Storefront uses community translations from WordPress.org. Set your site’s language and let WordPress install available translations before downloading or editing language files manually.
Use community translations
↑ Back to topBefore you begin, you need administrator access and Storefront installed and active. Follow the theme installation guide if you have not set up Storefront yet. Translation coverage varies by language; check the Storefront translation project if the language you want is incomplete or unavailable.
- Go to Settings > General in WordPress.
- Choose your language under Site Language, then select Save Changes. Choose the correct regional variant, such as Brazilian Portuguese rather than Portuguese from Portugal.
- Go to Dashboard > Updates. If the Translations section offers Update Translations, select it to install the available language updates.
- Open the customer-facing site with Storefront active and check an unchanged theme label that has a community translation, such as a skip link shown when navigating with the keyboard. Clear your page cache if you still see the previous language.
The expected result is that available Storefront interface translations appear in the site’s selected language. Changing Site Language does not translate your product descriptions, pages, or menu labels, and it does not make the store multilingual.
Customize a translation
↑ Back to topIf a translation is missing or you want different wording, use a translation tool that supports WordPress themes. For example, if you use Loco Translate, follow its custom translations guide for the Storefront theme and choose the protected Custom location. Keep Loco Translate enabled when you rely on it to load those custom files.
Warning:
Do not edit the theme’s original translation files or overwrite translations managed by WordPress. Theme and translation updates can replace those files. Keep a backup of your custom translations and follow your translation tool’s update-safe storage guidance.
After a Storefront update, check whether your translation tool needs to sync new or changed source text. Review and save the custom translation, then check the affected text on the front end again.
Check missing or unexpected translations
↑ Back to top| What you see | What to check |
|---|---|
| Storefront text is still in English | Confirm Site Language, the regional language variant, and available translation updates. Check whether the Storefront community translation includes that text. |
| Cart or Checkout text is still in English | The text may come from WooCommerce or another extension rather than Storefront. Follow the WooCommerce translation guide and check the extension responsible for the text. |
| The dashboard uses a different language | Check Users > Profile > Language. Your personal dashboard language can differ from the site’s language. |
| Product descriptions or menu labels have not changed | These are content you or another editor entered. Translate that content separately; a theme language pack does not rewrite it. |
| A custom translation disappeared after an update | Restore your backup into the tool’s protected custom location and confirm that the tool is enabled. Avoid editing the theme’s originals or WordPress-managed system translations. |
For help with Storefront-specific text, use the Storefront support forum. Include the selected site language, Storefront version, affected text, and whether it is a community or custom translation.
Questions and support
↑ Back to topDo you still have questions and need assistance?
- Get in touch with a Happiness Engineer via our Help Desk. We provide support for extensions developed by and/or sold on WooCommerce.com, and Jetpack/WordPress.com customers.
- If you are not a customer, we recommend finding help in the WooCommerce support forum or hiring a Woo Agency Partner. These are trusted agencies with a proven track record of building highly customized, scalable online stores. Learn more about Woo Agency Partners.