Multi lingual website builder without plugins

In many CMS platforms, multilingual support is added later through plugins. That approach usually creates a few common problems:

• Different plugins handle URLs, metadata, and content structure differently
• Upgrades can break compatibility
• SEO configuration becomes fragmented across several screens/tools
• Translation coverage is incomplete (e.g., menu items or reusable blocks are forgotten)

Pivlu CMS treats language as part of the core content model, so multilingual behavior is consistent across the whole system. You don’t “bolt on” languages—you publish content in a structured way where every language is supported by design.

What you get when multilingual is native:

• A predictable workflow for editors
• Consistent URL rules and navigation
• Translation coverage across all content types
• Cleaner performance (no extra plugin layers)
• A simpler SEO story

Translate everything (not just the page body)

A multilingual website is only as good as its weakest untranslated piece. Real multilingual support must go beyond “body text” and cover every element that is visible to users and search engines.

1) Titles and SEO metadata

Each language should have its own:

• Page title (H1 and browser title as needed)
• Meta title and meta description
• Social sharing metadata (Open Graph / Twitter)
• Image alt text where applicable

This matters because users search differently in different languages, and search snippets should match local intent.

2) Content and structured fields

Beyond simple rich text, modern pages contain structured data:

• Feature lists
• Pricing tables
• FAQs
• Cards, sliders, callouts
• Form labels and validation messages

Pivlu CMS supports translating structured fields so each language version is complete and consistent.

3) Different URL for each language

A multilingual site should not reuse the same URL for different languages. Each language needs its own URL structure so:

• Search engines can index each language version correctly
• Users can share links that remain in the intended language
• Analytics and reporting are clearer

Example:

• English: https://site.com/pricing
• Spanish: https://es.site.com/precios
• French: https://fr.site.com/tarifs

4) Translatable block contents (reusable sections)

Many websites use reusable blocks (hero sections, testimonials, CTAs, footer columns). If blocks aren’t translatable, you’ll end up with “mostly translated” pages that still contain English fragments.

With Pivlu CMS, block contents are translatable, which means:

• Reusable blocks can have language-specific text
• Your pages stay consistent across the site
• Editors don’t need workarounds like duplicating blocks per language

Language structure: one subdomain per language

A clear and scalable multilingual setup is to give each additional language its own location. In Pivlu CMS, a common approach is:

• Default language on the main domain: site.com
• Additional languages on their own subdomains:
  • es.site.com
  • fr.site.com
  • de.site.com

This is a clean mental model for users and teams: each language behaves like its own “site experience”, while still being managed from one CMS.

Benefits of language subdomains:

• Strong separation between language versions
• Clear indexing and performance tracking per language
• Easy server/CDN routing rules
• Straightforward canonical and hreflang mapping

Note: In some strategies, languages are placed in subfolders (e.g., site.com/es/). Pivlu’s approach can be implemented with subdomains as shown above; choose the strategy that fits your infrastructure, brand constraints, and SEO plan. The key is consistency.

Best practices for SEO multi lingual websites

A multilingual site should be built for both humans and search engines. Here are the practices that matter most.

1) Use hreflang correctly

hreflang tells search engines which language version to show to which audience.

• Each page should reference its alternate language versions
• Each language version should reference back (reciprocal linking)
• Include x-default if you have a default language/selector page

Example conceptually (not full code):

• English page points to Spanish and French equivalents
• Spanish page points to English and French equivalents
• French page points to English and Spanish equivalents

2) Ensure each language page is fully localized

Avoid “translated text with untranslated structure”. Search engines and users notice:

• Don’t forget navigation labels, buttons, footers
• Translate headings and image alt text
• Localize currency, units, and date formats when relevant

3) Create language-specific slugs

Don’t just copy the English slug into other languages. Slugs are part of the page’s relevance.

• /pricing → precios (ES) / tarifs (FR)
• Keep them short, readable, and consistent

4) Canonicals must not conflict across languages

Each language URL should typically be canonical to itself (unless you intentionally want consolidation, which is rare for true multilingual sites).

• English canonical → English URL
• Spanish canonical → Spanish URL

5) Avoid automatic redirects based only on IP

It’s okay to suggest a language, but forced redirects can harm SEO and user choice.

Good pattern:

• Detect browser language and suggest switching
• Always allow users to stay on the current language
• Keep language preference persistent (cookie/local storage)

6) Provide separate sitemaps or a sitemap index

For larger sites, organize sitemaps per language:

• sitemap-en.xml
• sitemap-es.xml
• sitemap-fr.xml

Or use a sitemap index referencing each. This makes monitoring and troubleshooting easier.

7) Make internal linking language-consistent

When a user is browsing Spanish, internal links should keep them in Spanish unless there’s a deliberate reason.

This improves:

• User experience
• Crawl efficiency
• Engagement metrics that indirectly support SEO

Language switcher: simple for users, powerful for SEO

A multilingual site needs a clear way for users to switch languages at any time. A good language switcher should:

• Be visible (often in header and/or footer)
• Switch to the equivalent page when available
  • If I’m on /precios in Spanish, switching to English should take me to /pricing, not the homepage.
• Remember user preference
• Never break URLs or create duplicate/incorrect indexing signals

In Pivlu CMS, the language switcher works best when it’s driven by the CMS’s understanding of content relationships: each translation is connected to the same “page entity,” so switching languages stays context-aware.

Summary

Pivlu CMS approaches multilingual the way it should be done in modern websites: not as an add-on, but as a core capability.

• Multi lingual website builder without plugins
• Translate everything: titles, content, language-specific URLs, and translatable block contents
• SEO best practices like hreflang, localized slugs, correct canonicals, and clean sitemap structure
• Each additional language can live on its own subfolder (e.g., site.com/es, site.com/fr) or subdomain (e.g., es.site.com, fr.site.com)
• A language switcher that keeps users on the equivalent page and respects user choice

If multilingual is part of your growth plan—new markets, international SEO, or simply a better experience for global users—building it natively from day one is the simplest way to scale without technical debt.