Frequently Asked Questions

What is GeoLang and how does it work?

GeoLang for Gutenberg is a WordPress plugin that helps you create multilingual websites. Unlike traditional translation plugins, GeoLang works natively within the Gutenberg block editor. You can create translations of your posts, pages, menus, and template parts directly in WordPress without relying on external services or complex configurations.

Is GeoLang compatible with my theme?

GeoLang works with any WordPress theme that supports Gutenberg. For the best experience, we recommend using a Full Site Editing (FSE) theme, which allows you to translate template parts like headers and footers. Classic themes are also fully supported for content translation.

Do I need to know code to use GeoLang?

No coding knowledge is required. GeoLang is designed to be user-friendly and works entirely within the WordPress admin interface. All translations are managed through intuitive panels in the Gutenberg editor.

Does GeoLang automatically translate my content?

No, GeoLang does not provide automatic machine translation. It creates a framework for you to add your own translations. This gives you full control over the quality and accuracy of your multilingual content. You can copy the original content as a starting point and then translate it manually.

What content can I translate with GeoLang?

GeoLang supports translating:

• Posts and Pages (Gutenberg blocks)
• Classic WordPress menus
• Gutenberg Navigation blocks (FSE)
• Template Parts (headers, footers, sidebars in FSE themes)
• Post meta and custom fields (via hooks for developers)

How does the IP-based language detection work?

When enabled, GeoLang detects the visitor’s approximate location based on their IP address and automatically redirects them to the appropriate language version of your site. The Free version uses external APIs (ipapi.co or ipwho.is) with rate limits. The Pro version includes local MaxMind database integration for unlimited, faster lookups.

How does Switzerland canton-based language detection work?

Switzerland has four official languages (German, French, Italian, and Romansh) distributed across 26 cantons. Unlike most translation plugins that default all Swiss visitors to German, GeoLang detects the visitor’s canton from the IP geolocation API and assigns the correct language:

• Ticino (TI) → Italian
• Geneva (GE), Vaud (VD), Neuchâtel (NE), Jura (JU) → French
• Zurich (ZH), Lucerne (LU), Basel, and others → German
• Bern (BE) → German or French based on browser preference
• Fribourg (FR), Valais (VS) → French or German based on browser preference
• Grisons (GR) → Romansh, Italian, or German based on browser preference

You can also manually override the canton from the IP Test panel in the admin settings for testing purposes.

Will GeoLang slow down my website?

GeoLang is designed to be lightweight and fast. The plugin only loads necessary assets on pages where they’re needed. IP detection is cached, and database queries are optimized. Most users report no noticeable impact on site performance.

Is GeoLang SEO-friendly?

Yes! GeoLang automatically implements SEO best practices for multilingual sites:

• Automatic hreflang tags in the page header
• Proper HTML lang attributes
• Compatible with RankMath and Yoast SEO multilingual sitemaps
• Clean URLs without messy query parameters

Does GeoLang work with WooCommerce?

GeoLang is primarily designed for content sites. While it can translate regular posts and pages, it does not have specific WooCommerce product translation features. For full e-commerce multilingual support, consider using GeoLang alongside dedicated WooCommerce multilingual plugins.

Can I use GeoLang with page builders like Elementor or Divi?

GeoLang is optimized for Gutenberg. While it may work with page builder content stored as shortcodes, we recommend using Gutenberg blocks for the best translation experience. Full Site Editing themes with Gutenberg provide the most seamless workflow.

The language switcher isn’t showing on my site

Try these solutions:

1. Verify the language switcher is enabled in GeoLang > Settings
2. Check that “Show Frontend Language Switcher” is enabled in IP Detection settings
3. Clear your browser cache and any caching plugin cache
4. Check for JavaScript errors in your browser console
5. Ensure at least one additional language is configured

Translations aren’t linking properly

If your translations aren’t connecting correctly:

1. Make sure you’re creating translations from the original post (not another translation)
2. Check the GeoLang panel in the editor to verify the link is established
3. Use the “Link Translation” feature to manually connect existing posts
4. Verify that both posts are published (not drafts)

IP detection stopped working / rate limit exceeded

The Free version uses external APIs with usage limits:

• ipapi.co: 1,000 requests/day (free tier)
• ipwho.is: 10,000 requests/month

If you exceed these limits, detection will pause until the limit resets. For high-traffic sites, consider upgrading to GeoLang Pro with local MaxMind database integration (no API limits).

My menu translations aren’t appearing

For navigation menu translations:

1. Ensure you’ve saved translations in GeoLang > Menu Translator
2. For classic menus, make sure the correct menu is assigned to a theme location
3. For Navigation blocks, verify the block has a valid Navigation post reference
4. Clear any caching plugins

What’s the difference between Free and Pro?

The Free version includes all core multilingual features: post/page translation, menu translation, template parts, API-based IP detection, and SEO features. The Pro version adds MaxMind local database (unlimited IP detection), advanced revision comparison, Paid Memberships Pro integration, bulk translation tools, and priority support.

Can I upgrade from Free to Pro without losing data?

Yes! GeoLang Pro is designed to replace the Free version seamlessly. When you activate Pro, it will automatically deactivate the Free version and preserve all your translations, settings, and relationships. Simply install Pro and your data will be intact.

Do I need a license key for the Free version?

No, the Free version available on WordPress.org requires no license key. Simply install and activate. The Pro version requires a license key which you’ll receive after purchase.