Back to Community
Home / Community / Plugin → Translate wordpress with gtranslate

Troubleshooting Common GTranslate Widget Issues: A Complete Guide

38 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Translate wordpress with gtranslate

Content

Many WordPress users rely on the 'Translate WordPress with GTranslate' plugin to make their sites multilingual. A common area where issues arise is with the plugin's language selector widget. This guide compiles the most frequent widget-related problems and their solutions, based on community support discussions.

Why Widget Issues Occur

Widget problems can stem from several sources: major plugin updates that change functionality, theme compatibility issues, conflicts with other plugins (especially caching plugins), or incorrect configuration. Understanding the root cause is the first step to finding a solution.

Common GTranslate Widget Problems and Solutions

1. Widget Code Area Disappeared After Update

Problem: After updating to version 3.0 or later, the familiar 'Widget Code' editing section is no longer visible in the settings.

Solution: This was an intentional change by the 'Translate WordPress with GTranslate' team. The HTML code section was removed in the major version 3.0 update. For customizations previously done through widget code, you now need to use alternative methods. The most common solution is to use the [gt-link] shortcode for granular control over individual language links, including custom labels and flags. You can find details on using this shortcode in the 'Positioning Tips' section of the plugin's settings page.

2. Widget Not Appearing on the Website

Problem: The widget is configured but doesn't show up on the front end of the site.

Solution: This is often a two-part issue. First, ensure you have actually placed the widget in a location like a menu or enabled the floating selector; simply installing the plugin is not enough. Second, and most commonly, check that your theme properly calls the wp_footer() hook, usually located in the theme's footer.php file. This hook is essential for the plugin's JavaScript to load. If the widget appears when you disable your caching plugin (e.g., LiteSpeed Cache), you know the issue is related to caching and should consult your caching plugin's support for configuration help.

3. Customizing Language Names and Labels

Problem: You want to change how a language name appears in the widget (e.g., from 'Bosnian' to 'Serbian-Latin').

Solution: There are two primary methods:

  • Using Shortcodes: For the most control, use the [gt-link] shortcode with the label attribute. For example: [gt-link lang="bs" label="Serbian-Latin"].
  • Native Names: To display all languages in their native form (e.g., 'Español' instead of 'Spanish'), simply enable the 'Native language names' option in the main GTranslate settings page.

4. Preventing Translation of Third-Party Widgets

Problem: A third-party widget, like a Tawk.to chat widget, is being automatically translated, which breaks its functionality.

Solution: Wrap the HTML code for the external widget in an element with the class="notranslate". This class instructs the translation engine to skip the content inside it.

5. Incorrect Default Language in Widget

Problem: The widget shows an incorrect default language (e.g., Dutch) even though another language (e.g., Italian) is set in the plugin settings.

Solution: This can happen if your WordPress installation or theme is overriding the plugin's setting. Check your site's HTML source code for the <html lang="..."> tag. If it says lang="nl" or another incorrect code, you need to change your site's default language in WordPress Settings > General to ensure the lang attribute matches your intended default language.

6. Styling and Layout Problems

Problem: The widget looks broken, appears in the wrong place, or has unwanted scroll bars.

Solution: Most visual issues can be resolved with custom CSS. The 'Custom CSS' section in the GTranslate settings is the perfect place for these fixes. For example, if language links are stacking vertically instead of horizontally, a rule like a[data-gt-lang] {line-height:10px!important} can help. If a popup list isn't scrollable, try .gt_languages a {width:auto!important} to fix it.

Conclusion

Most issues with the GTranslate widget can be solved by checking your theme's compatibility, using the new [gt-link] shortcode for customization, or adding strategic CSS rules. If problems persist after trying these steps, the broader WordPress community or your theme/plugin developers may be able to provide further assistance.

Related Support Threads Support