Author: Emma Reynolds
Emma Reynolds is a WordPress developer and localization specialist based in Manchester, UK. With over 10 years of experience building multilingual websites for e-commerce brands and international organizations, Emma has helped businesses expand their global reach through effective translation strategies. She regularly speaks at WordCamps across Europe and writes about WordPress localization, performance optimization, and user experience.
Summary
If your website attracts visitors from all over the world, multilingual forms are essential. They help you engage diverse audiences, improve user experience, and boost your site’s accessibility. Using a WordPress form builder plugin, setting up multilingual forms is surprisingly simple. This article outlines two popular methods for creating multilingual forms in WordPress: WPForms (paired with Weglot) for an automated solution, and Formidable Forms (paired with Polylang) for manual control.
Table of Contents
- What is a Multilingual Form and Why Create One?
- Method 1: Create WordPress Multilingual Forms with WPForms (Recommended)
- Method 2: Create WordPress Multilingual Forms with Formidable Forms
- WPForms vs. Formidable Forms: A Quick Comparison
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Multilingual Form and Why Create One?
TL;DR: Multilingual forms can display content in multiple languages based on user preferences. These forms are essential for websites targeting a global audience, ensuring users can interact with your WordPress site in their native language.
Multilingual forms dynamically display different languages based on user selection. They are crucial for any website with an international reach, ensuring that visitors can interact with your content comfortably.
Here are a few key reasons to create multilingual forms:
- Enhanced User Engagement: Multilingual forms allow users to understand questions and information without language barriers. This clarity makes them significantly more likely to complete the form.
- Improved Conversion Rates: Conversion rate refers to the percentage of users who complete desired actions on your website (such as signing up for an email newsletter or making a purchase). When users can fill out forms in their native language, the process becomes more efficient and less intimidating, directly boosting conversions.
- Better Overall User Experience: Providing forms in a user's native language increases their comfort level and fosters a positive, respectful interaction with your brand.
Given these benefits, creating multilingual forms is an excellent strategy to make your website accessible and user-friendly for a diverse audience.
Method 1: Create WordPress Multilingual Forms with WPForms (Recommended)
TL;DR: The easiest way to create multilingual WordPress forms is by using WPForms and Weglot. These tools work together to automatically translate your site’s content, including forms, using a simple language switcher.
The simplest way to create a WordPress multilingual form is by using WPForms and Weglot. These tools can automatically translate your site's content, including forms, using an intuitive language switcher.
WPForms is the best drag-and-drop form builder, featuring thousands of pre-made templates. Its user-friendly interface makes it easy to create forms in minutes. In fact, we use it on our own website for our contact form needs.
To translate your WPForms forms, you need to pair the plugin with a translation solution.
Weglot is one of the best beginner-friendly WordPress translation plugins. This tool uses machine learning to automatically translate any content on your website, including pages, posts, and forms. While we recommend the premium version for full functionality, you can leverage their free trial to translate up to 2,000 words on one site.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Install the Plugins: First, install and activate both WPForms and Weglot on your WordPress site.
- Create Your Form: Navigate to WPForms » Add New and build your desired form using the drag-and-drop builder.
- Configure Weglot:
- Go to
Weglotin your dashboard and click "Main Configuration." - Enter your Weglot API key (obtain this by registering for a Weglot account).
- Select your desired destination languages from the dropdown menu. You can choose multiple languages from over 100 options.
- Click "Save Changes."
- Go to
- See the Results: After a few seconds, you will see a notification saying, "Well done! Your website is now multilingual."
- Test the Form: Visit your website's front end. You will see a language switcher (usually in the bottom right corner). Click it to switch languages (e.g., to Norsk/Norwegian), and your WPForms will be automatically translated along with the page.
That's it! You have successfully translated your WPForms contact form using Weglot.
Method 2: Create WordPress Multilingual Forms with Formidable Forms
TL;DR: Another way to create multilingual forms is by using Formidable Forms with its Polylang add-on. This method allows you to manually input your own translations for the form, giving you full control over the wording.
Another approach for creating multilingual forms uses Formidable Forms with its Polylang add-on. This method allows you to manually input translations for the forms and display them for each target language.
Formidable Forms is a powerful plugin for crafting WordPress forms, especially advanced ones like calculators, directories, and quizzes.
The Polylang plugin enables you to input translations of your site content, including forms. Using this add-on, you can insert translations in as many languages as you need.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Install Required Plugins: Install and activate Formidable Forms and Polylang.
- Set Up Polylang:
- Go to
Languagesin your dashboard. Choose your target languages and add them.
- Click 'Continue' under the 'Language already defined' section.
- Enable media translation if desired (to translate file titles, alt text, etc.), then click 'Continue'.
- Select the primary language for your site content and click 'Continue'.
- Finally, click 'Return to dashboard'.
- Go to
- Activate Polylang Add-On:
- Navigate to
Formidable Forms » Add-Ons. - Search for "Polylang," find it, and click 'Install'. Once done, the status will change to 'Active'.
- Navigate to
- Translate Your Form:
- Go to
Formidable Forms » Formsand hover over the form you want to translate (e.g., "Contact Us"). Click 'Settings'. - Scroll down and click 'Translate Form.'
- You will be redirected to a page where you can manually enter the translation for every element of your form into your target language.
- Click "Save Changes."
- Go to
- Publish the Translated Form:
- Go back to the form's "Settings" and click "Embed." Choose to add it to an existing page or create a new one.
- If selecting an existing page (e.g., 'Contact'), click 'Insert form'.
- In the block editor, find the language menu in the "Page" settings (usually on the right).
- Click the '+' button to add a translation (e.g., Norsk) for that specific page.
- WordPress will create a new page for that language version. Click "Publish."
Your form will now appear in the translated language when users view that specific page.
WPForms vs. Formidable Forms: A Quick Comparison
To help you decide which method suits your needs, here is a quick comparison of the two approaches:
| Feature | WPForms + Weglot | Formidable Forms + Polylang |
|---|---|---|
| Translation Method | 🤖 Automatic (AI/ML) | ✍️ Manual Input |
| Ease of Use | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Easiest) | ⭐⭐⭐ (Requires more steps) |
| Time to Setup | 5–10 Minutes | 30–60 Minutes |
| Control Over Wording | Limited (Editable via Weglot dashboard) | Full Control (Exact phrasing) |
| Best For | Beginners, simple forms, quick launch | Advanced forms, precise terminology, complex logic |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will multilingual forms slow down my website?
A: Both solutions are optimized for performance. Weglot uses a cloud-based translation delivery network that minimizes server load. Formidable Forms with Polylang stores translations locally, which also adds minimal overhead.
Q: Can I translate form submissions and emails?
A: With Weglot, the interface translates automatically. With Formidable Forms and Polylang, you may need to set up conditional logic to send email notifications in the correct language based on the user's selection.
Q: Do these support right-to-left (RTL) languages like Arabic?
A: Yes. Both WPForms and Formidable Forms support RTL text direction. Weglot handles RTL formatting automatically, while Polylang requires your WordPress theme to support RTL styles.
Why Trust This Guide?
This guide was created by testing both methods on live WordPress installations. All steps have been verified to work with the latest versions of WPForms, Weglot, Formidable Forms, and Polylang as of 2026.
Final Thoughts
Creating multilingual forms in WordPress doesn't require coding skills or expensive developers. Whether you choose the automated efficiency of WPForms + Weglot or the granular control of Formidable Forms + Polylang, you're equipping your website to serve global audiences effectively.
Recommended Articles
Top 5 Best WordPress Multilingual Plugins + Language Switching (Detailed Comparison)
How to Optimize WordPress Blog Posts for SEO: 2026 Checklist (No Code Required)
WordPress SEO Checklist 2026: 35 Practical Steps to Boost Traffic, Fix INP & Rank in AI Overviews