KeenWP

Curated resource guide

WordPress Internationalization Resources

Make WordPress plugins and themes translation-ready across PHP, JavaScript, interfaces, and stored content. This collection covers text domains, gettext files, language packs, context and plurals, escaped translations, locale switching, RTL, formatting, WordPress.org workflows, multilingual architecture, performance, accessibility, and testing.

Scope

What this guide covers

  • Internationalization functions
  • text domains
  • translation files
  • gettext
  • POT/PO/MO and JSON translations
  • JavaScript translations
  • context and plurals
  • escaping translated strings
  • WordPress.org translation workflows
  • plugin/theme language packs
  • locale switching
  • date/number formatting
  • RTL support
  • multilingual architecture considerations
  • REST/headless translations
  • database-stored strings
  • translation performance
  • accessibility
  • testing multiple locales
  • and building translation-ready plugins/themes

Selected references

Curated resources

Links open the original publisher so you can use the complete, current material in context.

  1. 01
    5
    Recommended starting point

    Internationalizing WordPress Plugins

    Prepare plugin strings, text domains, placeholders, plurals, and translator comments correctly.

    developer.wordpress.org
  2. 02
    5

    Internationalizing WordPress Themes

    Make theme strings and metadata ready for WordPress language packs and local translation.

    developer.wordpress.org
  3. 03
    5

    Internationalization Functions

    Choose the right translation, context, plural, date, number, and escaped-output functions.

    developer.wordpress.org
  4. 04
    5

    Block Editor Internationalization

    Localize block JavaScript, register translations, and generate the required POT and JSON files.

    developer.wordpress.org
  5. 05
    5

    wp i18n

    Generate POT, JSON, and MO files and update translation headers through WP-CLI.

    developer.wordpress.org
  6. 06
    5

    Plugin Localization

    Understand POT, PO, MO, language-pack locations, and the localization workflow.

    developer.wordpress.org
  7. 07
    5

    Internationalization Security

    Escape translated output and treat externally supplied translation files as untrusted data.

    developer.wordpress.org