A French product page needs more than translated navigation. Customers should understand what they are buying, how to choose it and what your delivery and returns terms mean. Start with one language and review a real customer journey before making it public.
1. Connect your existing WooCommerce shop
You use the same TradeGear plugin for WordPress and WooCommerce. You do not need a separate shop or a copy of every product.
- Install and activate TradeGear from WordPress.org.
- Open Plugin setup on the Plugins screen, or Settings → TradeGear. Follow the account link so your website address and return link travel with you.
- Create your account, verify your email and create a workspace. Add your publicly reachable HTTPS website with its actual source language.
- Choose Connect this website on its website card. Copy the connection code, return to WordPress setup and submit it. Keep the code private; you do not need to copy API keys.
If connection fails, check that TradeGear can reach your website’s public address. A password wall or firewall can prevent ownership verification. Use the plugin’s redacted setup report when asking for help.
2. Choose French and preview it
In your website’s dashboard settings, select French as a target language. The source language should describe your original content; an English shop should use English as its source, not French.
Start with the plugin’s test mode before enabling live translation or search-engine indexability. Open the test page as an authorized administrator or with the configured test link, then select French from the language switcher.
Adding a language queues public pages for translation in the background. The first pass can use the allowance quickly on a large catalogue. Free includes 3,000 translated words a month in 1 language; it is a useful way to evaluate the result, not a promise to translate an unlimited shop.
3. Translate descriptions while keeping your identity
Keep brand names, model numbers and SKUs consistent. Translate descriptive wording: in “Acme waterproof hiking jacket”, protect “Acme” while translating “waterproof hiking jacket”. Use your dashboard terminology preferences for protected names and preferred translations, or override an entire title when needed.
Review product titles and options, units, sizes, materials, stock wording, navigation and key policies. If the original page mixes languages, check short labels especially carefully: a word such as “order” needs its page context. Automated checks catch some errors; they cannot guarantee the meaning is right.
4. Test the journey, then publish
- Open a product page in French, switch back to the source language and follow a category link.
- Check the price, variants, add-to-cart behaviour and cart/checkout hand-off on your theme. Translation is not currency conversion, payment configuration or delivery coverage.
- Exclude any account or order paths that show personal information before enabling translation. Those paths are not all excluded automatically.
- Review delivery, returns and safety wording with someone who understands French.
- Enable live translation when ready. Run the plugin’s SEO verification to check canonical URLs, hreflang, sitemaps and indexability before opening the language to search engines.
What happens at the word limit?
Previously stored translations can be reused without charging for the same work again. New translation work needs remaining allowance; do not assume the whole catalogue is finished when the first page looks translated. Check usage and outstanding work in your dashboard, then wait for renewal or choose a suitable plan.
Want to answer French product questions as well? Set up the multilingual assistant with your published product information and policies. Free includes 20 completed replies per website every 30 days; paid plans provide larger reply allowances.