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Troubleshooting Polylang Header and Footer Translation Issues

21 threads Sep 9, 2025 Plugin → Polylang

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If you're using Polylang to create a multilingual WordPress site, one of the most common and frustrating issues is translated headers and footers not displaying correctly. This problem frequently occurs when using page builders like Elementor, themes with custom header/footer builders, or the Full Site Editor (FSE).

Why This Happens

Based on community reports, these issues typically stem from a few key areas:

  • Theme/Builder Compatibility: Some themes and page builders don't natively expose their header and footer templates to Polylang's translation system.
  • Display Condition Conflicts: Builders like Elementor often prevent assigning two different templates to the "Entire Site" location, causing a conflict between language versions.
  • Synchronization Settings: Polylang's synchronization features might be forcing identical content across translations.
  • Template Assignment: For front pages specifically, some themes require creating separate home-en.html and home-fr.html templates rather than using Polylang's translation interface.

Common Solutions to Try

1. Check Your Synchronization Settings

Several users reported that Polylang's synchronization was causing their issues. Navigate to Languages → Settings → Synchronization and try unchecking "Custom fields." This prevents Polylang from forcing identical content across language versions of your headers and footers.

2. Use the Connect Polylang for Elementor Extension

If you're using Elementor, the free Connect Polylang for Elementor extension can help bridge the compatibility gap. It adds language awareness to Elementor's theme builder, allowing you to properly set display conditions for each language.

3. Manual Template Assignment for Front Pages

For front page issues where templates won't switch languages, some users found success by creating language-specific template files directly in their theme (e.g., home-en.html for English, home-de.html for German) rather than relying solely on Polylang's translation system.

4. Verify Theme Builder Settings

When using Elementor's Theme Builder:

  • Create your primary header/footer in your default language
  • Use the "Translate with Polylang" option (the + icon) to create translations
  • Set display conditions for each language version specifically (e.g., "Entire Site" for English header, "Entire Site" for French header)
  • Ignore warnings about location conflicts if they appear

5. Clear Caches Thoroughly

This issue is often compounded by caching. Clear:

  • WordPress caching plugins
  • Server-level caches
  • Browser cache
  • Elementor's own cache (via Elementor → Tools → Regenerate CSS)

When These Solutions Might Not Work

Some scenarios require specific approaches:

  • Full Site Editor (FSE): Template translation is a feature of Polylang Pro
  • Certain Themes: Some themes have proprietary header/footer builders that may not be compatible without custom development
  • RTL Languages: Right-to-left languages like Arabic may require additional CSS adjustments beyond translation

Community Insights

Many users have successfully resolved these issues through the methods above. The Polylang team has documented specific guidance for Elementor integration that may provide additional context.

If you've experienced and solved header/footer translation issues with Polylang, share your solution in the comments to help others facing similar challenges.

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