Title: AutoLingo — Automatic Translation for Polylang & WPML
Author: JPA Software
Published: June 26, 2026
Last modified: October 10, 2026
---
Search plugins
# AutoLingo — Automatic Translation for Polylang & WPML
By [JPA Software](https://profiles.wordpress.org/delsuza/)
[Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/autolingo-polylang-translate.1.4.0.zip)
* [Details](https://en-au.wordpress.org/plugins/autolingo-polylang-translate/#description)
* [Reviews](https://en-au.wordpress.org/plugins/autolingo-polylang-translate/#reviews)
* [Installation](https://en-au.wordpress.org/plugins/autolingo-polylang-translate/#installation)
* [Development](https://en-au.wordpress.org/plugins/autolingo-polylang-translate/#developers)
[Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/autolingo-polylang-translate/)
## Description
AutoLingo is the automatic translation plugin for Polylang and WPML. It auto-translates
your posts and pages using DeepL, Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, OpenAI(
ChatGPT) or DeepSeek — created and synced natively with your multilingual plugin.
AutoLingo Pro adds WooCommerce products, SEO metadata (Yoast, RankMath), ACF fields
and page builder support (Elementor, Beaver Builder, Bricks).
Whether you need Polylang or WPML automatic translation for a single post or your
entire content library, AutoLingo does it on publish, in bulk, or via WP-CLI, with
AI translation quality from DeepL, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI or DeepSeek.
**Free up to 3,000,000 characters a month with your free DeepL, Google and Microsoft
accounts. No AutoLingo translation subscription.** When one provider’s free quota
runs out, AutoLingo automatically switches to the next one that has a key.
#### Features (Free)
* Translate Gutenberg content (title, blocks, excerpt) on publish or manually
* Manual translate button in the post editor and post list
* Bulk translation via WP-CLI (`translate-missing`, `translate-all`)
* Nav menu translation via Polylang
* Five providers: DeepL (Free and Pro, auto-detected from the `:fx` key suffix),
Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, OpenAI and DeepSeek
* Automatic fallback: when the selected provider runs out of quota, the next one
that has a key translates — free DeepL, Google and Microsoft accounts add up
to about 3,000,000 characters a month
* Credit balance check before each translation
* Admin alert + dashboard widget when credit runs low
* Category and tag translation — term names (and descriptions) are genuinely translated
via your chosen provider, not just linked to an existing Polylang/WPML translation
* Image alt text translation — when a translated media item exists, its alt text
is translated too, not just copied
* Image alt and title text inside your content (Gutenberg images, HTML) translated
in the same call as the rest
* Context-aware: the provider is told what it translates (blog post, page, product,
category, menu item) for better short texts
* Post meta copy on creation (theme settings, page templates, layout options)
* Shortcode-based builders (Divi, WPBakery, Flatsome) — shortcodes preserved verbatim
#### Features (Pro)
[AutoLingo Pro](https://auto-lingo.com) adds:
* Page builder support: Elementor, Beaver Builder, Bricks Builder
* SEO meta translation: Yoast SEO, RankMath, SEOPress, The SEO Framework
* ACF field translation: text, textarea, wysiwyg, link, repeater, flexible content
* WooCommerce: custom product attributes and purchase note
#### Page builder support (Pro)
* **Elementor** — `_elementor_data` (JSON), all common widget types
* **Beaver Builder** — `_fl_builder_data` (serialized PHP), global nodes skipped
* **Bricks Builder** — `_bricks_page_content_2` (JSON), nested items (accordion,
tabs)
Shortcode-based builders (Divi, WPBakery, Flatsome) are supported on the free plan—
their shortcodes are preserved verbatim during translation.
#### SEO plugin support (Pro)
* Yoast SEO — title, meta description, focus keyword
* RankMath — title, description, focus keyword
* SEOPress — title, description
* The SEO Framework — title, description
* SEO template variables (`%%title%%`, `%sep%`, `%sitename%`…) are preserved automatically
#### ACF (Pro)
Translates `text`, `textarea`, `wysiwyg`, and `link` (title only) fields, including`
repeater` and `flexible_content` layouts.
#### WooCommerce (Pro)
Translates custom product attributes (name + pipe-separated values) and the purchase
note. Price, stock, and SKU are never modified.
#### Reliability
* Exponential back-off retry on HTTP 429 (rate limit): 2 s 4 s 8 s, up to 3 retries
* Dual lock (static + transient) prevents duplicate translations on Gutenberg REST
saves
* Translation log viewer in the admin (DB-backed, 30-day retention)
* Integration test suite — 41 tests covering all modules
### External Services
This plugin optionally connects to one of four external translation APIs depending
on which provider you choose in Settings AutoLingo. No data is ever sent without
an explicit translation action and a valid API key that you supply yourself.
#### DeepL
**What it is:** DeepL is a machine translation service. This plugin uses the DeepL
REST API to translate your post content.
**What data is sent:** The text content of your posts (title, body, excerpt) is
sent to DeepL’s servers for translation. If you use the Glossary feature, your glossary
terms (source and target words) are also sent to create a DeepL glossary. No personally
identifiable information about your site visitors is transmitted.
**When it is sent:** Only when a translation is triggered — either manually via
the Translate button, automatically on publish (if enabled in settings), via WP-
CLI, or when syncing a glossary.
**Service endpoint:** api.deepl.com (Pro) or api-free.deepl.com (Free plan)
* Terms of Service: https://www.deepl.com/legal/terms
* Privacy Policy: https://www.deepl.com/privacy
#### OpenAI
**What it is:** OpenAI provides the GPT language model API. This plugin uses the`
gpt-4o-mini` model to translate your post content when OpenAI is selected as the
provider.
**What data is sent:** The text content of your posts is sent to OpenAI’s servers.
No visitor data is transmitted.
**When it is sent:** Only when a translation is triggered manually or on publish.
**Service endpoint:** api.openai.com
* Terms of Service: https://openai.com/policies/terms-of-use
* Privacy Policy: https://openai.com/policies/privacy-policy
#### DeepSeek
**What it is:** DeepSeek provides a GPT-compatible language model API. This plugin
uses the `deepseek-chat` model to translate your post content when DeepSeek is selected
as the provider.
**What data is sent:** The text content of your posts is sent to DeepSeek’s servers.
No visitor data is transmitted.
**When it is sent:** Only when a translation is triggered manually or on publish.
**Service endpoint:** api.deepseek.com
* Terms of Service: https://chat.deepseek.com/downloads/DeepSeek%20Terms%20of%20Use.
html
* Privacy Policy: https://cdn.deepseek.com/policies/en-US/deepseek-privacy-policy.
html
#### Microsoft Translator
**What it is:** Microsoft Translator (Azure AI Translator, Text API v3) provides
machine translation. This plugin uses it to translate post content when Microsoft
Translator is selected as the provider, or when it takes over because the selected
provider’s quota is used up.
**What data is sent:** The text content of your posts is sent to Microsoft’s servers.
No visitor data is transmitted.
**When it is sent:** Only when a translation is triggered manually or on publish,
and only if you entered a Microsoft Translator key.
**Service endpoint:** api.cognitive.microsofttranslator.com
* Terms of Service: https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/terms/productoffering/MicrosoftAzure/
MCA
* Privacy Policy: https://privacy.microsoft.com/privacystatement
#### Google Cloud Translation
**What it is:** Google Cloud Translation API provides machine translation. This
plugin uses it to translate post content when Google Translate is selected as the
provider.
**What data is sent:** The text content of your posts is sent to Google’s servers.
No visitor data is transmitted.
**When it is sent:** Only when a translation is triggered manually or on publish.
**Service endpoint:** translation.googleapis.com
* Terms of Service: https://cloud.google.com/terms
* Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
### Configuration
1. Get a DeepL API key at deepl.com
2. * Free plan — 500,000 characters/month, key ends with `:fx`
* Pro plan — pay-as-you-go
3. Enter the key under **Settings AutoLingo**
4. Choose your source language (default: French) and target languages (default: English)
5. Choose which content types to translate (default: Posts and Pages)
### WP-CLI Commands
```
wp pdat audit — list all source posts with translation status per language
wp pdat audit --format=csv — same output as CSV
wp pdat translate-missing --dry-run — simulate without creating anything
wp pdat translate-missing — translate only missing translations
wp pdat translate-all — translate or update all source posts
wp pdat translate-options — translate ACF Options Page fields
wp pdat audit-acf — list all translatable ACF fields
```
## Screenshots
[⌊Settings page — choose your translation provider (DeepL, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI,
DeepSeek), API keys, source and target languages, and which modules to enable.⌉⌊
Settings page — choose your translation provider (DeepL, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI,
DeepSeek), API keys, source and target languages, and which modules to enable.⌉[
Settings page — choose your translation provider (DeepL, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI,
DeepSeek), API keys, source and target languages, and which modules to enable.
[⌊Post list — one-click translate action link next to each source-language post.⌉⌊
Post list — one-click translate action link next to each source-language post.⌉[
Post list — one-click translate action link next to each source-language post.
[⌊Dashboard widget — translation coverage per language, estimated time and money
saved vs. a translation agency, and remaining API credit at a glance.⌉⌊Dashboard
widget — translation coverage per language, estimated time and money saved vs. a
translation agency, and remaining API credit at a glance.⌉[
Dashboard widget — translation coverage per language, estimated time and money saved
vs. a translation agency, and remaining API credit at a glance.
## Installation
1. Upload the `autolingo-polylang-translate` folder to `/wp-content/plugins/`
2. Activate the plugin under **Plugins**
3. Go to **Settings AutoLingo** and enter your DeepL API key
**Via SSH / WP-CLI:**
```
cp -r autolingo-polylang-translate /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/
wp plugin activate autolingo-polylang-translate
```
## FAQ
### Which DeepL plan do I need?
Both plans work. The Free plan gives 500,000 characters/month at no cost — the key
ends with `:fx`. The Pro plan is billed per character with no monthly cap.
### Is it free to use?
The free plugin is free. Translation itself is billed by the provider you choose,
on your own account — and DeepL, Google and Microsoft each have a free monthly quota.
Enter several keys and AutoLingo uses them one after the other: when one quota runs
out, the next provider translates. That is about 3,000,000 free characters a month,
with no AutoLingo translation subscription.
### Does it work with Polylang free or only Polylang Pro?
It works with both Polylang (free) and Polylang Pro.
### Will it overwrite my existing translations?
translate-missing only creates translations that do not yet exist. `translate-all`
creates or updates all translations. Auto-translate on publish updates existing
translations each time the source post is published.
### Are shortcodes translated?
No. Shortcodes (`[contact-form-7 …]`, `[vc_row]`, Divi modules, etc.) are replaced
by neutral placeholders before sending to the translation API and restored verbatim
in the output. This protection applies to all five providers (DeepL, Google Translate,
Microsoft Translator, OpenAI, DeepSeek). SEO template variables (`%%title%%`, `%
sep%`) are also preserved automatically.
### What happens if the DeepL rate limit is hit?
The plugin retries automatically up to 3 times with exponential back-off (2 s, 4
s, 8 s). If all retries fail the error is logged and the translation is skipped
for that request.
### Does it work with Polylang and WPML?
Yes. AutoLingo supports both Polylang (free and Pro) and WPML via an adapter layer—
the same translation logic works with whichever multilingual plugin is active. Posts
are translated on publish, in bulk, or via WP-CLI, using DeepL, Microsoft Translator,
OpenAI, DeepSeek or Google Translate.
## Reviews
### [Works just fine!](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/works-just-fine-218/)
[zuz12](https://profiles.wordpress.org/zuz12/) October 10, 2026 1 reply
Helped me a lot. Works fine.
[ Read all 1 review ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/autolingo-polylang-translate/reviews/)
## Contributors & Developers
“AutoLingo — Automatic Translation for Polylang & WPML” is open source software.
The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
* [ JPA Software ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/delsuza/)
[Translate “AutoLingo — Automatic Translation for Polylang & WPML” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/autolingo-polylang-translate)
### Interested in development?
[Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/autolingo-polylang-translate/),
check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/autolingo-polylang-translate/),
or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/autolingo-polylang-translate/)
by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/autolingo-polylang-translate/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss).
## Changelog
#### 1.4.0
* Premium: AutoLingo AI is included: translation with no API key, 1,000,000 characters
a month, packs of 10,000,000 characters from the settings. Used automatically
when the selected provider has no key, and last when the others run out of quota
#### 1.3.0
* Image alt and title text inside your content (Gutenberg images, HTML) is translated,
in the same call as the rest
* Better translations of short texts: the provider is told what it translates (
blog post, page, product, category, menu item, image alt text) — DeepL context,
OpenAI / DeepSeek instructions
#### 1.2.0
* Microsoft Translator as a fifth provider (free tier: 2,000,000 characters a month)
* Automatic fallback: when the selected provider runs out of quota (DeepL 456,
Microsoft free quota, Google daily limit, OpenAI / DeepSeek balance), AutoLingo
translates with the next provider that has a key — DeepL, Microsoft, Google,
then OpenAI and DeepSeek. Free DeepL, Google and Microsoft accounts add up to
about 3,000,000 characters a month. A provider out of quota is skipped for an
hour; any other error is still reported. Can be switched off in the settings.
* The settings page shows every API key field while the fallback is on
#### 1.1.30
* Translate category and tag names when no translation exists yet — when a source
term has no linked translation on Polylang/WPML, its name (and description) is
now genuinely translated via your provider and created as a real linked term,
instead of tagging the translated post with the untranslated source term
#### 1.1.29
* Translate image alt text (`_wp_attachment_image_alt`) — when the media library
item itself has a translated counterpart, its alt text is now genuinely translated
instead of left in the source language
#### 1.1.28
* Complete the WP.org asset set — plugin icon and banner were never inside the
folder the release pipeline actually syncs to SVN, so the listing showed a placeholder
icon and no banner on every release; also adds the 2 missing screenshots (settings
page, post list)
#### 1.1.27
* Add estimated time and money saved (vs. a translation agency) to the dashboard
widget
* Add a real dashboard-widget screenshot to the WP.org listing (screenshot #3) —
previously the listing’s 3 screenshot captions had no images behind them because
the release pipeline never synced an assets directory to SVN
#### 1.1.26
* Fix “Tested up to” being stuck at 7.0 — WP.org excludes plugins with an outdated
value from search results entirely
* Fix plugin name mismatch between readme.txt and the plugin file header
* Add a dismissible admin notice inviting a WP.org review after 20 successful translations
#### 1.1.25
* Add WPML support via adapter pattern — all translation logic now works with Polylang
or WPML, whichever is active
* Introduce `AutoLingo_Multilingual_Adapter` interface and dedicated adapters for
Polylang and WPML
* Skip WPML internal post meta (`_icl_`, `_wpml_`) during meta copy, alongside
existing Polylang exclusions
#### 1.1.24
* Rename plugin to “AutoLingo — Automatic Translation for Polylang” for clarity
* Rewrite readme copy (title, description, FAQ) to target “Polylang automatic translation”
* Split Features into Free / Pro sections — page builders, SEO, ACF and WooCommerce
are clearly marked as Pro
#### 1.1.23
* Fix HTML tags (,
#### 1.1.22
* Add [notranslate]…[/notranslate] shortcode: wrap any passage to have it reproduced
verbatim in every language — brand names, codes, or quotes are never sent to
the translation API
#### 1.1.21
* Reduce synchronous save time: batch title, content and excerpt into a single
DeepL API call instead of three sequential requests (3× fewer HTTP round trips
per target language)
* Skip API entirely when post content is unchanged since last translation (hash-
based detection)
* Add configurable async translation threshold: posts above N characters are translated
in the background via WP-Cron; admin settings show WP-Cron status and pending
job count
* Improve async translation settings UI: explicit on/off toggle with WP-Cron health
indicator
#### 1.1.19
* Fix custom HTML blocks (wp:html) not being protected on large posts — replaced
fragile regex with strpos-based scanner; now works regardless of block content
size
#### 1.1.18
* Skip translation of custom HTML blocks (wp:html), embed blocks (wp:embed), code
blocks (wp:code) and preformatted blocks (wp:preformatted) — their inner content
is now preserved verbatim and never sent to the translation API
#### 1.1.17
* Fix Elementor hook firing for free users — `elementor/document/after_save` is
now gated on premium, preventing unwanted API calls on free installs
#### 1.1.7
* WordPress.org compliance: remove premium license gating — all features (page
builders, SEO, ACF, WooCommerce) are now fully available without a license
* Convert inline `