How to Use POEdit to Translate Astra Theme and Astra Pro Plugin

Want to use your WordPress site in a language other than English? You can easily translate the Astra theme and Astra Pro plugin using POEdit, a popular translation tool. This guide walks you through the entire process, from downloading the software to uploading your translated files.

POEdit makes translating WordPress themes and plugins straightforward, even if you’ve never done it before. You’ll be working with translation files that contain all the text strings from Astra, and you’ll simply replace the English text with your preferred language.

What You’ll Need Before Starting

Before diving into the translation process, make sure you have these items ready:

• POEdit software installed on your computer (we’ll cover this first)
• Access to your WordPress site’s file manager or FTP
• The language you want to translate to
• About 30-60 minutes, depending on how much you want to translate

You don’t need any coding knowledge for this process. POEdit handles all the technical aspects, so you can focus on the actual translation work.

Installing POEdit on Your Computer

POEdit is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The basic version is free and perfect for translating Astra.

Visit the POEdit website and download the version for your operating system. The installation process is straightforward – just follow the standard installation steps for your computer.

Once installed, open POEdit. You’ll see a clean interface with options to create new translations or open existing ones. We’ll be creating new translation files for Astra.

Finding Astra’s Translation Files

Astra comes with template files that make translation easier. You need to locate these files on your WordPress site.

The translation template files are located in specific folders:

For Astra theme: /wp-content/themes/astra/languages/

For Astra Pro: /wp-content/plugins/astra-addon/languages/

Look for files with the .pot extension. These are template files that contain all the translatable text strings. You’ll typically find files named `astra.pot` and astra-addon.pot.

Download these .pot files to your computer. You’ll use them as the foundation for your translations.

Creating Your Translation Files

Now comes the fun part – actually creating your translation files in POEdit.

Open POEdit and click “Create new translation.” Browse to the .pot file you downloaded (start with astra.pot for the main theme).

POEdit will ask you to select the target language. Choose your desired language from the dropdown menu. This step is important because it sets up the proper language codes for WordPress to recognize your translation.

After selecting your language, POEdit opens the translation interface. You’ll see a list of English text strings on the left and empty translation fields on the right.

Translating Text Strings

The translation process is straightforward but requires attention to detail.

Click on any English text string in the list. The text appears in the source field at the bottom, and you type your translation in the field below it.

Some strings contain special codes like %s or %d. These are placeholders for dynamic content. Make sure to include them in your translation exactly as they appear in the original text.

For example, if you see “Welcome to %s”, you might translate it to “Bienvenido a %s” in Spanish. The %s will be replaced with the actual site name when displayed.

Work through the strings systematically. You don’t have to translate everything in one session – POEdit saves your progress automatically.

Handling Special Translation Cases

Some text strings require special attention during translation.

Plural forms appear as multiple entries for the same concept. Many languages have different plural rules than English, so translate each form appropriately for your language.

Context strings provide additional information about where the text appears. This helps you choose the most appropriate translation. For instance, “Post” might be translated differently if it refers to a blog post versus a job position.

HTML tags sometimes appear within strings. Keep these tags exactly as they are, but translate the text around them. For example, <strong>Important</strong> becomes <strong>Importante</strong> in Spanish.

Saving and Generating Translation Files

When you’re satisfied with your translations, it’s time to save your work.

Go to File > Save in POEdit. Choose a location on your computer and use the proper naming convention. For Astra theme translations, name your file using this format: astra-[language_code].po

For example:

• Spanish: astra-es_ES.po
• French: astra-fr_FR.po
• German: astra-de_DE.po

You can find the language codes from here: Complete List of WordPress Locale Codes

POEdit automatically generates a .mo file alongside your .po file. WordPress needs both files to display your translations properly.

Repeat this process for the Astra Pro plugin using the astra-addon.pot file, naming those files astra-addon-[language_code].po.

Uploading Translation Files to Your Site

Now you need to place your translation files in WordPress’ global languages directories so they won’t be lost when the Astra theme or Astra Pro plugin is updated.

Using your file manager or FTP client, upload the .po and .mo files to the following locations:

• Astra theme translations: /wp-content/languages/themes/
• Astra Pro translations: /wp-content/languages/plugins/
  

WordPress uses the .mo files to display translations, while the .po files let you edit them in the future.

Activating Your Translations

Your translation files are uploaded, but you need to tell WordPress to use them.

Go to your WordPress admin area and navigate to Settings > General. Look for the “Site Language” option and select your translated language from the dropdown.

Save the changes, and WordPress will start using your Astra translations immediately.

If your language doesn’t appear in the dropdown, double-check that your translation files are in the correct folders with the proper naming convention.

Testing Your Translations

Take a few minutes to browse your site and see your translations in action.

Check different areas where Astra displays text:

• Customizer options and labels
• Theme settings pages
• Front-end elements like buttons and navigation
• Error messages and notifications

If you notice untranslated text, it might be from a string you haven’t translated yet, or it could be from a different plugin or WordPress core.

Making Updates and Improvements

Translation is often an ongoing process. You might want to refine your translations or add new ones as you use your site.

Keep your original .po files handy. You can reopen them in POEdit anytime to make changes or add new translations.

When Astra releases updates, new translatable strings might be added. Check for updated .pot files periodically and merge any new strings into your existing translations.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Sometimes translations don’t appear as expected. Here are solutions to common problems:

• Translations not showing: Verify that your .mo files are in the correct directory and that WordPress is set to your target language.
  
• Partial translations: Some text might come from WordPress core or other plugins. Focus on translating Astra-specific strings first.
  
• Special characters not displaying: Make sure your translation files are saved with UTF-8 encoding in POEdit.
  
• File permission errors: Check that your web server has write permissions for the languages directories.
  

What’s Next?

You’ve successfully created translations for the Astra theme and the Astra Pro plugin. Your site now speaks your language, making it more accessible to your target audience.

Consider sharing your translations with the Astra community other users might benefit from your work. You can also explore translating other plugins and themes using the same POEdit process.

For additional help with Astra translations or other customization questions, visit the Astra documentation or contact our support team. We’re always happy to help you get the most out of your Astra-powered website.