A translated product page with "Size" and "Color" still in English looks unfinished, and it can confuse a customer at the exact moment they choose what to buy. Option names and values are separate from the product description, so they are easy to miss. This guide covers what needs translating, where to do it in Shopify, and how to keep it consistent.
What needs translating on a variant
A variant is a combination of option values, such as Medium and Blue. Shopify's Translations API treats the option name and each option value as their own translatable items, separate from the product title and description. Translate those and the variant picker follows.
| Item | Example | Translatable |
|---|---|---|
| Product title and description | Linen Wrap Dress | Yes |
| Option name | Size, Color, Material | Yes |
| Option value | Small, Sage Green, Linen | Yes |
| Product tags | summer, sale | No. Shopify says tags can't be translated |
Where to translate options in Shopify
Shopify's Translate & Adapt app is installed when you add a language. You can open it from Apps, or go straight from a product. If you are still setting up languages, start with adding languages with Shopify Markets.
- From the product: Open the product page, click More actions, then Localize
- Choose the language: If you have more than one, pick it from the drop-down
- Enter translations: Fill in the fields for the product, then click Save
- Missing field: Shopify's advice is to export the translations CSV from Settings, then Languages. If a field is not in the CSV, it is not translatable
Decide what to translate and what to keep
Not every option value should change. Decide the rule once per type of value, then apply it to the whole catalog.
- ✅ Translate descriptive values: colors, materials, styles, flavours
- ✅ Translate option names: Size, Color, Length
- ❌ Do not translate letter sizes such as S, M and L unless the market uses different labels
- ❌ Do not translate trademarked color or collection names you want kept as they are
Keep values consistent across the catalog
The same value appears on many products. If "Sage Green" becomes three different phrases in French, your storefront looks careless and customers cannot compare products easily. A glossary solves this, as explained in building a translation glossary.
- One term, one translation: Fix the translation for each repeated value
- Source cleanup: Fix inconsistent values in your default language first, such as "Grey" and "Gray"
Check the result on the storefront
Option text shows up in more places than the product page. After you save, switch your storefront to the new language and walk through a purchase.
- Product page: The variant picker labels and values
- Collection filters: Filter labels built from your options, if your theme uses them
- Apps: Shopify notes that third-party apps might not support multiple languages by default, so check any app that displays variants
Doing this at scale
LinguaFlow drafts AI translations for each language you add and applies your brand glossary and tone rules, so repeated terms stay consistent. You review and edit before publishing, and it publishes through Shopify's native Translations API with no theme edits, with an audit log and rollback. See LinguaFlow.