it a versatile solution for creating and managing multilingual websites in WordPress. It’s a powerful tool for reaching a broader audience and enhancing the user experience for visitors who speak different languages.