Starting from version 7.5.5, Complianz Premium introduces a new way of managing translations, dynamically via API, instead of bundling them directly in the plugin package. This guide explains how this system works, what benefits it brings, and what happens behind the scenes when translations are fetched or updated.
Why We Changed the Translation System
Previously, Complianz Premium included all translation files (.po, .mo, .json) directly in the plugin. While convenient at first, this approach made the plugin package heavier and slowed down installations and updates. It also meant translations could become outdated between releases.
With the new system, translations are fetched on demand, based on your admin or site language, ensuring that you always receive the most recent and context-accurate strings.
How It Works
When you install or update Complianz Premium, the plugin automatically checks your preferred language using this order of priority:
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Admin interface language (your user locale)
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Site language
Once the language is detected, the plugin performs these steps automatically:
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Sends a request to the Complianz translation server, including your plugin version and language code.
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Downloads a small ZIP archive containing the relevant
.po,.mo, and.jsontranslation files. -
Removes any outdated translation files.
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Extracts the new ones into the plugin’s internal languages directory.
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Sets a periodic cron job that checks for updates and refreshes translations automatically.
No manual steps are required; the process runs entirely in the background.
Managing Translations Manually
You can manage the new translation system directly from your WordPress dashboard by navigating to Tools → Translations.
From this section, you can choose how often the cron job should check for translation updates. The default frequency is weekly, but you can change it to daily, monthly, or disable it entirely if you prefer manual control.
If a translation update doesn’t fetch automatically, you can manually trigger the request by clicking: Check Now. This action immediately sends an API request to the Complianz translation server and downloads the latest available translation files for your language.
This flexibility allows you to balance performance with update frequency, depending on your workflow or server configuration.
Compatibility with Multilingual Plugins
The new dynamic translation system is fully compatible with plugins such as WPML and Polylang, which define specific locales within WordPress. These plugins have been tested to ensure translations are correctly fetched and applied according to the selected language context.
Plugins like TranslatePress, GTranslate, or other tools that operate purely on the front end won’t appear within the Translations tab. This is because they work directly with the original complianz-gdpr.pot file instead of providing a distinct locale-based backend integration.
Learn More About Translating Legal Documents and Banners
If you’re using Complianz with a multilingual setup, you can also translate your cookie banner and legal documents using your preferred translation plugin. Follow these detailed guides to learn how:
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Translate legal documents to multiple languages with Polylang
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Translate legal documents to multiple languages with TranslatePress
These tutorials cover how to synchronize your multilingual setup with Complianz and ensure that your banner and legal documents are properly localized across all your site’s languages.
If you experience specific or unusual issues with translation fetching or plugin compatibility, you can reach out to our Support Team for assistance.