Language Switcher
Language Switcher allows you to map urls of alternative languages for Post Types and Taxonomies. Additionally it allows you to filter archive pages by language.
Use with caution
Language Switcher works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 1K+ sites, is rated 4/5 and was last updated 1 year ago, and scores 44/100 on our health check.
- No update in over a year
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.8 (latest is 7.1)
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Language Switcher stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| internationalisation | #5 |
| internationalization | #14 |
| language | #25 |
| language switcher | #11 |
| languages | #51 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 4 from 7 reviews
About Language Switcher
From the official readme · v3.8.8Description
Language Switcher allows you to map urls of alternative languages for Post Types and Taxonomies. Additionally it allows you to filter archive pages by language.
Support Forum
For quicker support on this plugin go to: https://code.recuweb.com/support/forum/wordpress-plugins/language-switcher/
Free Features
- STANDALONE – No WordPress Multisite required
- MIXED SOURCES – map internal or external urls
- POST TYPE LANGUAGE – Add a main language selector to post types and map urls of alternative languages
- TAXONOMY LANGUAGE – Add a main language selector to terms and map urls of alternative languages
- HREFLANG LINKS – Add hreflang links into the head of each page and improve the SEO
- MENU LANGUAGE – Add a main language selector to the menu settings and switch the menu accordingly
- LANGUAGE FILTERS – Filter items by language in the main WP_Query of archive pages
- LANGUAGE WIDGET – Add the language switcher with the widget
- LANGUAGE SHORTCODE – Add the language switcher anywhere with the shortcode [language-switcher]
- LANGUAGE MENUS – Add the language switcher to your navigation menus
- SWITCHER TITLE – Select from multiple options to customize the switcher title
- COUNTRY FLAGS – Add country flags manually to your Theme Additional CSS or style.css
Addon Features
- LANGUAGE EVERYWHERE – Enable language switcher for custom post types and taxonomies such as WooCommerce Product, Order, Category and Tags
Compatibility
- Polylang
Localization
- English
Documentation
For all documentation on this plugin go to: https://code.recuweb.com/get/language-switcher/
Installation
Minimum Requirements
- WordPress 4.6 or higher.
Automatic installation
Automatic installation is the easiest option as WordPress handles the file transfers itself and you don’t even need to leave your web browser. To do an automatic install of Language Switcher, log in to your WordPress admin panel, navigate to the Plugins menu and click Add New.
In the search field type “Language Switcher” and click Search Plugins. Once you’ve found my plugin extension you can view details about it such as the the point release, rating and description. Most importantly of course, you can install it by simply clicking Install Now. After clicking that link you will be asked if you’re sure you want to install the plugin. Click yes and WordPress will automatically complete the installation.
Manual installation
The manual installation method involves downloading my plugin and uploading it to your webserver via your favourite FTP application.
- Download the plugin file to your computer and unzip it
- Using an FTP program, or your hosting control panel, upload the unzipped plugin folder to your WordPress installation’s wp-content/plugins/ directory.
- Activate the plugin from the Plugins menu within the WordPress admin.
Upgrading
Automatic updates should work like a charm; as always though, ensure you backup your site just in case.
Changelog
3.2.2 – 14/10/2020
- Locales implemented
3.0.9 – 9/12/2018
- Macrolanguages such as Arabic added
3.0.8 – 26/11/2018
- New settings to disable query filters
3.0.7 – 23/11/2018
- Redirection issue fixed
3.0.6 – 19/11/2018
- Query language taxonomy fixed
3.0.5 – 5/11/2018
- Startup errors fixed
Screenshots
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
FAQ
Language Switcher: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 27, 2026
Is Language Switcher free?
Yes. Language Switcher is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Language Switcher safe to use in 2026?
Language Switcher works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 1K+ sites, is rated 4/5 and was last updated 1 year ago, and scores 44/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Language Switcher?
Language Switcher is active on 1K+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 74,131 times since it launched in September 2018. It was downloaded 585 times in the last 30 days.
Does Language Switcher work with WordPress 7.1?
Language Switcher is officially tested up to WordPress 6.8.10, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Language Switcher last updated?
The latest version, 3.8.8, was released on September 1, 2025 (1 year ago).
Who makes Language Switcher?
Language Switcher is developed and maintained by rafasashi.
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