How to Make a Multilingual Website in Drupal 9?

When you build a website for multilingual users, there are a lot of considerations that have to be taken into account.

Multilingual websites are becoming more and more popular as people all over the world speak different languages. If your business is based in one country, it may be challenging to provide services to customers all across the globe. The best way to solve this problem is by making a multilingual website.

Drupal is an open-source content management system (CMS) that’s very easy to set up and customize. It’s also very flexible, which means you can easily add features to your site without worrying about code getting in the way or clashing with other components on your site.

This article will cover how you can make a multilingual website in Drupal 9.

Before that, it is imperative to know why create a multilingual website in Drupal 9?

• Drupal 8 has an excellent translation engine, but it’s only “good enough” for some sites and not others. The new multilingual module in Drupal 9 is a whole new ball game, and it’s the best one yet.
• Drupal 8’s multilingual support is minimal, so if you don’t have a lot of experience with this kind of thing, you’re probably better off starting over with Drupal 9.

Step 1: Create the Content in English

The first step is to create the content in English. This is a good practice because it will help you understand how your website looks and what you need to do next. In addition, it saves you a lot of time, especially when you want to translate your website into other languages.

Step 2: Create the Languages in Drupal

Once you have created the content in English, you can start working on creating a module for each language that you want to support. For example, if you are making a multilingual website for your company, create three modules that allow users who speak different languages to access other parts of your website. You can also use modules such as Views or Blocks that will enable you to display additional content based on user location or language preference.

Step 3: Add the Languages to Your Site

The third step in making a multilingual website is adding the languages to your site. You can choose the language that you want to configure.

Visit the following pages: Home > Administration > Configuration > Regional Language > Install your preferred language > Add language.

Step 4: Use the Multilingual Menu System and Menus

The multilingual menu system is a feature that allows you to create menus in multiple languages. You can use it to create menus for your site, or you can use it to create menus for your clients. This is an important feature that many users do not think about when creating websites. It will help your web design project be more successful if you take advantage of this feature.

A multilingual menu system is a powerful tool that allows you to organize your site’s content according to different languages. You can use multiple menus on your site, and they will be able to speak different languages using the same content. This means there will be no need for separate pages or different menus to display the same information in multiple languages. The multilingual menu system allows you to create one piece of content and have it appear in multiple languages simultaneously!

Step 5: Use the Multilingual Theme

To make your site multilingual, you must use a multilingual theme. To find one, browse through Drupal themes or create your own. The best way to ensure that your website is well-designed and properly optimized for multiple languages is to choose a theme with built-in support for more than one language.

Some themes have translatable blocks, which allow you to translate their content into other languages and even provide live updates when changes are made. Other themes have translations of their own, which means you can use them without any additional work.

Mistakes to Avoid when Creating Multilingual Website using Drupal 9

Drupal 9 is a great step toward making your website available to a broad audience. It’s easy to use, has a clean and modern interface, and has a lot of modules that you can use to enhance the look and functionality of your site.

However, there are some mistakes that you shouldn’t make when creating multilingual websites using Drupal 9:

1. Using the Default Theme and Not Customizing It for Your Needs:

Most Drupal themes come with a default layout, which means you cannot customize it further. This can lead to a website that looks unprofessional and unattractive.

2. Not Taking Into Account Differences in Languages, Scripts, and Countries:

When creating multilingual websites, you should consider the different languages, scripts, and countries in which your website will be displayed. For example, if you have a Spanish website, you should use a Spanish version of Drupal, which will allow you to use the Spanish language on your site.

3. Not Using Drupal’s Localization Features:

Drupal has some powerful localization features that allow you to create websites in multiple languages without having to use another CMS system or plugin for localization purposes. These features include translation management functionality through built-in modules like Localize or Translate and entity management functionality through built-in modules like Entity System Manager or Entity Field Manager, where you can define labels for entities and fields according to their language settings (such as Spanish).

4. Not Using a Multilingual Website Design:

A website in multiple languages can be difficult to navigate without a clear direction. If you are creating a site that has been translated from English, you must ensure that the navigation is still accessible to English speakers. This will help ensure that people new to your site can find what they need quickly.

5. Not Selecting the Right Language for Content:

Your content may be in multiple languages, but not all your pages will necessarily be in those languages. For example, suppose you have an article on your homepage about how much time it takes to travel from one part of the world to another. In that case, this information should be placed on a separate page to remain accessible even if someone does not read everything else on your site.

Let’s Wind Up

LN Webworks has expertise in creating multilingual websites using Drupal 9. We are experienced in delivering high-quality, cost-effective, and scalable websites.

Our Drupal themes can be easily customized to suit your needs or requirements. Our team is highly skilled with the latest version of Drupal, so we can provide you with the best possible solutions for your projects.

Our responsive design will help you reach a wide range of audiences by ensuring that your website is displayed correctly on all devices, including mobile phones and tablets. Contact us today to book a free consultationMultilingual Website in Drupal 9