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Polylang Theme Strings

By Modeewine

Multilingual & Accessibility / Translation & Multilingual Management

Polylang Theme Strings Review - In-Depth Analysis

This plugin enhances Polylang by automatically scanning theme files for translatable strings. It simplifies multilingual project development by registering these strings for translation.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.82/10

User Rating

4/5 (based on 37+ reviews)

Active Installations

6,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

This plugin gives additional features to the plugin Polylang. It automatically scans all templates files and scripts of the active WP theme and all plugins for available strings that can be translated. For example: pll__('...'); and pll_e('...');

It adds them to the Polylang registry, allowing you to manage the translation of found strings using the administration panel. This will make your life easier for the development of multilingual projects, as you will not need to enter the needed strings to translate manually – the plugin will do all the work for you.

To use this plugin, you must install both the Polylang and Polylang Theme Strings plugins on your multilingual WordPress CMS project, ensuring that they are both active. When in the settings of the Polylang plugin under the tab 'Strings translation', the Polylang Theme Strings scans the active theme of your project, finds all the code strings that need to be translated, adds them to the registry, displays them on that page, and gives users the ability to translate these strings.

From version 4.0, Polylang Theme Strings includes a settings page where you can configure the search for string translations more deeply.

Comparing to Alternatives

Polylang Theme Strings is a specialized plugin designed to complement Polylang by enabling translation of theme and plugin strings. Compared to other multilingual plugins, it focuses narrowly on string translation rather than full site multilingual management.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Integrates well with Polylang for seamless string translation.
Free to use with no paid version required.
Simple interface focused on theme and plugin string translation.
Lightweight and does not add significant overhead.

Weaknesses

Limited to string translation, lacks full multilingual site management features.
Inconsistent detection of plugin strings across different sites.
Can cause conflicts with other translation plugins or WooCommerce translations.
No dedicated support or frequent updates noted.

User Sentiment Analysis

User feedback highlights both the usefulness and issues encountered with Polylang Theme Strings, reflecting a mixed experience.

Positive highlights

"Better than WPML… and free" - Mariela Zárate
"Very good, what I needed to translate, I got it with this free Plugin." - tiagopmartins
"Great plugin – works well most of the time."

Common complaints

Plugin sometimes fails to detect new strings or stops registering them.
Causes language mix-ups, especially with German translations in some setups.
Interferes with WooCommerce default translations and overrides .po/.mo files.
Produces errors in debug logs and may require manual troubleshooting.

Weaknesses

Unreliable string detection depending on server settings or site configuration.
Bugs causing language switching issues and incomplete translations.
Lack of updates leading to unresolved compatibility problems.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users who already use Polylang and need a free, lightweight solution specifically for translating theme and plugin strings without requiring a full multilingual management plugin.

Not ideal for

Users seeking a comprehensive multilingual plugin with robust support, frequent updates, or those who require reliable WooCommerce translation compatibility and advanced features.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides essential functionality to translate theme and plugin strings, integrating with Polylang without any cost or feature restrictions.

Final Verdict

Polylang Theme Strings serves a niche purpose well by enabling string translation alongside Polylang, offering a free and straightforward solution for users focused on theme and plugin text.

However, it has notable limitations including inconsistent string detection, occasional bugs affecting language display, and conflicts with WooCommerce translations, which may require technical troubleshooting or alternative solutions for complex multilingual sites.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Polylang Theme Strings plugin.

Polylang

Multilingual

Translation

Screenshots

FAQ

Make sure you are using WordPress 3.8 or later and that your server is running PHP 5.0 or later.
Install multilingual plugin «Polylang».
Install the plugin «Polylang Theme Strings».
Activate both plugins via the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress administration panel.
Go to the languages (Polylang) settings page.
When you are in «Strings translation» tab of plugin settings (Polylang) – «Polylang Theme Strings» starts scan the active theme of your project automatically, it finds all the code strings that needed to be translated, adds them to the register, displays them on that page and gives to user the ability to translate these strings.
Learn more in http://modeewine.com/en-polylang-theme-strings.