What is Loco Translate plugin?
Loco Translate is a WordPress plugin for editing translation files (PO/MO files) directly in the WordPress admin without FTP or command-line tools. It is not a multilingual content plugin like WPML or Polylang — it does not create translated versions of your posts and pages. Instead, Loco Translate is a tool for localizing WordPress itself: translating the interface text of themes and plugins (button labels, error messages, admin UI strings) into your language, or correcting an existing translation that ships with a theme or plugin.
With over 1 million active installations, Loco Translate is the most popular tool for WordPress localization work. It provides a built-in PO file editor with search, string highlighting, and a translation memory system. It supports integration with automatic translation APIs (Google Translate, DeepL, Microsoft Translator) for mass-translating strings as a starting point. The plugin also manages language file locations, generates MO binaries from edited PO files, and provides a safeguarded editing environment that prevents accidental overwrites during plugin updates.
Loco Translate’s free version covers up to 2,000 translations. The Pro version (from approximately £4.95/month) increases the translation limit and adds additional pro features. For WordPress site owners who want to translate their own site’s content (posts, pages), Loco Translate is not the right tool — use WPML, Polylang, or TranslatePress instead. Loco Translate is the right tool for developers and translators who work on WordPress theme and plugin localization.
Need Help With Loco Translate Setup, Troubleshooting, or Customization?
Need help with Loco Translate? Whether you are dealing with errors, broken functionality, styling problems, plugin conflicts, or advanced customization, we can help you fix the issue and get the plugin working properly on your WordPress site.
Get Loco Translate Expert HelpKey Features
- PO/MO file editor in WordPress admin (no FTP or CLI required)
- Supports themes, plugins, and WordPress core translation files
- Automatic translation integration: Google Translate, DeepL, Microsoft Translator, OpenAI
- Translation memory for reusing previously translated strings
- String search and context highlighting
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Only tool needed for theme and plugin localization work directly in WordPress
- Automatic translation API integration speeds up bulk translation of UI strings
- Translation memory reduces repeated translation work across multiple projects
Cons
- Not a multilingual content plugin — does not translate posts or pages
- Editing PO files directly can break translations if not careful
Free vs Premium
Free: up to 2,000 translations, all core features. Pro: from £4.95/month for 5,000 translations, expanded limits.
Common Problems & Fixes
Translations saved in Loco Translate are reverting after a plugin update — how do I prevent this?
Plugin updates can overwrite language files stored in the plugin directory. Loco Translate can save translation files in a safeguarded location: when saving a translation, choose “Save to languages directory” (typically wp-content/languages/plugins/) instead of saving inside the plugin folder. Files in the languages directory persist through plugin updates. If you have already saved inside the plugin directory, move the PO/MO files to the languages directory and re-register them in Loco Translate’s file location settings.
Loco Translate shows a string as translated but the translation is not appearing on the site — the original text still displays. How do I fix this?
Possible causes: (1) the MO binary file was not regenerated after editing the PO file — in Loco Translate, click “Save” which should regenerate both PO and MO, but verify the MO file timestamp is current; (2) a caching plugin is serving the old version — clear all caches; (3) the theme or plugin is not loading the translation files from the correct path — use Loco Translate’s Diagnostics tab to verify the language file location is recognized by WordPress; (4) the textdomain in the translation file does not match the textdomain used in the plugin/theme code.
Loco Translate automatic translation API is not working — translated strings are not populating. How do I set up the API?
Go to Loco Translate → Preferences and enter your API key for the automatic translation service (Google Cloud Translation, DeepL, or Microsoft Translator). Each service requires a separate API account and key. For DeepL, the free tier provides 500,000 characters/month — sufficient for most theme/plugin localization. After entering the API key, open a language file in Loco Translate and click Translate → Auto-translate to batch-translate empty strings using the configured API.
Customization & Developer Notes
How do I translate a specific plugin string that is not appearing in Loco Translate?
If a string is missing from Loco Translate’s file, the plugin may not have extracted it to the PO template yet. In Loco Translate, open the plugin’s language file and click Sync → Extract strings from source — this scans the plugin’s PHP files for gettext function calls and adds new strings to the template. If the string still does not appear, it may use a dynamic variable that Loco Translate cannot extract statically, or the plugin may output text directly without using WordPress gettext functions (in which case, Loco Translate cannot translate it).
Can Loco Translate be used to create a language file for a theme that does not include one?
Yes. In Loco Translate → Themes → select your theme → New Language. Select the target language and Loco Translate will create a new PO template by scanning the theme files for translatable strings. You then translate strings in the editor and save — Loco Translate creates the PO and MO files and saves them in the correct location. This enables translating themes that ship without any localization support, as long as they use WordPress gettext functions correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need Loco Translate if I use WPML for multilingual?
Yes, for different purposes. WPML translates your site content (posts, pages, products). Loco Translate translates the theme and plugin UI strings (button labels, form field placeholders, admin notices). For a complete multilingual site, you typically need both: WPML (or Polylang/TranslatePress) for content, and Loco Translate or WPML’s String Translation for theme and plugin interface text. Loco Translate is the simpler tool for plugin/theme localization when you are not using WPML String Translation.
Does Loco Translate work with all WordPress themes and plugins?
Loco Translate works with any theme or plugin that uses WordPress standard gettext localization functions (__()), _e(), _n(), etc.). Themes and plugins that output hardcoded English text without gettext functions cannot be translated through any WordPress localization tool — including Loco Translate. Most well-maintained commercial and popular free themes and plugins follow the gettext standard, but older or poorly coded plugins may not.
Can Loco Translate break after updates?
Yes, that can happen, especially on older sites with many plugins. This usually happens when the plugin, theme, and add-ons are updated out of sequence. In most cases, testing on staging catches the issue before it reaches the live site. From experience, backups and changelog reviews save a lot of cleanup time.
What should I check before installing Loco Translate?
Start by checking whether another plugin already does the same job. In most cases, overlap is what creates avoidable conflicts and performance issues. A common issue is installing a plugin because it looks convenient without checking the stack first. From experience, a short compatibility review avoids most of the pain later.