Translate & Be Rewarded
Translate a WordPress theme into your language. Get a premium theme as thanks.
Help people use our free themes in their own language. You translate on WordPress.org in your browser, your work ships to every site in that language — and we thank you with a premium theme of your choice.
Free WordPress.org account
Works in your browser
Credited on your profile
What it is
From one string on your screen to every site in your language.
Every button, label and message in a theme is a short piece of text called a string. You translate them on translate.wordpress.org; a translation editor for your language approves them; WordPress delivers them automatically to sites using that language.
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Step 1
Translate
Open the theme on translate.wordpress.org and translate its strings in your browser.
OriginalRead more
TranslationLeer más
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Step 2
Suggest
Each string you save becomes a suggestion, waiting for review.
Leer másWaiting
Suggestion saved
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Step 3
Review
A translation editor for your language checks and approves it.
Leer másCurrent
Approved by a translation editor
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Step 4
Reward
The language pack ships to every site in your language — and you get a premium theme.
Premium theme unlocked
Language pack delivered to sites in your language
Why it matters
Most WordPress sites don’t run in US English.
WordPress.org’s own statistics show US English on fewer than half of WordPress sites. For everyone else, a theme that speaks their language is the difference between a confusing settings screen and one they can actually use.
Languages WordPress sites use most
English (US) 42.8%
The default locale — and still fewer than half of all WordPress sites.
Japanese 5.9%
The largest non-English locale on WordPress.
Spanish (Spain) 5.7%
Plus separate locales for Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and more.
German 5.6%
One of the most active translation communities.
French (France) 4.6%
With further locales for Canada and Belgium.
Portuguese (Brazil) 3.9%
The biggest Portuguese-speaking WordPress market.
Every other locale 31.5%
Dozens more — Italian, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Turkish, Vietnamese, Persian, Nepali and beyond.
What you get
A thank-you from us — and credit that stays with you.
Translating is volunteer work for the WordPress community. We think it deserves more than a thank-you note.
From WPInterface
A premium theme of your choice
Pick any premium theme from our collection once your translation is done — yours to use on your own projects.
From WordPress.org
A Translation Contributor badge
Once at least one of your strings is approved, the badge appears on your WordPress.org profile — public, permanent proof of your contribution.
For your community
Your words in real dashboards
Approved translations are packaged by WordPress.org and downloaded automatically by sites set to your language — no one has to install anything.
Eligibility
Are you ready to translate? Tick what’s true.
You don’t need to be a developer or a professional translator. These are the only things that matter.
You
Your setup
Start here
Pick a theme and your language.
Choose any of our 41 free WordPress.org themes. We’ll open its translation project in your language, and you can carry the choice straight into the sign-up form.
Not sure which one? Start with a theme you use, or one that has no translation in your language yet — the project page shows the progress for every language.
Advance Blog → Spanish (Spain)
You’ll need a free WordPress.org account to save translations. Create one
How it works
Five steps, start to thank-you.
Everything happens on WordPress.org’s own translation platform, so your work benefits every user of the theme — not just one site.
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Let us know which theme and language you’re taking on
Use the form below so we can thank you properly and avoid two people translating the same theme.
- Your name and email
- Your WordPress.org username
- Theme → language
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Translate the theme’s strings on translate.wordpress.org
Log in, open the theme in your language and translate string by string. Translation memory suggests text already used elsewhere in your locale.
- Follow your locale’s style guide and glossary
- Keep %s placeholders and HTML intact
- Save as you go — nothing is lost
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A translation editor approves your suggestions
Your strings are saved as suggestions until a General or Project Translation Editor for your language approves them. If your language has no active editor for the theme, we can request one.
- Waiting → Current once approved
- Feedback if anything needs a change
- We can request a Project Translation Editor
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WordPress builds the language pack
Once 90% of the theme’s strings are approved in your language, WordPress.org generates a language pack and sites in that language download it automatically.
- No plugin or upload needed
- Updates when strings change
- Works for every user of the theme
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Choose your premium theme
Tell us your translation is finished and pick the premium theme you’d like — we’ll send it to your account.
- Any premium theme in our collection
- Your Translation Contributor badge on WordPress.org
- Our sincere thanks
Do it well
Four things that get translations approved first time.
These come straight from the WordPress Polyglots handbook — the rules translation editors use when they review. Tap a card for the detail.
Your impact
Your translation travels with every download.
Our free themes power news sites, magazines, blogs and businesses. Each one you translate is ready in your language for every site that installs it.
- News, magazine and blog themesTranslated menus, widgets and settings make a real difference to people publishing every day.
- Updates keep your work aliveWhen a theme adds new strings, they appear on translate.wordpress.org for your language to complete.
- Seen in the dashboardSite owners in your language meet your translation every time they open the theme’s settings.
41
free themes on WordPress.org
200,000+
downloads from WordPress.org
18
themes updated in the last 30 days
Live from the WordPress.org Themes API, refreshed twice a day. See them on WordPress.org
You’re not on your own
The people who built the theme are here to help.
Stuck on a string, or not sure what a setting does? Ask us — we wrote every word in the theme.
- Context for tricky stringsWe’ll explain where a string appears and what it means, so you can translate it naturally.
- A translation editor if you need oneIf nobody reviews your language for the theme, we can ask the Polyglots team to appoint a Project Translation Editor.
- Recognition you can point toYour premium theme, plus the Translation Contributor badge on your WordPress.org profile.
Questions, answered
Do I need to be a professional translator?
No. Fluency in the language and care with the details matter most. A translation editor reviews every suggestion, so you’ll get feedback if anything needs changing.
Is the reward cash?
No — it’s a premium theme of your choice from our collection, as a thank-you for your time. WordPress.org also adds a Translation Contributor badge to your profile once a string is approved.
Where do I actually translate?
On translate.wordpress.org, in your browser, with your free WordPress.org account. Use the picker above to open the right theme in your language.
Why aren’t my translations showing on my site yet?
Strings stay as suggestions until a translation editor approves them, and WordPress builds a language pack once 90% of the theme’s strings are approved in your language. After that, sites download it automatically — usually within hours.
What if no one reviews translations in my language?
Tell us. As the theme author we can ask the Polyglots team to appoint a Project Translation Editor for the theme in your language — it can take a little while, because editors are volunteers too.
Can I translate a premium theme?
This programme covers our free themes, because they’re translated on WordPress.org and reach everyone. If you’d like to help with a premium theme, mention it in the form.
Someone already started my language. Can I still help?
Yes — fill in the strings that are missing, or pick another theme. The project page on translate.wordpress.org shows how complete each language is.
Join the programme
Tell us what you’ll translate.
We’ll reply with anything you need to get started, and make sure no one else is already working on the same theme and language.
- Free to joinAll you need is a WordPress.org account.
- About 1–2 hoursFor a typical theme, at your own pace.
- A premium theme as thanksYour choice from our collection.
