What is website translation?
Website translation is the process of converting the content of a website — page copy, navigation, buttons, forms, metadata, image text and alt text — from one language into another, and publishing those versions so visitors in each market can use the site in their own language. Unlike translating a single document, a website is a living system: pages change every week, content is spread across templates and a CMS, and every translated page also has to be found by search engines in its target market.
Modern tools have changed what this looks like in practice. Smartcat’s AI Website Translator generates a live translated preview of your site, lets reviewers edit translations in context, and publishes multilingual pages without changing your codebase. Teams that run their site in a CMS can instead connect it through one of Smartcat’s website translation plugins and keep the whole workflow inside the tools they already use.
Why it matters for global teams
Your website is usually the first place a buyer in a new market meets your brand. If the pages they land on are in a language they don’t read comfortably, they leave — and if the translated pages aren’t indexed, they never arrive in the first place. Making a site truly international takes more than translation: it means adapting the user experience, scoping which content to localize, and testing in market, as Pinterest’s internationalization lead explains in Beyond translation: how to make your website international.
AI has made this faster and more affordable. Understanding where AI translation is enough, where human reviewers need to step in, and how to keep translations in sync as your source site changes is what separates a multilingual site that grows from one that drifts out of date. How AI localization works — and where it still needs humans is a good primer.
Ways to translate a website
There is no single “right” way to translate a site. The best method depends on how your site is built, who owns it, how often it changes, and how much search traffic you need from each market. These are the main approaches — Smartcat supports each of them.
| Method | How it works | Best for | Engineering effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| JavaScript snippet | A script on your site displays approved translations and a language selector | Marketing sites and no-code site builders | Very low — paste one script |
| Translation proxy | Translated versions are served from language-specific domains or paths in front of your origin site | Sites that need separate, crawlable URLs per market | Low to moderate (DNS / routing) |
| CMS connector or plugin | Content is pulled from the CMS, translated, and pushed back as native language versions | Teams that publish from WordPress, Drupal, AEM, Sitecore, Contentful and similar | Low — install and configure |
| Translation API | Your own code sends strings or content and receives translations back | Custom-built sites, web apps and headless stacks | Moderate to high |
| Browser extension | Translates the page you are viewing, for you only | Reading foreign-language sites and quick QA | None |
Smartcat’s help center describes its integrations as two distinct systems: connectors that link Smartcat to a content backend (a CMS, ecommerce platform or code repository) to pull source content in and push translations back on a schedule, and the Website Translator, which translates a published website using a JavaScript snippet with no backend connection. The integrations overview and full list explains when to use each. For a vendor-neutral comparison of delivery methods, pricing and SEO support across the market, see the best website translation tools in 2026.
How website translation works on Smartcat
Website Translation in Smartcat needs no connector to get started: you enter the URL of the site you want to translate and it is translated with AI, then reviewed in a visual editor before anything goes live. Translations draw on Smartcat’s stored translation memories and glossaries, so approved terminology and earlier edits are reused on every page.
Enter your URL and choose languages
Open your workspace, choose Translate a website, paste your site’s URL and select a source language and as many target languages as you need. Smartcat creates a translation project for the site. The step-by-step guide to translating your website content walks through every setting.
Preview the translated site live
Smartcat opens a live preview of your translated pages. From the preview settings you choose the translation mode — how translations are shown to visitors — and how the language selector fits your page design. The web translator software finds new content as your site changes and keeps approved edits.
Edit, review and approve in context
Reviewers edit translations with a visual editor that shows how text will render before it is live. You can run a fully automatic workflow, a human workflow, or a mix of AI translation with post-editing — and bring in professional website translators from the Smartcat Marketplace where pages need expert review.
Publish with a lightweight snippet
Approved translations are published with a lightweight JavaScript snippet that displays translated versions of each page through a language selector widget, and SEO settings let search engines reach the localized versions through language-specific URLs. Full details are in Website Translation in Smartcat.
Since March 2026, Website Translation runs as a multi-agent system that combines AI agents for translation, content review, SEO optimization and continuous update handling: when source content changes, Smartcat detects the update, applies your linguistic assets, and lets you review the change on the live page before publishing (read the announcement). You can also localize a whole website through the Smartcat AI chat, where AI coworkers crawl the site and extract translatable content while preserving HTML structure and metadata. For an honest look at what the snippet-based approach can and can’t do, read Smartcat Website Translator: what it does and how it works.
WordPress translation
WordPress powers a large share of business websites, and “WordPress translation plugin” is one of the most searched website translation topics. There are two ways to translate a WordPress site with Smartcat. The first is the Smartcat WordPress plugin, which works through WPML: pages and posts are sent to Smartcat from your WordPress admin panel and synced back into WordPress when translation is complete — no manual exports or imports. The second is the Website Translator, which translates the published site without a plugin. How to translate a WordPress website compares both methods step by step.
Translate every part of a WordPress site
A multilingual WordPress site is more than translated posts. Themes contain hard-coded strings, widgets and menus need their own translations, and developers have to internationalize code before it can be localized. Smartcat has dedicated guides for each layer:
WordPress localization best practices
Before you install anything, decide which content to localize first, how you’ll structure language URLs, and who reviews translations. WordPress localization tips for a perfect multilingual site covers the challenges, real examples of localized WordPress sites and a best-practice checklist. Language-learning company Babbel replaced manual copy-and-paste with a WordPress connector and Smartcat’s AI platform, and reports saving 31 hours of work per month (Babbel case study). For setup instructions, see Setting up the Smartcat WordPress (WPML) integration.
Translating ecommerce stores and product content
Online stores have more to translate than most websites: product titles and descriptions, category pages, filters, checkout flows, transactional emails and product feeds — often thousands of SKUs that change daily. Store owners need translations that stay consistent across the catalog and update as products are added. Smartcat’s ecommerce translation plugins connect your store platform to AI agents that apply your glossaries and learn from reviewer edits.
Retailers that manage product data in a PIM can translate it before it ever reaches the storefront. Kids2 connected Smartcat to Salsify and reports 92% faster turnaround times on ecommerce translations (Kids2 case study). The Smartcat Marketplace also lists vetted ecommerce translation services for product copy that needs a native writer. To set up a store connection, follow the WooCommerce or BigCommerce help guides.
Website translation for every CMS and site builder
Whatever your site runs on, the goal is the same: translate without copy-pasting content between systems, and publish translations back where your team already works. Smartcat offers translation plugins for websites and code repositories, grouped below by the kind of platform.
No-code website builders
For hosted builders, setup usually takes minutes: you translate the site in Smartcat’s Website Translator, then paste the generated script into your site’s custom code settings. On Webflow, for example, you preview and refine the AI translation in Smartcat, then paste the snippet into your Webflow project’s custom code section to publish. How to translate your website on Wix, Squarespace, Joomla or Drupal walks through the workflow.
Landing page builders
Campaign landing pages are often built outside the main CMS and launched under deadline. Smartcat connects to the most common landing page tools so localized versions can go live with the campaign — and the help guide on translating your landing page compares the Website Translator, HTML file and CMS integration options.
Enterprise and headless CMS
Enterprise CMSs need a round-trip connector rather than a script: content moves from the CMS into Smartcat, is translated and reviewed with your translation memory and glossaries, and returns as native language versions. Smartcat’s revamped Adobe Experience Manager connector adds a live, in-context visual editor where translators edit directly on rendered pages, with a separate panel for non-visual elements like SEO tags and alt text (AEM connector announcement). The Drupal integration works through the TMGMT module and supports Drupal 8, 9 and 10.
Multilingual SEO for translated websites
A translated page only brings in new customers if people searching in that language can find it. Multilingual (or international) SEO makes sure each language version is crawlable, correctly signposted to search engines, and optimized for the words local buyers actually type — which are often not a literal translation of your English keywords.
The technical foundations
Search engines need a stable, language-specific URL for every version of a page, hreflang annotations that tell them which version to show in which market, and translated titles and meta descriptions so search snippets appear in the right language. Smartcat’s Website Translator handles automatic hreflang, translated metadata and an optional SEO proxy path; if you want each market on its own domain or subdirectory, proxy-based website translation explains when that architecture makes sense. Domain structure and localized URLs are covered in five international SEO steps to boost your global rankings.
Keyword research and content in every language
Translation alone isn’t SEO. Each market needs its own keyword research, localized headings and internal links, and content written for local intent. How to use SEO translation to grow global traffic covers SEO translation vs. localization, multilingual keyword research and the technical foundations of international SEO. For new content, Smartcat’s AI SEO content writing helps teams create and translate optimized content for global campaigns.
Want to hear it from practitioners? The webinar What makes strong international SEO brings together experts from companies with a strong global presence.
Website localization: AI translation, human review, or both?
Not every page deserves the same treatment. Help-center articles, blog archives and long-tail product pages are well suited to AI translation with light review. Home pages, pricing, legal terms and campaign pages carry your brand and your conversion rate — they benefit from a professional linguist who knows the market. The most efficient teams mix both on one platform.
| Factor | Machine translation only | Smartcat AI + human review | Traditional agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed to launch | Instant | Fast — AI first, review where it matters | Slow — files sent and returned |
| Brand voice & terminology | × Inconsistent | ✓ Glossaries + translation memory | Depends on the vendor |
| In-context review | × None | ✓ Visual editor on the live page | Usually offline files |
| Keeping up with site changes | Re-translates everything | ✓ Detects and translates updates | New project per change |
| Cultural adaptation | × Literal | ✓ Native reviewers on demand | ✓ Yes |
Human + AI website translation services combine AI translation with expert human reviewers so you can publish accurate, on-brand pages without hiring a traditional agency. When you need a dedicated linguist, the Smartcat Marketplace lets you hire professional website localization services for any language pair. To decide which approach fits which content, read machine translation vs. human translation: which to use and when and what machine translation post-editing is and how it works. For headlines and slogans that need to be rewritten rather than translated, see what transcreation is.
Website localization at scale
For a global brand, translating the site once is the easy part. The hard part is keeping dozens of language versions accurate and on-brand while marketing, product and legal teams change the source every day. At scale, website localization becomes an operations problem: which content gets translated, how fast updates reach every market, who approves them, and how you avoid paying to translate the same sentences again.
Continuous localization
Continuous localization means new and changed content is detected and translated automatically, instead of being batched into periodic projects. Smartcat’s Website Translator is built around paying for net-new content rather than re-translating what was already approved, and enterprise CMS translation runs AI translation, reviewer approval, QA and sync back to your CMS in one workflow. Cut website translation costs and publish faster shows how teams move from manual localization to continuous website delivery.
Brand consistency across every market
Glossaries and translation memory are what keep a product name, a tagline or a legal phrase identical on every page and in every language. Reviewers’ edits feed back into these linguistic assets, so quality improves as you go. Global website translation brings translation, review, preview and launch into one workflow with CMS integrations and expert review, and website translation optimization covers reusable language assets and AI agents that reduce rework on every release.
For a look at how this works in practice, the on-demand webinar Continuous website localization with Smartcat AI: AEM, Sitecore & WordPress includes a live product demo, and Website translation the right way is a practical workshop on scoping a project, integrating with a web CMS and managing risk. Website builder Weebly worked with Smartcat to localize its platform into 13 languages (Weebly case study).
Translate web pages in your browser
Sometimes you don’t need to publish a translated website — you just need to read one. Browser translation is the fastest way to understand a foreign-language page, check a competitor’s site or do a quick QA pass on your own localized pages. It translates only for you: visitors to the site never see it, and search engines don’t index it.
Smartcat’s Chrome extension stays pinned to your browser toolbar and translates text on any web page; it can also translate incoming emails, your replies and social media posts (install and use Smartcat Translator for Chrome). If you use another browser or a phone, these guides explain the options:
Website translation by language
Smartcat translates websites into 280+ languages. These guides cover some of the most requested language pairs — what to watch for in each market and how to get a website translated quickly and accurately.
Website translation tools & resources
Purpose-built tools for every part of website translation — from a quick translated preview to developer workflows and enterprise integrations.
Website translator tools
Developer tools: HTML & APIs
Website translation guides, events & news
In-depth guides, recorded webinars and product news on website translation and localization from Smartcat.
Smartcat product documentation
Step-by-step product guides for teams translating websites in Smartcat.