9-minute read
Managing a multilingual Shopify store manually may work at first, yet as your brand grows this model quickly becomes a hindrance: it takes up hours of your time, fragments processes and makes it difficult to retain a consistent experience across all markets. Translation should no longer be a separate task but rather an in-built and automated part of your international strategy.
At ATLS, we appreciate that every e-commerce business has specific needs. So we've developed a native plugin for Shopify which matches the translation to your actual operations: you decide what to translate, how to manage it and what content you want to keep intact. You can select products, collections, pages, metafields, metaobjects or any other element in the store, and the system automatically reuses existing translations to avoid doubling up on costs and time.
Unlike other solutions which often have constraints such as partiality, limited credits and insufficient control, the ATLS plugin is engineered to translate everything your store needs with no restrictions, no hidden limits and consistent terminology due to customised glossaries and style guides.
Plus the whole process is supported by real people: from setup to day-to-day operations, a dedicated Project Manager ensures the technology works exactly as your brand needs it to.
In short, we turn multilingual management into an automatic, controlled and unlimited workflow, enabling your store to grow in new markets without ramping up complexity for your team.
Why should you automate Shopify translation?
Standing out on Shopify isn't just about your product catalogue; it's about your ability to deliver a personalised experience in every language. Doing this manually not only slows you down but also clutters up your e-commerce operations as your business grows.
Automating translation allows you to:
- Free up time and cut out operational tasks: no more exports, duplicate versions, copying and pasting or manual reviews. Every change in your store is spotted and automatically sent for translation.
- Maintain linguistic consistency across all languages: glossaries, memories and style guides ensure your brand sounds the same in any market, even if you manage thousands of products or frequent updates.
- Scale without added workload: the effort of translating two languages is the same as managing ten. Everything syncs automatically after each update.
- Improve your international ranking (SEO): translations are published faster, metadata is customised by language, URLs retain their optimised structure and hreflang tags are updated with no manual intervention. Google identifies the correct version for each user from the outset.
ATLS's native Shopify plugin: much more than just an integration
The day-to-day running of an e-commerce business is no place for slow processes. So ATLS's native plugin doesn't add to your workload but rather takes some of it off your hands.
This integration connects Shopify to our translation platform and creates a seamless flow between your content and the languages you want to manage. Everything happens without exporting files, without parallel processes and without relying on external tools.
In addition to providing you with complete control over what to translate, the system reuses already translated content — your own or previous — to avoid repeated effort. Plus in contrast to many solutions on the market, there are no credits, limits or restrictions: you can translate as much as you need.
Its operation is built on four cornerstones:
- Ease of use, so that any team member can handle it.
- Real scalability, ideal for large catalogues or constantly evolving stores.
- Full compatibility, regardless of theme or technical architecture.
- Human support, with a Project Manager who ensures flawless uptake.
The outcome is a store which is automatically updated in all languages, maintaining consistency, performance and quality.
Key features of the Shopify plugin:
The ATLS plugin is designed to deliver complete control, flexibility and superior performance in any Shopify environment:
- Native and simple integration: ready to use without complex development.
- Complete automation: spotting and translating new products, updates, collections, pages, metafields, metaobjects and metadata.
- Real-time syncing: replicating changes across all languages.
- Full coverage of the Shopify ecosystem: including blogs, themes and headless content.
- Customised glossaries and memories: ensuring consistency across all translations.
- Unlimited translation: no credits, no restrictions and no hidden costs.
- Absolute compatibility: with any theme or customisation.
- Multilingual SEO: with hreflang, metadata and adapted structures.
- Modular architecture: compatible with PIM, DAM, CRM and any external system.
- Enterprise security: with international regulatory compliance.
- Centralised control panel: to manage languages and check statuses.
- Specialised technical support: with step-by-step guided onboarding.
- Optimised for large catalogues: no loss of performance.
How the plugin works step by step:
1. Customised content selection
The system identifies all translatable content, although you decide what to translate. You can choose specific elements, filter by content type and reuse what's already been translated to avoid duplication.
2. Smart integration with your digital ecosystem
The microframeworks and API-based architecture allows you to connect Shopify with other systems such as CRM, PIM, ERP or automation tools, centralising the entire translation flow.
3. Machine, professional or hybrid translation
You can choose between:
- AI-powered machine translation
- Native human translation
- Hybrid approach: the system harnesses glossaries and memories to maintain consistency and leverages any existing previous translations.
4. Automatic and synced publishing
Once translated, the content goes back to Shopify ready to publish:
- No imports or exports
- No formatting errors
- With SEO intact
- With updates visible in seconds
Your store always stays aligned across all languages.
Machine translation vs human translation: which to choose?
Artificial intelligence has completely changed the way in which content is translated for e-commerce. At ATLS, we use state-of-the-art technology which delivers: speed, accuracy and adaptability.
Machine translation (AI):
- Ideal for large catalogues with constant updates.
- Real-time translations.
- Terminological consistency.
Human translation:
- Essential in highly specialised sectors (legal, finance, healthcare).
- Cultural fit, brand tone and premium quality.
The ideal choice is a hybrid approach: machine what you can and use human translation where precision matters most.
Key advantages of using a professional Shopify translator
Although Shopify does provide basic options for translating your online store, calling on a professional brings benefits you shouldn't overlook:
- Guaranteed quality: native translators specialised by industry
- Cultural localisation: language adaptation for each market (e.g. French from France vs French from Canada).
- Continuous optimisation: we review and tweak translations based on how they perform in each market.
- Regulatory compliance: especially germane for certain markets with specific regulations.
Optimise your multilingual SEO on Shopify
One of the biggest concerns when translating Shopify is getting the best SEO for each market. At ATLS we ensure your translated content appears in the top results:
- Analysis of local keywords: we identify the most searched terms in each market.
- Adapted URLs: we create language-optimised URL structures.
- Customised metadata: we tailor titles, descriptions and tags by language.
- Automatic generation of hreflang tags and content syncing between languages.
Ready to take your Shopify store global?
If translating your Shopify store manually is inefficient, it's time to evolve. With ATLS's native plugin, you'll turn translating your store into something quick, automatic and accurate. Our goal is for you to get back to what really matters: the growth and global expansion of your business.
Automate, optimise and position your Shopify store as an international leader. Our plugin not only translates but also ensures that each piece of content is culturally attuned and SEO-optimised, enabling you to stand out in every market.
☎️ Ask for a personalised demo and learn how to take Shopify global without complicating your operations.
FAQs about the Shopify translation plugin:
Why should I translate my Shopify store?
Translating your Shopify store allows you to expand into international markets, enhance the customer experience by offering content in their language and better your SEO ranking in other search engines.
How does ATLS's Shopify plugin work?
Integration is simple thanks to the Shopify API. Once installed, it automatically identifies translatable elements (products, pages, metadata, etc.), sends the content for translation and updates your store without manual intervention.
Is the Shopify plugin compatible with all Shopify themes?
Yes, it's compatible with all themes and allows you to customise translations without changing the theme structure.
Does the Shopify plugin use machine translation, professional translation, or both?
It offers both options: AI-powered machine translation for speed and scalability, and professional translation by native linguists when utmost quality is required.
Can I create a glossary of specific terms to translate Shopify?
Yes, the plugin allows you to set up custom glossaries to ensure consistency in product names, brand terminology and other key terms.
Does the Shopify plugin generate hreflang tags to improve indexing?
Yes, they are automatically generated and updated to enable Google and other search engines to display the correct version based on the user's language or region.
Does the Shopify plugin sync with new products and updates?
Yes, any new products, descriptions or updated content in your Shopify store is automatically detected and translated.
If I change a text in the main language, is it updated in the others?
Yes, the plugin can automatically update the translations in other languages or ask for a review before publishing.
