WPML

WPML DeepL Integration – How to Translate Your WordPress Site With DeepL

WPML uses DeepL to translate WordPress sites into 30+ languages. DeepL is now a legacy engine in WPML – fully supported, but for new sites we recommend PTC, WPML’s own AI translation engine, which translates better on the same content and comes with a quality guarantee. If you’re already running on DeepL, this page covers both why you might want to switch to PTC and how to keep using DeepL if you’d rather stay.

DeepL Was Our Top Recommendation. Today, PTC Is.

When WPML added DeepL several years ago, it was the best translation engine our clients had access to – noticeably more accurate than the alternatives for European languages and the recommended default for most multilingual sites.

That’s no longer the case. PTC translates better than DeepL on the same source content across all 9 quality dimensions and all 6 languages we measured, with roughly 18× fewer issues per page (PTC 90.0 vs DeepL 77.7). DeepL is now priced at 50% off the PTC rate in WPML to reflect the quality gap, and we recommend it only for sites already running on it.

Why PTC Translates Better

PTC is built for full-page contextual translation, not segment-by-segment machine translation:

  • It knows your site and your audience. Before translation starts, you describe what your site is about and who it’s for. PTC uses that as context on every translation.
  • It learns from your edits. When you correct a translation, PTC spots the pattern and offers to apply the same rule across every page that needs it – see How PTC learns your brand voice and translates like you do. DeepL doesn’t notice when an edit recurs, and every DeepL translation starts from scratch.
  • It applies your glossary. Brand names, product terminology, and the way you spell things stay consistent across translations. DeepL doesn’t apply WPML’s glossary.
  • It comes with a translation quality guarantee. If a PTC translation falls short, we fix it or refund the words. DeepL has no equivalent guarantee.

Because of that quality gap, PTC translations can usually go live without further human review. DeepL translations need a review pass before publishing – the translation quality study walks through the kinds of issues that pass by unnoticed.

How to Switch From DeepL to PTC on an Existing Site

Switching engines takes about a minute. Existing translations stay exactly as they are; the change only affects new translation requests.

  1. Go to WPML > Settings > AI Translation.

  2. In the Translation engine section, click Switch to a different engine and pick Private Translation Cloud (PTC). Save.

  3. Fill in Context and target audience at the top of the AI Translation page – product or site name, a short description of what the site is about, and your target audience. PTC reads this on every translation, so the more accurately it describes your real site, the better the translations come back.

From the next translation request onward, content goes through PTC. To re-translate pages DeepL already translated, send them through the Translations Dashboard again – pages that have grown beyond the word count you originally paid for get charged under the Translate Everything Automatically pricing rules; pages within their original size are free.

How to Use PTC on a New Site

On a new WPML site, PTC is the default after the Setup Wizard. You don’t need to switch engines – you just configure PTC’s context.

  1. Go to WPML > Settings > AI Translation.

  2. Fill in Context and target audience. The page shows a translation-context preview that’s exactly how PTC reads your instructions, so edit until it accurately describes your site.

  3. Pick what PTC does after translating – publish directly, hold for review, or publish-and-mark-for-review.

  4. Turn on Translate Everything Automatically on the Translations Dashboard, and PTC translates the whole site in the background. You publish in one language; readers see your site in theirs.

That’s it. No engine setup, no DeepL API account, no per-engine pricing decisions.

Setting Up DeepL With WPML

If you’ve decided to stay on DeepL, the setup is unchanged from earlier WPML versions.

  1. Add the Languages You Want to Translate Into

    DeepL supports 30+ languages, including the major European and Asian languages. Add the languages you need in WPML’s language settings.

  2. Pick DeepL as the Translation Engine

    Go to WPML > Settings > AI Translation. In the Translation engine section, click Switch to a different engine and pick DeepL. Save.

    DeepL supports a formality setting per target language for the languages where formality applies – German Sie / Du, French vous / tu, and similar. Set the formality next to each language.

  3. Send Content to Translation

    Go to WPML > Translations > Dashboard, select the content you want to translate, choose Translate automatically, and click Translate.

  4. Review Translations Before Publishing

    DeepL doesn’t translate with site-level context and doesn’t learn from your edits, so reviewing before publishing is the safer default. Use the Advanced Translation Editor to edit any segment that needs work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my existing DeepL translations disappear if I switch to PTC?

No. Switching engines only affects new translation requests. Pages already translated by DeepL stay exactly as they are until you re-translate them.

Does DeepL cost the same as PTC?

DeepL is priced at 50% off the PTC rate to reflect the lower translation quality. The free words included with every WPML plan apply to either engine. See how AI translation pricing works for the full table.

Does DeepL learn from the way I edit translations?

No. DeepL is a segment-by-segment machine-translation engine – every translation starts from scratch. PTC is the only WPML engine that learns from your edits and applies your glossary.

Is there a translation quality guarantee for DeepL?

No. WPML’s translation quality guarantee applies to PTC only.

Written by Amir · Last updated July 2, 2026