Framer localization lets you publish a single site in multiple languages with one shared design and structure. Visitors are automatically routed to the version matching their browser language, search engines see properly tagged language alternates, and content editors translate text in a centralized panel without rebuilding pages per locale.
Why Localization Matters
Selling globally without localization leaves money on the table. Visitors in non-English markets convert at dramatically lower rates on English-only sites, even when their English is fluent. Studies from CSA Research consistently show that 75 percent of consumers prefer to buy in their native language, and over half say they will not buy from sites that are not localized.
Beyond conversion, localization signals respect for the market and builds trust. A B2B SaaS company targeting German enterprises with an English-only landing page reads as careless. A polished German version with proper currency, formatting, and idioms reads as serious. For markets that matter to your business, localization is a competitive moat, not a polish item.
How Framer Handles Localization
Framer offers native localization at the project level. You set a primary locale (typically English) and add secondary locales for the languages you support. Every page in the project then exposes a translation panel where editors can input translated content for each locale, with the original primary content visible as reference.
The published site serves each language at a distinct URL path: /en for English, /de for German, /fr for French, and so on. Framer automatically generates the proper hreflang tags so search engines understand which version to serve in which region. The visitor experience is seamless: browser language detection or a language switcher in the navigation routes them to the right version.
Setting Up Locales
Open the project settings and add a new locale. Choose from the available languages, including all major European, Asian, and Latin American languages. Each locale has a code (en, de, fr, ja, zh) used in URL paths and hreflang tags. You can also choose between regional variants like en-US and en-GB if those distinctions matter to your audience.
Once a locale is added, every text field in the project exposes a translation panel. Open any text layer and toggle to the locale to edit the translation. Empty translations fall back to the primary locale by default, so you can incrementally translate without breaking the site.
What Can Be Translated
Framer localization covers text content, image alt text, link URLs, meta titles, meta descriptions, and image assets when you want different visuals per locale. Each is editable per locale through the translation panel.
For images, you might use the same hero photograph globally but swap in a localized infographic that includes translated labels for each market. Both are valid patterns. Choose the approach that balances design consistency against market specificity.
URL Structure for Multi-Language Sites
The standard pattern is subdirectory-based URLs: yoursite.com/en, yoursite.com/de, yoursite.com/fr. This keeps everything under one domain, consolidates SEO authority, and is the easiest to manage in Framer. Subdomain-based localization (de.yoursite.com) and ccTLD-based localization (yoursite.de) are alternatives but require more setup and split SEO authority.
Most B2B SaaS and marketing sites use subdirectory structure for these reasons. Reserve ccTLD-based localization for cases where regional branding matters more than global SEO consolidation, such as e-commerce brands with distinct national identities.
Language Switchers
Add a language switcher to your navigation so visitors can manually select their preferred language. The switcher typically appears in the header as a small dropdown showing the current language and offering alternates. Some sites use country flags as visual cues, though flags can be misleading because languages and countries do not map cleanly (Spanish is not just Spain, French is not just France).
The recommended pattern is text-based switchers showing the language name in its native form: English, Deutsch, Espanol, Francais. This is accessible, unambiguous, and works across cultures.
SEO and hreflang
Search engines need to understand which language version of a page to serve to which user. The hreflang tag declares the language and region of each version and points search engines to the alternates. Framer generates these tags automatically based on your locale configuration.
Verify the tags are present after publishing. View the page source and look for link tags with rel attribute equal to alternate and hreflang attributes for each locale. Each language version should include alternate links to every other version, including itself, and a default x-default version typically pointing to the primary locale.
For more on SEO, see our framer SEO guide.
Working With Translators
For meaningful localization, you need professional translators, not machine translation. Tools like DeepL, Google Translate, and ChatGPT are useful for first drafts and short strings, but marketing copy carries brand voice and idiomatic nuance that machines miss. Pay translators to review and polish every page, ideally translators specialized in your industry.
Export translation strings as a CSV or JSON file to share with translators. Framer does not yet offer a direct export API for translation strings, but you can copy text per locale into a spreadsheet, send to translators, and paste their work back into the panel. For larger projects, this workflow becomes inefficient and warrants a custom integration via code components or webhooks.
Right-to-Left Languages
Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi, and Urdu read right-to-left. Framer supports RTL layouts: the text direction reverses, navigation order flips, and layouts mirror appropriately. Configure the locale as RTL in the settings and Framer handles the layout mirroring.
Audit RTL pages carefully because some assets (logos with directional motion, infographics with implied reading order, photographic compositions) need bespoke adjustments. Mirroring is correct for layout, but specific visual elements may need RTL-specific versions.
Currency, Dates, and Numbers
Localization is not just translation. Currency symbols, decimal separators, date formats, and number formats vary by locale. A French visitor expects 1 000,50 EUR. A US visitor expects $1,000.50. A Japanese visitor expects yen with no decimals. Display content in the format the visitor expects.
Framer does not auto-format numeric values per locale; you handle this through translation strings (writing the formatted number directly per locale) or through code components that use the Intl JavaScript API to format dynamically. For marketing sites with few numeric values, manual formatting through translation strings is simpler. For dynamic pricing pages, code components are necessary.
Performance Considerations
Multi-language sites publish each locale as a separate set of static pages, so loading is fast for every locale. Each locale shares the same JavaScript and CSS bundle, only the rendered HTML differs. There is no performance penalty for serving multiple languages on one site, and global CDN routing ensures visitors in each region get a nearby cached copy.
For broader performance guidance, see our website speed optimization guide.
CMS Content Localization
If your site has CMS collections (blog posts, case studies, products), each CMS item supports per-locale fields. Define which fields are localized (typically title, body, excerpt) and which are shared (typically dates, images, tags). Editors translate each item per locale through the CMS interface.
For more on CMS architecture, see our framer cms complete guide. For multi-language design patterns more broadly, see our multi-language website design guide.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Relying entirely on machine translation is the most common mistake. Machine translation often produces stilted prose that reads as obviously non-native and damages trust. Use machines for first drafts and humans for final polish.
Forgetting to localize meta tags is another. Translated body content with English meta titles confuses search engines and visitors. Translate every SEO field per locale.
Ignoring cultural conventions beyond language fails markets. Date formats, currency, address formats, and even colors carry cultural weight. Get a native reviewer on every locale before launch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many languages can I add to a Framer project?
Framer does not publish a hard limit. Most marketing sites use two to six languages. Sites with more languages work but become complex to maintain. Plan for the languages that matter to your business.
Does Framer automatically translate content?
No. Framer provides the infrastructure (URLs, hreflang tags, translation panels) but you provide the translations. Use professional translators for production content.
How does Framer handle hreflang tags?
Framer generates hreflang tags automatically based on your locale configuration. Each page version includes alternate links to every other locale, plus an x-default version.
Can I have different URLs per language?
Yes. Framer uses subdirectory-based URLs by default (yoursite.com/de), and each translated page can have a locale-specific slug if you want, like yoursite.com/de/preise for German pricing.
Does localization affect SEO?
Properly configured localization improves SEO in target markets by giving search engines clear language signals through hreflang and serving native-language content that ranks better than English versions in non-English regions.