I built Blocklingo because the multilingual plugins I tried were made for classic themes. On block themes they get in the way: they break blocks, skip the header and footer, or ask for a yearly license just to translate a few pages. I wanted something that works the way Full Site Editing works and lets me pick the translation engine.
Blocklingo is a multilingual plugin for block (FSE) themes. It translates your pages, menus, header, footer and SEO with Google, DeepL, Gemini or Claude, and every block stays valid.
Why I built it
Most sites I build for clients now use block themes. Making them multilingual always meant one of two things: a heavy plugin with a paid tier, or copying pages by hand. Blocklingo is a lighter, Gemini-and-Gutenberg-first alternative. You bring your own API key and pay the translation provider only for what you translate.
What it does
One page per language. Each translation is a real post, linked to the original. Your default language keeps its URLs, and other languages live under their own prefix, like /uk/ or /de/. Search engines see separate, indexable pages.
Machine translation that respects blocks. In the block editor, text is translated in the browser and the blocks are rebuilt, so you never see “This block contains unexpected content”. Shortcodes and form blocks are left alone.
Translate the whole site in one go. “Translate everything” goes through categories and tags, menus, the header and footer, then pages and posts. Everything is saved as drafts, so you can check before publishing. If the provider fails a few times in a row, the run pauses. If the problem is something you need to fix, like a missing key or no credit left, it stops and tells you in plain words.
Header, footer and menus per language. The header and footer get their own copies for each language, and so do navigation menus and synced patterns. Visitors never see an English menu on a Ukrainian page.
SEO included. Titles and meta descriptions are translated for Yoast, Rank Math, SEOPress and Slim SEO. Blocklingo adds hreflang tags and includes translations in the sitemap. For Cyrillic languages, slugs become readable Latin, so you get /uk/pro-nas/ instead of a string of encoded characters.
Language switcher. Use the switcher block in the Site Editor. On classic themes, use a shortcode or add the switcher to a menu from the settings, no code needed.
Theme and plugin strings. The Language strings screen collects texts from your theme and plugins, like “Read more” or “Add to cart”, so you can translate them by hand or with the same provider.
Choose your translation engine
- Google Cloud Translation - fast, with a free monthly allowance
- DeepL - natural phrasing, with a free API plan
- Google Gemini - cheap and context-aware
- Anthropic Claude - best for tone and style
- WordPress AI (WordPress 7.0+) - uses the AI provider you already connected in Settings > Connectors, so there’s no extra key to manage
With the AI engines, you can add a glossary of words that must never be translated (brand and product names) and a style guide for each language, like formal or informal tone.
Your key, your data
Machine translation is off until you choose a provider and add your key. Texts are sent only when you translate, never in the background and never when visitors browse your site. Saved keys are never shown in the admin, only their last few characters. Only Authors and above can use machine translation, so a Contributor can’t spend your API credit.
Built to stay out of the way
- Works with any block theme, and covers most of the job on classic themes too
- Errors explained in plain language, with technical details one click away
- If something goes wrong inside the plugin, it logs the error and skips that step instead of taking your site down
- The admin is fully translatable, with Ukrainian included
Who it’s for
- Freelancers and agencies building block theme sites for clients who need two or more languages
- Site owners who want AI translation without a yearly license
- Anyone who already uses the WordPress AI connectors and wants translation to use them too
Getting started
- Install and activate Blocklingo.
- Add a language in Settings > Blocklingo.
- Choose a translation provider and paste your API key, or pick WordPress AI.
- Click “Translate everything”, check the drafts, and publish.
Blocklingo is coming to WordPress.org soon. If you want to try it before then or need help with a multilingual site, get in touch.