How to translate media in WordPress
WordPress does not translate media by itself. With WPML, you can translate image titles, alt text, captions and descriptions in the content translation workflow; different images, videos or PDFs per language require WPML Media Translation.
- 01Decide what needs translating
- 02Check your media settings
- 03Translate the media text
- 04Add a language-specific file
- 05Check every translated page
- 06Use the faster route
What you need
- A multilingual WordPress setup with WPML configured
- Administrator or translation-manager access
- The translated media text or replacement files
- A full site backup before changing existing media
Decide what needs translating
First decide whether you need translated media text or a different file. Media text includes the title, alternative text, caption and description. Use translated text when the same image works in every language. Use a replacement file when text is built into an image, a PDF contains language-specific copy, or a video needs different subtitles or artwork.
Do not overwrite the original file in the Media Library. Replacing it can change what visitors see in every language.
Check your media settings
In the WordPress dashboard, open WPML → Settings and find the media translation settings. Keep the option that automatically detects the best way to translate image text enabled unless you have a specific reason to manage the fields yourself. Also check that Media is set as translatable under the post type translation settings.
These settings control whether media text is sent with a post or page translation. If Media has been set to Not translatable, its text will not be included in translation jobs.
Translate the media text
Open WPML → Translation Dashboard, select the post or page containing the media, and send it for translation. In the translation editor, translate the image, video or PDF title, alternative text, caption and description along with the surrounding content.
This is the manual route for most sites and is usually enough when the same file is suitable for every language. Its limitation is that it does not create a separate image, video or PDF for each language.
Add a language-specific file
Install and activate the WPML Media Translation add-on if the file itself must change. Then open WPML → Media Translation, find the source item and click the plus icon in the target-language column. Upload the translated image, video or PDF, edit its title, alternative text, caption and description, and save it.
The replacement is connected to the original media item, so you do not need to edit every translated page separately. The Media Translation screen is only available when the add-on is active.
Check every translated page
Open each language version on the front end and check the visible file, alternative text, caption, download link and lightbox or gallery behaviour. Check PDFs and videos especially carefully because page builders and custom fields may store media references differently from the standard WordPress editor.
If an old image still appears, clear page, object and CDN caches before changing the translation again. Do not delete duplicate-looking media items until you have confirmed which language references them; support cases commonly involve removing a translated attachment and breaking an existing page.
Use the faster route
For a site that needs different media files by language, use WPML Media Translation Addon. It adds the Media Translation screen, lets you upload language-specific images, videos and documents, and keeps their metadata with the relevant language. It is the practical choice when you already use WPML for posts, pages or products.
If you only need translated alt text, captions or titles, you can skip the add-on and translate those fields with the normal WPML content translation workflow.
Let WPML Media Translation Addon do it
Adds language-specific images, videos, documents, and metadata; choose it when translating media alongside WPML content.
Sources
Questions
- Can WordPress translate media without a plugin?
- No. WordPress core has no multilingual media system that connects one image, video or document to language versions of content. You can upload separate files and manage them manually, but you would also need a multilingual system to decide which file appears in each language. A multilingual plugin is required for an organised workflow.
- Do I need a different image for every language?
- No. You only need a different file when the artwork, embedded text, cultural reference or document content changes. For the same image, translate its alternative text, title, caption and description instead. Keeping one file reduces duplicate attachments and makes future media updates easier.
- Can I translate image alt text without replacing the image?
- Yes. With WPML, translate the image’s alternative text, title, caption and description in the translation editor when the same file is used in every language. The translated text may be handled with the surrounding post translation, depending on how the page builder stores the media fields.
- Why is my translated image not showing?
- A translated image may not show because the replacement was not saved for the correct language, the page builder stores its media reference separately, or a cache is serving the old page. Check the item in WPML’s Media Translation screen, confirm the translated page is connected to the source page, then clear site and CDN caches. Avoid deleting attachments while investigating.
- Does WPML duplicate the original image file?
- Usually, WPML does not need to duplicate the original image just to translate its metadata. When you provide a language-specific replacement, WPML associates another file with that language rather than changing the source-language media. The exact metadata behaviour can depend on whether the page builder reads fields from the Media Library or stores them inside the page.