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Troubleshooting Polylang and Gutenberg Block Editor Compatibility Issues

22 threads Sep 9, 2025 Plugin → Polylang

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Many WordPress users rely on the Polylang plugin to create multilingual websites. However, a common point of confusion and technical difficulty arises when using Polylang with modern WordPress features, particularly the Gutenberg block editor and Full Site Editing (FSE) themes. Users often encounter issues where expected translation features are unavailable or behave unexpectedly. This guide will help you understand why these problems occur and walk you through the most effective troubleshooting steps and workarounds.

Why Do These Polylang and Block Editor Issues Happen?

The core of these compatibility challenges stems from a significant evolution in the WordPress core. WordPress has been moving from a classic editing experience, based on widgets and menus, to a block-based system. This shift impacts how translation plugins like Polylang must operate.

The free version of Polylang was primarily built to handle translation for the classic WordPress infrastructure—traditional widgets, menus, and post meta boxes. Many of its key features for the block editor, such as a dedicated Language Switcher block and the ability to control which individual blocks are translated, are included in the Polylang Pro extension. This fundamental difference in feature sets between the free and Pro versions is a primary source of user confusion when working with block themes.

Common issues reported by the community include:

  • The Polylang Language Switcher block not appearing in the Site Editor for block themes.
  • Inability to translate certain block-based widgets, like the Custom HTML block.
  • Problems with translating Reusable Blocks and keeping translations linked.
  • Slow loading or disappearing meta boxes (for categories, tags, featured image) in the post editor.
  • JavaScript errors or white screens when creating new posts or pages.

Most Common Solutions and Workarounds

1. For Missing Language Switcher in Block Themes

If you are using a block theme (like Twenty Twenty-Five) and cannot find the Language Switcher block in the Site Editor, the most reliable solution is to use a Legacy Widget block.

  1. In the Site Editor, add a 'Legacy Widget' block to your template (e.g., in the header).
  2. Select the 'Language Switcher' from the list of available legacy widgets.
  3. Configure the switcher's options as needed.

This leverages the classic widget system, which is fully supported by the free version of Polylang, within a block-based theme.

2. For Translating Widgets and Blocks

The free version of Polylang provides full translation capabilities for classic widgets added via a Legacy Widget block. However, translating modern block widgets (like the Custom HTML block) directly is a feature of Polylang Pro.

Workaround: To translate a Custom HTML widget in the free version, you must add it as a classic widget. You can restore the classic widgets screen by installing the free Classic Widgets plugin. Then, add your custom HTML as a classic text widget, which will have the standard Polylang language selection options.

3. For Reusable Blocks Translation

Managing translations for Reusable Blocks can be tricky. The free version of Polylang does not synchronize translations of Reusable Blocks automatically. You must create a separate Reusable Block for each language and manually link them.

  1. Create your Reusable Block in the default language.
  2. Create a new post or page, and add the Reusable Block to it.
  3. Use the post's language metabox to create a translation of that entire post. This will create a copy of the Reusable Block within the translated post.
  4. Edit the block inside the translated post and save it as a new, separate Reusable Block (e.g., "Footer - FR").
  5. You now have two independent Reusable Blocks that you can assign to your templates for each language.

4. For Editor Performance Issues and White Screens

Errors like a white screen when adding a new post or slow-loading meta boxes often indicate a plugin or theme conflict.

  1. Conflict Test: The first step is always to deactivate all other plugins except Polylang and switch to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four). If the problem disappears, reactivate your plugins one by one to identify the culprit.
  2. Check for Errors: Enable WordPress debugging by adding define( 'WP_DEBUG', true ); to your wp-config.php file. This might reveal a specific PHP error or notice that points to the problem.
  3. JavaScript Conflicts: Open your browser's console (F12) while loading the editor. Any red JavaScript errors logged there can provide critical clues about conflicting scripts.

5. Understanding the Free vs. Pro Divide

It is crucial to understand the difference in scope between the free Polylang plugin and Polylang Pro. Based on community feedback, many frustrations arise from expecting Pro-level block editor features in the free plugin. The Polylang Pro extension includes dedicated blocks for the Site Editor, translation management for individual blocks, and better integration with advanced features.

For those using block themes, the Polylang team has historically suggested using their FSE Classic plugin to restore classic menus and widgets, which work seamlessly with the free version of Polylang.

Conclusion

Navigating the intersection of Polylang and the Gutenberg block editor requires an understanding of WordPress's evolving architecture. Most issues can be resolved by using Legacy Widgets, performing conflict tests, and employing strategic workarounds for translation management. For users requiring deep integration with the Site Editor and native block translation, exploring the features of Polylang Pro may be necessary.

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