How to Translate Menus With WPML

The method for translating menus with WPML depends on how you built them. There are 3 types of menus:

• Menus linking to content – menus that link to pages, posts, custom posts, categories, etc.
• Menus built with Site Editor – menus inserted using the Navigation block.
• Menus with custom links – menus added as Custom Links.

Translating Menus Linking to Content

To translate menus that link to content (pages, posts, etc.) you simply need to translate the content the menu links to:

1. Go to WPML > Translations > Dashboard.
2. Locate the content your menu links to and select your items.
3. Choose a translation method and click Translate.

Translating Menus Built With Site Editor

To translate menus built with Site Editor:

1. Go to WPML > Translations > Dashboard.
2. Open the Site Template Parts section and select the template containing your menu (Header, Footer, etc.)
3. Next, open the Navigation Menu section and select your navigation menu block (e.g., Navigation).
4. Choose a translation method and click Translate.

Translating Menus With Custom Links

Menus with custom links are those you add in Appearance > Menus, under the Add menu items area in the Custom Links section.

To translate menus with custom links you need to create a new menu in your target language:

1. Go to Appearance > Menus.
2. Under Menu structure, click the language link you want to create a new menu for (e.g., +French).
3. Give your new menu a name (e.g., “Primary - fr”) and choose the location to display it (e.g., Primary Menu). Click the Create Menu button.
4. Under the Add menu items on the left, select the content you want to add to your new menu and click Add to menu.
5. For custom link menus, open the Custom Links section and create a new one with a translated URL.
6. Click the Save Menu button to publish your menu.

Your new menu will now display translated custom links when switching languages.