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Understanding and Translating MC4WP Form Messages and Browser Validation

16 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Mc4wp: mailchimp for wordpress

Content

Many users of the 'MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress' plugin encounter a common issue: certain text in their forms, particularly error messages and validation prompts, does not change when they translate their site. This article explains why this happens and how to properly translate all parts of your Mailchimp signup forms.

The Core Issue: Two Types of Validation

The confusion often stems from the fact that the plugin uses two distinct systems for form validation and messaging:

  1. Plugin-Generated Messages: These are the success or error messages that appear after a form is submitted, such as "Thank you for subscribing!" or "This email address is already subscribed."
  2. Browser-Based Validation: These are the instant validation prompts that appear as you fill out a form, such as "Please fill out this field" or "Please include an '@' in the email address."

How to Translate Plugin-Generated Messages

Messages controlled by the plugin itself are straightforward to translate or customize:

  1. Navigate to Mailchimp for WP > Forms in your WordPress admin dashboard.
  2. Edit your form.
  3. Click on the "Messages" tab.
  4. Here you will find all the post-submission messages that can be translated or customized directly. Changes made here are saved and will reflect on your live site.

If the "Messages" tab is not visible, it may have been accidentally hidden. Check your screen options in the top right corner of the admin screen to ensure it is enabled.

Understanding Browser Validation Messages

The messages that often cause the most confusion—like "Please fill out this field"—are not generated by the MC4WP plugin. These are native HTML5 validation messages built directly into the user's web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.).

Why can't you change these? The language of these prompts is determined by the language setting of the visitor's browser, not your website. A visitor using a browser set to French will see the prompts in French, while a visitor with a browser set to Chinese will see them in Chinese.

Common Points of Confusion

  • Emails from Mailchimp: It is important to distinguish between messages from the plugin and emails sent by Mailchimp itself (like confirmation emails). The 'MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress' plugin does not send these emails; they are controlled entirely within your Mailchimp.com account settings.
  • Form Field Placeholders and Labels: Text like "Your email address" is often a field label or placeholder text. These can typically be edited in the "Fields" tab when editing your form in the WordPress admin.

Summary and Key Takeaways

  • To translate messages that appear after form submission, use the Messages tab in the form editor.
  • Browser validation messages (e.g., "Please fill out this field") cannot be translated on your site, as they are controlled by the visitor's browser language.
  • Emails sent to subscribers (confirmation, welcome, etc.) are managed in your Mailchimp.com account, not within the plugin.
  • Always check field labels and placeholders in the form's "Fields" tab for other text that needs translation.

By understanding the difference between these systems, you can effectively manage and translate all text elements in your signup forms.

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