GeoLang for Block Editor

Description

GeoLang for Block Editor is a multilingual plugin designed specifically for the WordPress block editor. It allows you to create and manage translations for your posts, pages, and template parts without leaving the WordPress admin interface.

Key Features:

  • 100% Block Editor Native: Manage page and post translations directly from the block editor sidebar. Full support for Template Parts and Block Themes
  • Path-Based Routing: Clean URL structure with /{lang}/ prefixes (e.g. /it/, /en/) for SEO-friendly multilingual URLs
  • Smart IP Detection: Automatically redirect visitors to their local language using external APIs (ipapi.co, ipwho.is) or MaxMind local database
  • Switzerland-Aware Detection: Unique canton-based language detection for Swiss visitors — Ticino gets Italian, Geneva gets French, Zurich gets German, and bilingual cantons (Bern, Fribourg, Valais) respect the browser’s Accept-Language preference. Manual canton override is available in the IP Test panel
  • MaxMind Local Database (Pro): Download and use the GeoLite2 database locally for unlimited, privacy-compliant IP detection with no API rate limits
  • Template Parts Translation: Translate headers, footers, and navigation menus in Full Site Editing (FSE) themes
  • Menu Translation: Translate both classic WordPress menus and block editor navigation blocks
  • SEO Ready: Full integration with Yoast SEO, Rank Math, and Core Sitemaps. Automatic hreflang tags and HTML lang attribute generation
  • Language Switcher: Customizable frontend language selector with multiple styles, positions, and flag support
  • Post Duplicator: Quickly create translation copies of your content
  • Lightning Fast: Optimized for performance with no bloat — just efficient multilingual functionality

Free vs Pro:

The Free version includes all essential multilingual features: block editor integration, IP detection (external APIs), SEO, template parts, menu translation, and language switcher. Upgrade to GeoLang Pro for:
* MaxMind local database for unlimited, privacy-compliant IP detection
* Machine Translation with DeepL (bring-your-own-key)
* Bulk operations for posts, pages, and menus
* Advanced language redirect (cookie browser IP default)
* Import/Export translations (CSV & JSON)
* Advanced revisions with block-level comparison
* Paid Memberships Pro integration
* Priority email support

External Services

This plugin optionally uses third-party IP geolocation APIs to detect the visitor’s language based on their IP address. This feature is disabled by default and can be enabled in the IP Detection settings.

ipapi.co

  • What it is: A free IP geolocation API that returns country and language information based on the visitor’s IP address.
  • What data is sent: The visitor’s IP address is sent to https://ipapi.co/{ip}/json/ when IP detection is enabled and the visitor has no language cookie set.
  • When: Only on the first page load when IP detection is active and no language preference cookie exists.
  • Terms of Service: https://ipapi.co/terms/
  • Privacy Policy: https://ipapi.co/privacy/

ipwho.is

  • What it is: A free IP geolocation API that returns country and language information based on the visitor’s IP address.
  • What data is sent: The visitor’s IP address is sent to https://ipwho.is/{ip} when IP detection is enabled and the visitor has no language cookie set.
  • When: Only on the first page load when IP detection is active and no language preference cookie exists.
  • Terms of Service: https://ipwhois.io/terms
  • Privacy Policy: https://ipwhois.io/privacy

Credits

Plugin developed by Nick Digital Projects.

License

This plugin is licensed under the GPLv2 or later.

License URI

https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Screenshots

Installation

  1. Upload the plugin files to the /wp-content/plugins/geolang-for-block-editor directory, or install the plugin directly through the WordPress plugins screen.
  2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ screen in WordPress
  3. Navigate to Settings > GeoLang to configure your languages and detection settings

FAQ

Does this plugin work with the Classic Editor?

Yes, GeoLang works with both the block editor and Classic Editor, though it’s optimized for the block editor.

How does IP-based language detection work?

The Free version uses external APIs (ipapi.co, ipwho.is) to detect the visitor’s location and automatically switch to the appropriate language. GeoLang Pro adds support for a local MaxMind GeoLite2 database for unlimited, privacy-compliant detection with no API rate limits.

Can I translate navigation menus?

Yes, GeoLang supports translation of both classic WordPress menus and block editor navigation blocks (Full Site Editing).

How does Switzerland canton-based detection work?

Switzerland has four official languages (German, French, Italian, Romansh) distributed across 26 cantons. Unlike most plugins that default all Swiss visitors to German, GeoLang detects the visitor’s canton from the IP geolocation API and assigns the correct language:

  • Ticino (TI) Italian
  • Geneva (GE), Vaud (VD), Neuchâtel (NE), Jura (JU) French
  • Zurich (ZH), Lucerne (LU), Basel, etc. German
  • Bern (BE) German or French based on browser preference
  • Fribourg (FR), Valais (VS) French or German based on browser preference
  • Grisons (GR) Romansh, Italian, or German based on browser preference

You can also manually override the canton from the IP Test panel in the admin settings for testing purposes.

Does this plugin support multilingual SEO?

Yes, GeoLang automatically generates hreflang tags and HTML lang attributes. It also integrates with RankMath and Yoast SEO for multilingual sitemaps.

What are the differences between Free and Pro versions?

The Free version includes all core multilingual features: block editor integration, path-based routing, IP detection (external APIs), Switzerland canton-aware detection, SEO (hreflang, sitemaps, Yoast, Rank Math), template parts and menu translation, language switcher, and post duplicator. The Pro version adds MaxMind local database, machine translation with DeepL, bulk operations, advanced redirect, import/export, advanced revisions, Paid Memberships Pro integration, and priority support.

Reviews

There are no reviews for this plugin.

Contributors & Developers

“GeoLang for Block Editor” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Contributors

Changelog

1.0.0

  • Initial release
  • WordPress block editor integration
  • IP-based language detection via external APIs
  • Template parts translation for FSE
  • SEO helpers (hreflang, lang attribute)
  • Sitemap support for RankMath and Yoast
  • Foundation revision system
  • Language switcher with customizable styles
  • Post duplicator for quick translation creation