In today’s global digital environment, it has become essential for e-commerce platforms to cater to customers across various linguistic regions. PrestaShop, a leading e-commerce platform, offers advanced options for creating a multilingual store, enabling merchants to easily reach an international market. This article provides you with a detailed guide on setting up a multilingual PrestaShop e-shop.

Step 1: Installing Language Packs

The first step towards creating a multilingual e-shop is to install language packs for the languages you want to support in your store.

1. Log in to the PrestaShop admin panel.
2. Navigate to the "International" section and select "Translations".
3. In the "Add a new language" section, choose the language you want to add and click on "Add".

Step 2: Setting Up the Store Language

After installing the language packs, you need to set up the default language of the store and optionally allow customers to choose their preferred language.

1. In the admin panel, go to "Shop Parameters" and then to "Configuration".
2. Select "Languages" and set the default language of your store.
3. Enable the option "Display language selector in the header" to allow users to easily change the store language.

Step 3: Translating Content

Translating all content in your e-shop is crucial for a successful multilingual presentation. PrestaShop allows you to translate products, categories, pages, modules, and more.

1. In the admin panel, navigate to the "International" section and select "Translations".
2. Choose the type of content you wish to translate, for example, "Shop translations".
3. Select the language into which you want to translate the content and progressively translate the required sections.

Step 4: Currencies and Local Settings

For international stores, it is also important to set up support for different currencies and adjust local settings.

1. In the "International" section, go to "Currencies" and add or modify the currencies you want to use in your store.
2. In the "Localization" section, you can set local formats for times, dates, and units.

Step 5: Testing and Optimization

After completing the setup, it’s important to thoroughly test your e-shop in different language versions. Check if all texts are correctly translated and if language switchers are working properly. Also, don’t forget to test how your e-shop looks and functions on various devices.

Setting up a multilingual PrestaShop e-shop will open the doors to international markets and help you better reach customers who speak different languages. With careful setup and regular updates of language versions, you'll increase the chances of success for your online business