How to Setup Multilingual Website in Joomla

This article will help you to set up a multilingual (multiple languages) website in Joomla.

Step 1: Install Languages

There are two ways to install languages on a Joomla website.

Automatic Installation

Login to Joomla administration. Navigate to: System > Install > Languages. Install the language clicking on the "Install" button.

Manual Installation

Download the language pack in the zip format. Then, you can install it by navigating to the System > Install > Extensions. Upload the downloaded zip file to install the language pack.

Step 2: Enable Content Language

Navigate to System > Manage > Languages > Content Languages.

Publish the language pack to enable it.

Step 3: Enable System Plugins for Language

Language Filter plugin allows you show the content based on the language selection on the website. This plugin must be enabled.

Language Code plugin allows you to change the language code for the generated HTML document.

Step 4: Language Switcher Module

This language switcher module displays a language switcher on your website of available content languages. Ideally, you should publish this module at the header of your template.

At this stage, you will not see the module at the front-end.

Step 5: Add Menu and Menu Items

In a Joomla multilingual site, you need to create different Menus for each language.

Navigate to Menu > Manage. Create new menu for EN (for example Main Menu EN). Create similar menus for other languages as well.

After the menus are created for each language, add new menu items under each main menu. While creating menu item, choose the required language. Set a default menu item (Home page) for each language menu. For example in Main Menu EN, when you make the Home menu item as default, it will become the default Home item for English language pages.

After setting default menu items, you will see them in the Language Switcher Module at the front-end.