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

Why Your GTranslate Plugin Isn't Working (And How to Fix It)

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

Content

If you're using the 'Translate WordPress with GTranslate' plugin and it's suddenly stopped working, you're not alone. A common issue is the language switcher appearing but failing to translate content, or the plugin not loading at all. Based on community reports, the root cause is almost always a conflict with another plugin or a server configuration.

Common Symptoms

  • The dropdown language switcher appears but clicking a language does nothing.
  • The plugin works in your WordPress admin but not for site visitors.
  • You see a "Payment Required" message after downgrading from a paid plan.
  • Page loading slows down significantly after installing the plugin.
  • Browser console shows errors related to 'translate.google.com' or 'Content Security Policy'.

Why This Happens

The GTranslate plugin relies on external JavaScript files from Google and its own CDN to function. Many common WordPress optimizations, while beneficial for speed, can inadvertently break these scripts. The two most frequent culprits are:

  1. Caching & Optimization Plugins: Plugins like LiteSpeed Cache, WP Rocket, or W3 Total Cache often minify, combine, or delay JavaScript to improve performance. This process can corrupt or block the specific scripts GTranslate needs to run.
  2. Content Security Policy (CSP): A CSP is a security header that tells a browser which external resources are allowed to load. If it's not configured to explicitly permit scripts from translate.google.com and cdn.gtranslate.net, the browser will block GTranslate from working.

How to Fix It: Troubleshooting Steps

Step 1: Check for Plugin Conflicts

The first and easiest step is to rule out a conflict with another plugin.

  1. Temporarily deactivate all other plugins except GTranslate.
  2. Clear any server-side or browser cache.
  3. Test the language switcher again in an incognito or private browser window.
  4. If it works, reactivate your plugins one-by-one, testing after each, to identify the culprit.

Step 2: Configure Your Cache/Optimization Plugin

If the conflict is with a cache plugin, you don't necessarily have to disable it entirely. Instead, you can exclude GTranslate's scripts from optimization. The exact steps vary by plugin, but you generally need to find the "Exclude Scripts" or "Never Minify" settings.

Scripts to Exclude:

  • cdn.gtranslate.net
  • translate.google.com
  • Any inline script containing the word gtranslate

For example, in LiteSpeed Cache, you would add these URLs to the "JS Excludes" setting. If you are unsure how to do this, consult the documentation for your specific caching plugin.

Step 3: Review Your Content Security Policy (CSP)

If you see errors in your browser console (F12) about blocked scripts, your CSP is likely the issue.

  1. Open your browser's developer tools (F12) and go to the "Console" tab.
  2. Look for red error messages mentioning Content Security Policy and the blocked URLs.
  3. You will need to modify your site's CSP headers (often via .htaccess, a security plugin, or your hosting control panel) to include: 
    script-src 'self' https://translate.google.com https://cdn.gtranslate.net;

Step 4: Clear GTranslate Settings After Downgrading

If you see "Payment Required" pages after canceling a paid subscription, the plugin's rewrite rules may still be active.

  1. Uninstall the GTranslate plugin completely.
  2. Edit your site's .htaccess file and remove any lines containing gtranslate.
  3. Reinstall the plugin if you wish to use the free version.

When All Else Fails

If these steps don't resolve your issue, try these final checks:

  • Browser Extensions: Disable ad-blockers or script-blockers as they can interfere.
  • Check in Incognito Mode: This helps rule out browser cache issues.
  • Theme Conflict: Temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four) to see if your theme is causing the problem.

By methodically working through these common conflicts, most issues with the GTranslate plugin can be resolved, restoring seamless translation functionality to your website.

Related Support Threads Support