Multilingual Websites with Drupal: The Complete Guide

Drupal includes four language modules in the core:

Language. Manages the available languages and language detection (URL, browser, cookie, IP).

Content Translation. Translates content (nodes, taxonomies, blocks) field by field. Each language has its own version of the content.

Configuration Translation. Translates configurations such as site names, menu entries, Views labels, and field labels.

Interface Translation. Translates the user interface — buttons, error messages, and system texts.

Drupal supports three URL strategies:

Path prefix. example.com/de/about-us and example.com/en/about. The most common approach for websites with a single domain.

Domain-based. example.de and example.com. Each language has its own domain. Useful for strongly localized presences.

Session/Cookie. The language is detected via the browser or a cookie. Not recommended for SEO, as search engines do not send cookies.

For SEO, the path prefix approach with hreflang tags is the most robust solution. Drupal generates hreflang tags automatically for all translated content.

Manual. Editors translate directly in Drupal's interface. For small websites with few languages, this is the simplest approach.

TMGMT. The Translation Management Tool module connects Drupal with professional translation services. Content is sent to translation agencies with one click and automatically imported upon completion.

AI-assisted. Translation APIs like DeepL or Google Translate can be integrated via modules. Machine pre-translation with subsequent review by editors saves time at acceptable quality.

arocom implements multilingual Drupal platforms with 2 to 20+ languages. The Future Check analyzes your language requirements. From 2,500 EUR plus VAT, creditable toward the follow-up project.