Building a multilingual WordPress website sounds straightforward until you start dealing with real-world complexity. From broken layouts to missing translations and SEO inconsistencies, these challenges often appear once the site begins to scale.
In several of our recent projects, we encountered recurring issues that affected performance, usability and content accuracy across languages. This blog highlights the most common problems and explains how we addressed them in a practical, reliable way.
Inconsistent Translations Across Pages
One of the first issues we noticed was inconsistency in translations. Some pages were fully translated, while others had missing sections, mixed languages or outdated content.
How we solved it
We standardised the translation workflow by using WPML’s Translation Management and ensuring every page followed a structured process. Instead of translating content randomly, we created a clear system where:
- Every English page had a corresponding Arabic version
- All fields, including custom fields, were mapped properly
- Updates were synced across both languages
This immediately improved consistency and reduced the risk of incomplete pages going live.
ACF Fields Not Translating Properly
For projects built with ACF, a common problem was that custom fields were not appearing correctly in the translated version. In some cases, content would duplicate incorrectly or not display at all.
How we solved it
We configured ACF fields to work seamlessly with WPML by:
- Assigning correct translation preferences to each field
- Using field groups designed specifically for multilingual support
- Testing flexible content layouts across languages
Once configured correctly, translations became predictable and much easier to manage.
Layout Breaking in Arabic (RTL Issues)
Arabic websites require right-to-left formatting, which can cause layout issues, especially with custom designs or page builders. Elements such as spacing, alignment and icons often break or appear misaligned.
How we solved it
We implemented a dedicated RTL optimisation phase where we:
- Adjusted CSS specifically for RTL layouts
- Reversed directional elements such as icons and sliders
- Fine-tuned spacing and typography
This ensured that the Arabic version felt native rather than a mirrored version of English.
SEO Problems Across Languages
Another recurring issue was poor SEO structure in multilingual setups. Duplicate meta tags, incorrect hreflang attributes and inconsistent URLs were affecting search visibility.
How we solved it
We aligned SEO settings across languages by:
- Setting unique meta titles and descriptions for each language
- Configuring proper hreflang tags
- Ensuring clean, language-specific URLs
This helped improve indexing and ensured both language versions performed well in search results.
Slow Performance Due to Multilingual Setup
Adding multiple languages often increased page load times, especially when combined with heavy plugins or poorly optimised media.
How we solved it
We focused on performance optimisation by:
- Reducing unnecessary plugins
- Implementing caching and CDN support
- Optimising images and scripts
As a result, both language versions maintained fast and stable performance.
Conclusion
Multilingual WordPress websites come with their own set of challenges, but most issues can be resolved with the right structure and workflow. By focusing on proper translation management, ACF configuration, RTL adjustments and SEO alignment, we were able to deliver stable and high-performing bilingual platforms.
The key takeaway is simple: a multilingual website is not just about translation, it is about building a system that keeps everything consistent, scalable and easy to manage.
