Language configuration reference
The Base setup screen defines the effective language list and the first layer of public routing:
Settings → POM Translate → Languages setup → Base setup
Use this reference to check what each field changes and what remains outside it.
Field reference
| Field | Accepted value | Runtime effect |
|---|---|---|
| Main language | The current WordPress site locale; read-only | Defines the canonical source locale |
| Custom label for the main language | Optional plain text | Overrides the main locale’s display label in selectors |
| Additional languages | Sortable list of supported locale definitions | Adds target locales in the stored order |
| Language | One supported locale per repeater item | Selects the exact target locale |
| Custom language label | Optional plain text per target | Overrides that locale’s selector label |
| Use a subdirectory for the default language | Enabled or disabled | Decides whether the source locale also needs a URL prefix |
| Browser language detection | Enabled or disabled | Allows eligible unprefixed visits to redirect by preference or browser match |
| Fallback language for redirects | One currently configured locale | Supplies the redirect destination when no browser language matches |
Saving Base setup refreshes WordPress rewrite rules.
Values derived automatically
POM Translate does not provide a normal field here for:
- an arbitrary custom locale definition;
- an editable per-language URL prefix;
- a separate content-fallback locale;
- one source locale per post;
- one enabled/disabled switch inside each language row.
Additional rows are enabled by being present. Remove the row to retire the locale from the effective list.
URL prefixes are derived from the configured locales and kept unique. Missing content falls back directly to the canonical source value, not to the redirect fallback.
Effective language order
The available-language list is built as:
main locale
then each unique additional locale in repeater orderEmpty values, duplicate locales, and an additional row equal to the main locale are ignored. The main locale therefore remains first even though its read-only field cannot be dragged into the repeater.
This order is used by selector context and can decide which regional variant matches a general browser language.
Label resolution
When POM Translate needs a readable locale name, it uses:
- the configured custom label;
- the language definition’s local label;
- the definition’s English label;
- the raw locale code.
A custom label changes presentation only. It does not change the locale, prefix, flag definition, translation storage, or language metadata.
Redirect fallback validation
The fallback selector is built from currently configured locales. At runtime, POM Translate validates the saved value again.
If the setting is empty, invalid, or refers to a locale that is no longer available, the source locale becomes the effective redirect fallback.
The field has no effect while Browser language detection is disabled.
Settings that live elsewhere
| Decision | Location |
|---|---|
| Source locale | Settings → General → Site Language |
| Translatable post types and fields | Settings → POM Translate → Content types |
| Locale-specific slugs | Translations → Translate URLs |
| Selector format and markup | Settings → POM Translate → Languages setup → Language switcher |
| Language exclusions for specific content | Translations → Translation exclusions |
| Manual target text | Translations → Translate contents |
Multisite behavior
Each site has its own WordPress locale and POM Translate settings context. Configure the main and additional languages on the site whose public routes they affect.
A locale enabled on one subsite does not automatically become a target on every site in the network. Verify each site’s home URL, prefix policy, selectors, and cache namespace independently.
Configuration verification
After saving:
- reload Base setup and confirm every value persisted;
- confirm each target appears once and in order;
- inspect the generated prefix for each locale;
- open source and target home URLs while signed out;
- verify selectors use the intended labels;
- check the redirect fallback belongs to the available list;
- save Settings → Permalinks only if routing remains stale after the normal settings save;
- clear affected full-page and CDN caches.
Use the focused guides in this chapter before changing a setting on an established public site.