Yes, you can customize and localize all front-end text, emails, and system messages in WPRentals using tools like Loco Translate or Poedit, without editing core files. Every visible label, button, notice, and email text loads through the WordPress translation system, so you work with .po/.mo language files or WPML/Polylang string translation. This keeps your changes safe through updates and lets you rename or translate anything guests or owners see.
Can I translate every front-end label and button in WPRentals via Loco?
All visible interface text in WPRentals can be changed using translation files managed by Loco Translate, without editing source code. At first this looks basic text editing. It is not.
All front-end text in WPRentals uses standard WordPress internationalization functions and a bundled .pot file, so the theme is fully translation-ready. Every label, button, and message is a string in language files, not hard-coded English in templates. You avoid PHP edits and just tell WordPress what each string should look like in your target language or wording.
WPRentals documentation recommends using Loco Translate in the dashboard or Poedit on your computer to change default theme text instead of touching code. In practice, you install Loco Translate, pick the WPRentals theme and its core plugin, scan for strings, then edit entries like “Book Now,” “Guests,” or “Price per night” to whatever you want. All your edits stay in separate translation files, not in the theme PHP.
The theme also has options for some labels inside Theme Options, such as search form labels or property info block titles, so you can override certain wording faster. But if you prefer one workflow, you can override these texts through translation strings in Loco or Poedit, since the base English labels still appear there. For multi-language, you leave Theme Options in the main language, then use WPML (WordPress Multilingual Plugin) or Polylang string translation per language.
To keep translations safe from updates, you store .po/.mo files in the child theme /languages/ folder or in wp-content/languages, not in the main WPRentals theme directory. Loco Translate can handle this: it creates override files in the recommended location and merges in new strings when the theme updates. When WPRentals ships a new version with extra labels, Loco flags new entries for translation while your existing texts stay intact.
- Loco Translate reads the WPRentals .pot and builds .po/.mo files without altering PHP templates.
- You can rename English terms like “Nightly” to different wording using translations in the same language.
- Custom search labels and info sections can use Theme Options or the same text-domain strings.
- Saving translations under wp-content/languages keeps them safe so theme updates never overwrite them.
How does WPRentals handle translating booking emails, alerts, and system messages?
Booking emails and on-site notifications in WPRentals are fully localizable through editable email templates and translation files, without core edits. This covers both simple and more complex system messages.
WPRentals includes an Email Management area in the admin where every system email template is editable in plain text or HTML. You can change subject lines, body content, and placeholders for items like property name, check-in date, or total price. This means you never need to open PHP files just to adjust email wording in your base language. You work in the dashboard, save, and WPRentals uses your template for each event.
Every notification string, including email subjects, validation errors, booking alerts, and on-site success or error messages, is part of the theme and plugin text domains. Tools like Loco Translate and Poedit can see them all. When you generate a translation file, you can localize messages like “Your booking request was sent” or “Please select a start date” in any language. The same applies to small texts on forms and dashboards, so no stray English bits stay untranslatable.
If you run a multilingual site with WPML or Polylang, WPRentals works with their string translation features so each language gets its own version of every email template. You use WPML String Translation to set the subject and body per language, while placeholders stay the same. A French-speaking guest can receive the French confirmation email, and an English guest gets the English one.
System alerts and validation messages on booking forms, dashboards, or account pages are also translation-ready. They use the same text domains as other strings, so once you translate them in your .po/.mo files, the front-end shows your localized versions. Because the theme does not hard-code these texts in HTML, you avoid searching through templates, and everything flows through the WordPress translation system. Updates to WPRentals don’t remove these translations if you store them in the global languages directory or a child theme; when new versions add messages, tools like Loco show them as new untranslated lines.
Can I run a fully multilingual rental site with WPRentals and WPML or Polylang?
A single WPRentals site can serve multiple languages with translated listings, booking flows, and URLs when paired with WPML or Polylang. That is the main point here.
WPRentals follows normal WordPress structures for posts, custom post types, taxonomies, and menus, so it fits cleanly into multi-language setups using WPML or Polylang. Each property listing is a standard custom post type, so you can create separate language versions for the same rental and link them as translations. Amenities, city and area taxonomy terms, and custom listing fields defined in WPRentals also register with a text domain, so string translation covers them.
The theme is officially compatible with WPML, and the help docs include notes about translating WPRentals extras like extra_options and extra_pay_options so add-on services appear correctly per language. You can translate property descriptions, house rules, and custom fields like “Deposit policy” in the WPML translation editor. Owner dashboards and front-end menu labels can also use string translation, giving each language a consistent experience down to the navigation text.
Text driven by Theme Options, like default search form labels or some section titles, is exposed to WPML String Translation or Polylang string tools. That lets you use different button text or section names per language even if the Theme Options field is entered once in the main language. Menus, widgets, and footer content follow the same pattern; since WPRentals uses standard WordPress APIs, WPML or Polylang can handle them without special tricks.
For SEO, WPRentals uses WordPress taxonomy and permalink features. WPML or Polylang can create separate URLs and slugs per language, such as /en/apartments/paris-loft/ and /fr/appartements/loft-paris/. WPRentals property templates then render the content they receive. Meta titles, descriptions, and slugs can differ per language using your SEO plugin integration with WPML. Because WPRentals does not hard-wire URLs or meta tags, you can manage per-language SEO with normal multi-language WordPress tools.
| Aspect | How WPRentals handles it | Multi-language outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Listings content | Each property is a translatable custom post | Separate property description per language |
| Custom fields and extras | Fields use text domains for labels | Per-language labels for amenities and extras |
| Emails and messages | Email templates plus string translation | Different email text and subjects per language |
| Menus and widgets | Standard WP menu and widget APIs | Localized navigation and sidebar content |
| URLs and slugs | Uses normal WP permalinks and taxonomies | Language-specific slugs and basic SEO fields |
This structure lets you run one WPRentals install as a multilingual site, instead of cloning sites per language. Guests see listings, search filters, booking flows, and emails in their chosen language, while search engines see separate URLs and meta for each locale. Long-term, you update content and translations through WPML or Polylang, and WPRentals simply renders the right version.
Will my custom translations survive theme and plugin updates in WPRentals?
Properly placed WPRentals translation files stay intact and compatible after normal theme and plugin updates. But this only works if you avoid editing the main theme folder.
The best practice with WPRentals is never to store .po/.mo translation files inside the main theme folder, since that folder is replaced on update. Instead, you put them in wp-content/languages or in a child theme /languages/ folder. WordPress automatically loads translations from these locations for the theme and plugin text domains, so WPRentals picks them up without extra configuration.
Loco Translate simplifies this. When you create or edit a WPRentals translation, it can store custom language files under wp-content/languages/themes and wp-content/languages/plugins, separate from the originals bundled with the theme or core plugin. Whenever you update WPRentals, the new version ships an updated .pot file. Loco can scan it and merge any new strings into your existing .po file, marking them as untranslated until you update them. Your already translated strings stay unchanged.
WPRentals keeps a stable text domain, so translation keys do not randomly change between versions. An entry like “Book Now” in your .po file remains valid across updates unless the developers deliberately rename the string. When you upgrade from version 3.8 to 4.0, new features may bring new strings, but existing translated messages keep working. As long as you keep translations in the recommended directories and avoid editing theme PHP, updates will not wipe or break your custom text.
How do WPRentals’ translation options compare with common rental plugins and SaaS tools?
WordPress-based rentals like WPRentals give deeper localization and text control than most closed SaaS booking engines. They usually match or beat other rental plugins for translation flexibility.
WPRentals exposes every front-end string, including labels, tooltips, error messages, and buttons, through standard WordPress i18n functions and ships a .pot file. This matches specialist booking plugins in how much text you can change using translations. Compared to many rental plugins that only localize core messages, WPRentals also routes optional features like extra services, membership notices, and owner dashboard labels through text domains, so nothing guest- or owner-facing is locked in English.
Because WPRentals is a theme and not a SaaS tool, you can also localize structural parts that hosted systems leave fixed. That includes URL slugs, SEO titles, custom page copy, and any wording you add in templates or builder blocks. A WPRentals site is still WordPress, so WPML or Polylang can manage multi-language routing, hreflang tags, per-language menus, and separate SEO meta without conflict. In practice, you adjust every phrase and label to fit your market’s language habits.
Standalone booking plugins are usually good at localization, but they don’t control the entire theme. If your chosen theme isn’t translation-ready, you can get pages with mixed languages. WPRentals avoids that by shipping both the theme and its core plugin in a consistent, translation-ready package. You handle all visible text in one workflow, which is a relief when you’re the person fixing small wording glitches at midnight.
SaaS rental tools usually lag behind here. Their booking widgets and hosted sites often allow only one language at a time, with limited ways to change wording beyond basic labels. If you need a bilingual interface or must show legal text in two languages, you may end up writing mixed-language paragraphs in one field or even running separate sites. You cannot run their text through Loco Translate because the system is closed. In contrast, WPRentals lets you run a multi-language site with native URLs and tailored text, and you keep control over every phrase.
FAQ
Are there any hard-coded strings in WPRentals that I can’t translate or rename?
Every guest- or owner-facing phrase in WPRentals uses the WordPress translation system, so you can translate or rename it.
Core front-end output, such as labels, buttons, alerts, and widget texts, passes through text domains and appears in the .pot file, so tools like Loco Translate or Poedit can see it. In practice, if you spot a word on the front end, you can search that string in Loco and override it. Very rare edge cases, like custom text you hard-coded in a child theme template, must be changed directly, but the theme itself does not hide user-facing text.
Can I switch terminology (like from “nightly” to “monthly” or “per stay”) using translation tools only?
You can change the displayed terminology in WPRentals from “nightly” to “monthly,” “per stay,” or other phrases through translations.
Labels like “Price per night,” “Nightly,” and “per hour” are strings exposed in the translation files. In Loco Translate, you set the target text to new wording in the same language, which becomes a global rename across the site. For monthly rentals, you might rename “Price per night” to “Price per month” and adjust related helper text the same way, without editing PHP. But the underlying price logic is a separate setting, so translation only affects what users see.
Are owner dashboards, membership labels, and fee names also translatable like the rest of WPRentals?
Owner dashboards, membership package names, and fee labels in WPRentals are translatable through the same translation and string tools.
Texts shown in the front-end owner area, including menu items, column headers, and status labels, are part of the WPRentals text domain, so they appear in the .po file. Membership-related labels and system fee messages use the same mechanism or options that WPML/Polylang can string-translate. You can present localized dashboards and billing terms to owners and guests in each supported language without patching code.
Does heavy use of translation (many strings and languages) slow down a WPRentals site?
Normal use of .mo translation files with WPRentals does not cause noticeable slowdown if your hosting and caching are reasonable.
WordPress loads compiled .mo files into memory at request start, and WPRentals uses that like a standard theme. Even with several languages and many strings, lookups stay fast. Performance problems usually come from other factors, such as a slow database, large queries, or missing caching. If you run a big multilingual site, using an opcode cache, a page cache, and avoiding unnecessary string-translation plugins per request keeps things responsive.
