Learn how to translate custom fields in WordPress into more languages with WPML.
Custom fields let you add extra data like text, images, or selections to your posts, pages, and custom post types.
For example, a real estate website might use a custom post type called “Properties”, which has custom fields like Price, Property Type, and Number of Rooms. With WPML, you can translate these fields just like any other content on your website.
If you’re using ACF to build your custom fields, follow WPML’s guide for translating ACF custom fields.
How to Translate Custom Fields
To translate custom fields with WPML:
- Go to WPML → Settings → Custom Fields Translation.
- Find your custom fields in the table.
- Set a translation preference for each custom field.
- Finally, go to WPML → Translations and send the content with your custom fields for translation. To get the best translation quality, we recommend using WPML’s automatic translation.
Your custom fields will now appear translated when switching languages.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do translation options for custom fields work?
WPML offers four translation preferences for custom fields:
Translate – makes your custom field values translatable (ideal for texts).
Copy – copies the field value across all languages, keeping it the same everywhere (ideal for numbers / images).
Copy once – copies the value from the default language once, letting you create different field values per language.
Don’t translate – don’t do anything.
To learn which option to choose per field, see our translation preference for custom fields guide.
Can I translate custom fields added with code?
Yes, you can translate custom fields added with code. First, you need to register the fields in the wpml-config.xml file. Once registered, you can then translate them like regular fields.