How to enable multi-language support on Hostinger

intermediate 8 min read Updated 2026-04-20

Quick Answer

Enable multi-language support on Hostinger by installing a multilingual plugin like WPML or Polylang through your WordPress dashboard, then configure language settings and create translated content. Hostinger's hosting environment supports all major multilingual plugins without additional configuration.

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Prerequisites

Active Hostinger hosting account
WordPress or website installed
Basic understanding of website management
Access to hPanel dashboard

Step-by-Step Instructions

Access Your Website Management Area

Log into your Hostinger hPanel and navigate to the Websites section. Click on Manage next to your domain name, then select WordPress Admin to access your WordPress dashboard. If you're using a custom website, access your file manager instead.

Make sure your website is fully backed up before installing multilingual plugins

Install a Multilingual Plugin

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New. Search for a multilingual plugin like WPML, Polylang, or TranslatePress. Click Install Now and then Activate the plugin. For premium plugins like WPML, you'll need to upload the plugin files manually.

Polylang is free and suitable for most small to medium websites

Configure Basic Language Settings

Navigate to the plugin's settings page (usually under Settings or a new menu item). Add your desired languages by clicking Add New Language and selecting from the dropdown. Set your default language and configure the URL structure (subdirectories, subdomains, or parameters).

Subdirectory structure (/en/, /es/) is most SEO-friendly and easiest to manage

Set Up Language Switcher

Go to Appearance > Widgets or Appearance > Customize > Widgets. Add the language switcher widget to your desired location (header, footer, or sidebar). Configure the display options such as show flags, show language names, or dropdown vs. list format.

Place the language switcher in a prominent location like the header for better user experience

Configure Hostinger DNS if Using Subdomains

If you chose subdomain structure, return to hPanel > Domains > DNS Zone Editor. Add CNAME records for each language subdomain (e.g., en.yourdomain.com, es.yourdomain.com) pointing to your main domain. Save the DNS changes and wait for propagation.

DNS changes can take up to 24 hours to fully propagate globally

Create Translated Content

Edit your existing pages and posts to add translations. Most plugins add a Languages section to your edit screens. Click the + icon next to each language to create translated versions. For automated translation, configure Google Translate API or similar service if your plugin supports it.

Start with your most important pages like homepage, about, and contact pages

Configure SEO and Meta Settings

Install Yoast SEO or similar if not already installed, as most multilingual plugins integrate with SEO plugins. Set up hreflang tags in your multilingual plugin settings to help search engines understand your language structure. Configure translated meta descriptions and titles for each language version.

Proper hreflang implementation is crucial for international SEO success

Test Multi-Language Functionality

Visit your website and test the language switcher functionality. Verify that URLs change correctly, content displays in the right language, and navigation remains consistent. Test on different devices and browsers. Use Google Search Console to monitor any crawling issues with your multilingual setup.

Test all forms and dynamic elements to ensure they work properly in all languages

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Language switcher not appearing on website

Check if the widget is properly added to your theme's widget area. Go to Appearance > Widgets and ensure the language switcher widget is in an active widget area. Some themes require adding <?php do_action('wpml_add_language_selector'); ?> to template files.

Translated pages showing 404 errors

Go to Settings > Permalinks in WordPress and click Save Changes to flush rewrite rules. If using subdomains, verify your DNS CNAME records are correctly set up in Hostinger's DNS Zone Editor and have propagated.

Mixed language content appearing on pages

Check your plugin's String Translation settings to ensure theme and plugin strings are properly translated. For WPML, go to WPML > String Translation and translate any untranslated strings. Clear any caching plugins after making changes.

Search engines not indexing translated pages

Verify hreflang tags are properly implemented in your multilingual plugin settings. Submit separate XML sitemaps for each language to Google Search Console. Check that robots.txt is not blocking your language-specific URLs.

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