Creating Multilingual Content in Joomla: Articles, Menus, and Modules

Written by: Stephen | 23 November 2025 | Hits: 5
2 min read
Creating Multilingual Content in Joomla: Articles, Menus, and Modules

Once Joomla’s multilingual system is enabled, the next step is creating multilingual content. Joomla does not translate content automatically — instead, you create separate versions of each article, menu item, and module for every language. This guide explains how to structure and manage multilingual content correctly.

Creating Multilingual Articles

Articles must be duplicated for each language. Each version is treated as its own article but can be linked using Associations.

  • Go to Content → Articles
  • Create an article for the first language (e.g., English)
  • Set the Language field to English
  • Save the article
  • Click Save as Copy to duplicate it
  • Change the duplicated article’s Language field (e.g., French)

Articles can be associated:

  • Open the article
  • Go to the Associations tab
  • Link each language version to its counterpart

Creating Multilingual Menus

Each language requires its own menu structure, including a unique Home menu item.

  • Create a menu for each language (e.g., Main Menu EN, Main Menu FR)
  • Set the Menu Language when creating each menu item
  • Assign the correct Home item for each language

Menu Associations allow automatic menu switching when users change languages.

  • Open the menu item
  • Go to Associations
  • Select the matching item in another language

Creating Multilingual Modules

Modules must also exist separately for each language. Joomla displays only modules assigned to the active language.

  • Go to Content → Site Modules
  • Duplicate an existing module (e.g., Menu or Custom)
  • Set the Language field for each version
  • Publish modules in their proper language's menu pages

Examples of multilingual modules:

  • Language-specific navigation menus
  • Custom HTML blocks for each language
  • Language-specific banners

Using Item Associations

Associations allow Joomla to automatically switch to the corresponding version of:

  • Articles
  • Menu items
  • Modules (in some contexts)

This improves user experience when they change languages through the Language Switcher.

Publishing and Testing

  • Ensure each item has a language assigned
  • Test each language using the Language Switcher module
  • Verify menus, pages, and modules switch correctly
  • Check associations for missing links

Conclusion

Creating multilingual content in Joomla involves duplicating articles, menus, and modules and assigning the correct languages. When combined with associations and a proper menu structure, Joomla delivers a seamless multilingual experience without requiring external extensions.