Using Weglot to create a multilingual website

You can use Weglot to offer translation options for visitors to your website.

Understanding Weglot's services and plans

Format has integrated with Weglot to allow you to easily add translation capabilities to your site. With Weglot, you can add translations for multiple languages, set up subdomains or repositories for those languages, and customize the look of your site's language switcher widget.

Before we get to the setup steps, let's go over Weglot's plan options.

When you create your Weglot account, you'll be on a 14-day free trial. After 14 days, this free trial will convert to the Free plan, as long as you are within the usage limits of that plan. The Free Weglot plan includes:

• One translated language on one website
• Up to 2,000 words translated 
• 2,000 translation requests per month*

*To be more concise, the free plan allows up to 2,000 cumulative page views of translated content on your site per month. 

If you have a high-traffic website and expect to receive more translated page views than this per month, you may need to opt for a paid Weglot plan. Likewise, if you have multiple sites, you may need to consider a paid plan. Not sure how many words are on your site? You can use Weglot's Website Word Count tool to find out.

View Weglot's complete plan comparison and details here.

What happens if I exceed the 2,000 word limit?

If you exceed the 2,000 word limit of the Free plan, you'll receive an email from Weglot notifying you of this. The email will include a link to upgrade to a paid plan. If you do not want to upgrade to a paid plan, you can instead exclude some content on your site from being translated.

1. Weglot Free plan notice: As long as your website fits within the limits of the Free plan, you can continue using it for your site

If you don't exclude content from your site and continue to exceed the word limit of your plan, the following will occur:

• On a Free plan: The language switcher will still be visible on your site, but translations will not work. You will need to either upgrade to a paid plan, or exclude content to fit within the 2,000 word limit
• On a paid plan: New words on your site will not be translated, but existing translations will still display

Setting up a Weglot account for your Format site

You can connect to Weglot via your Format account's Settings > Site panel (pictured below). When you initially access this section, you will be prompted to connect to Weglot via an API key. In order to do so, you'll first need to create an account with Weglot.

1. Settings: Navigate to your Format settings area
2. Site: Navigate to the Site panel
3. Translate with Weglot®: Click Configure

1. Create a Weglot Account: Click this hyperlink to be redirected to Weglot and create your account

You'll be redirected to Weglot, where you can create an account with your email address or a social login:

1. Email Address and Password sign-up: You can sign up using your email address and a password OR
2. Google social sign-up: You can sign up using your Google account

Once you create your account, you'll be sent an email from Weglot to validate your account. This is the last step in creating your Weglot account:

1. Validate email: Follow the instructions provided by Weglot to validate your account

Creating a Weglot Project

Once you've validated your Weglot account, you'll be prompted to create your first Project. A Weglot Project is another term for a translated website. By creating a Weglot Project, you are creating a new translation for your Format website.

Step 1: Naming your Project

First, you can give your project a name. It's best practice to give this the same name as your Format website.

1. Project Name: Give your Weglot project a name
2. Website Technology: Select "Other" from the dropdown
3. Next: Continue to the next step

Step 2: Selecting translated languages

Next, you'll select which languages to translate your site into.

1. Original Language: Select the language that your Format website currently uses
2. Translated Languages: Select which languages to translate your Format site into. The Free plan of Weglot allows for only one translated language
3. Next: Continue to the next step

Step 3: Connecting your Format site

Next, you will input your Format site's URL and specify your translated site's URL structure.

1. Domain URL: Enter your Format site's custom domain name (e.g. janedovercourt.com)
2. Publish Destination: Choose your translation's publishing destination with the first option: Connect my live website 
3. URL Type: Choose how your translated site will appear. Format recommend Subdomains* This option will only appear to you if you have selected Connect my live website in the previous step. When a subdomain is used your original website will be viewable at https://www.janedovercourt.com and, in our example here, where we are translating to Français-Canadian, the URL will the subdomain as https://fr-ca.janedovercourt.com
4. Next: Continue to the next step

Step 3.1 Setup your Subdomain Project

Format Domain Names: If you are using a Format-hosted domain name, (registered with your Format account, or transferred to Format from your original registrar), we have now made this easy for you to manage your own DNS records, but please reach out to our Success Team for help adding the CNAME DNS record if you are unsure. See our guide Managing your Format domain name's DNS records.

*URL Type: We strongly discourage the use of subdirectories with custom domain names, as this will negatively impact the connection of your domain to your Format site. If you are using a third-party custom domain name, please select Subdomains.

**URL Type: If you are using a Format site address like janedovercourt.format.com, instead of a custom domain name, you must use the Javascript integration, noted in the light-blue window underneath URL Type. Selecting Subdomains or Subdirectories will not work properly with a Format address, due to its URL structure.

We recommend having your own custom domain name, Pro and Pro Plus Yearly Plan subscribers can claim free for the first year, $30 for subsequent years, or $75 for three years (save $15).

1. Use Quick Connect select this option if your custom domain name is managed by a domain registrar like GoDaddy, Hover, Squarespace Domains, OVH, Namecheap or any other large domain registrar. This will allow Weglot to access, and add the DNS records automatically using Entri.
2. Start Quick Connect you will be guided through the process of connecting from your domain registar (we do not have any screenshots to show how this part of the process is completed).
3. Set DNS Manually use this option if your custom domain is managed by Format or you are comfortable with editing your DNS records in your own domain registrars control panel (not using the Quick Connect option above).
4. For steps 4, 5, and 6, you will need to copy and paste these into a new DNS row within your DNS Manager area (see screenshots below). You will need to have your domain registrars DNS Manager area open in another browser tab or window and will be copying-and-pasting between
   Name is the Subdomain for the translation, in our example fr-ca
5. Type is CNAME
6. Value is unique to your Weglot account, but will look similar to wg_123456789abcdefg
7. DNS Status will show with red circle icon with 'X' to show not currently connected.

Adding DNS Record to Format managed custom domain name records

1. Select Settings from lower-left corner of your Format account
2. Select Domain and Email
3. The custom domain name managed by Format, scroll down to
4. Click Manage DNS Records

Default Format DNS Records

1. Warning about DNS changes being made incorrectly may affect the connection of your website including that it may take 24-48 hours for changes to fully update, and if you are unsure to contact our Support Team.
2. Click Add Record
3. Showing example DNS Records used to connect to your website (there may be other rows here for other services, like email MX records or domain verification TXT records

Add Weglot DNS CNAME Record

1. Use the Type dropdown to select CNAME
2. Enter the Name value for the Subdomain that will be used (from Weglot browser window), in our example fr-ca
3. Enter (copy and paste from Weglot browser window) the Value (similar to wg_123456789abcdefg)
4. Set TTL (Time To Live) to the lowest value (if possible)
5. Save

Saved Weglot DNS Record

1. Saved Weglot CNAME record should look similar to above.

Return to Weglot browser window and Check DNS

The DNS Record you added may still be updating, so this may not work immediately

1. DNS Status disconnected currently
2. Click Check DNS

DNS Status shows Connected

1. DNS Status shows with green circle and 'tick' to show successfully connected
2. Click Next

Weglot Setup finished confirmation

1. Weglot will display a 'Congratulations' style screen, click Go to my translations

Weglot Dashboard Overview

1. From the Weglot Overview dashboard navigate back to the Projects area

Weglot Setup API Key required to complete connection to Format website

1. Within your Projects area, under Settings in left sidebar, select Setup
2. Hover the API Key area and you will see… 
3. Copy button, please click to copy the API Key easily

Return to Format Settings > Site Settings > Translate with Weglot ® area

1. Click Configure
2. Paste the API key
3. Click Connect to Weglot

Connection to Weglot ® complete

1. Translation Enabled indicator and translation from and to displayed
2. Use the Weglot dashboard link to return to Weglot (or open in the future).

Viewing your translated site

You can now preview your site's translation feature. By default, the widget will be placed in the lower-right corner of your site:

1. Weglot language toggle selector
2. URL displaying in bottom-left corner shows the language selected
3. Secure subdomain shown

1. Viewing on mobile phone
2. The Weglot language switcher is also in the lower-right corner.

Managing your Weglot Project

Once you've finished the setup for your Weglot Project, you can customize it as much as you'd like from its management area. You can also view analytics for your translations, and change the appearance of the Weglot Language Switcher widget on your Format site.

You can access the Projects area from your Weglot Dashboard. We encourage you to explore the Weglot Project management area on your own, and read through Weglot's help articles for more concise, comprehensive guidance.

Still have questions? Format provides human support seven days a week. Start a live chat or reach us by email at info@format.com. We're here to help!