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How to Import Multilingual Content with WPML or Polylang from Excel

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To import multilingual content with Content Importer for WordPress & WooCommerce with Excel, import the original language first, then import translations from WPFactory > Content Excel Importer Pro > Import/Update Content, linking each row to its original with the WPML fields (ORIGINAL TITLE OR ID, LANGUAGE CODE) or the Polylang language and translation taxonomies.

WPML #

  1. With WPML active, download the WPML Sample (content) or WPML Products Sample from the Import/Update Content tab.
  2. Import the default language rows first. Leave LANGUAGE CODE empty to use the WPML default language.
  3. Import the translation rows: put the translated title and content in the normal columns, the original item in ORIGINAL TITLE OR ID, and the language code (for example de) in LANGUAGE CODE. For products you can use the original title or ID; for posts, pages and other post types use the original post ID.
  4. Map the two columns to the fields under WPML TRANSLATIONS and click Upload.

While WPML is active, the unique SKU check is relaxed so product translations can share a SKU.

Polylang #

  1. Import the original language rows first.
  2. Add a row for each translation with the translated title and content.
  3. Add a column with the language code (for example fr) and map it to the LANGUAGE taxonomy field.
  4. Add a column with the title of the original post and map it to the POST TRANSLATIONS taxonomy field.
  5. Click Upload.

FAQ #

What happens if the original post is not found? #

The row is still imported, but it cannot be linked as a translation. Import the original language first, and use the exact product title or the post ID.

Do translated terms need to exist? #

No. Term names in the translation row are created if missing; translate or link them in WPML or Polylang afterwards.

Is qTranslate supported? #

Text is imported as written, so qTranslate language tags inside titles or content are kept. There are no dedicated qTranslate fields.

Ready to set this up? #

This is part of Content Importer, a paid WPFactory plugin: every screen described here is included with your license. Get Content Importer.

Need a hand? Our team answers every ticket on the Content Importer support forum.