You added a second language, but there's no Language selector on your storefront, or the selector only lists one language. Without it, shoppers who land on the wrong language have no way to switch. This guide covers what controls the selector, why it goes missing and how to get it showing.
What controls the selector
Shopify's Markets documentation says most Shopify themes include built-in country and language selectors, usually in the header or footer, and you switch them on in the theme editor. The selector can only offer languages your store has published and made available where the shopper is browsing.
- Theme setting: The selector is a theme option, not an automatic feature
- Published languages: Shopify states unpublished languages are hidden from customers
- Domains and markets: Shopify assigns languages to domains, and each market uses a domain
Common causes
The language exists but one of the links between it and the shopper is missing.
- Selector turned off: The Language selector option isn't activated in the header or footer section
- Language not published: The language was added in Settings but never published
- Language not on this domain: The language is published but not turned on for the domain or market the shopper uses
- Theme has no selector: Some themes, especially older or custom ones, don't include one
- Editing the wrong theme: The setting was changed on a theme that isn't published
Check what is missing
Work through the setup in order. Stop at the first step that fails.
- Languages: Go to Settings, then Languages, and confirm the language is published
- Domains: On the same page, check which domains or market subfolders the language is turned on for
- Markets: In Markets, open the market and check its Domain / language setting
- Theme: Go to Online Store, click Edit theme on your published theme, and look in the header and footer sections
Fix it step by step
Shopify's steps for the theme are short. Fix the language setup first so the selector has something to show.
- Publish the language: In Settings, then Languages, open the language menu and choose Publish
- Assign it: Turn the language on for the right domains, or add it to the market's Domain / language setting
- Turn on the selector: In the theme editor, open the header or footer section, activate the Language selector and the Country/region selector, then click Save
- No option in your theme: Shopify suggests a third-party app from the Shopify App Store, or checking with your theme developer
Prevent it
- ✅ Check the storefront in each language right after publishing it
- ✅ Re-check the selector after switching or updating themes
- ✅ Turn on language redirection in Online Store, then Preferences, so shoppers start in their browser language when it's available
- ❌ Don't rely on redirection alone, since shoppers still need a way to switch
For setting languages up from scratch, see add languages to Shopify Markets.
Doing this at scale
A selector only helps if the language behind it is fully translated. LinguaFlow drafts AI translations for each language you add, applies your brand glossary and tone rules, lets you review and edit before publishing, and publishes through Shopify's native Translations API with no theme edits. See LinguaFlow.