Plugin localization

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Hi Polyglots teamPolyglots Team Polyglots Team is a group of multilingual translators who work on translating plugins, themes, documentation, and front-facing marketing copy. https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/teams/.,

I’m creating a pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party and would like to clarify the rules regarding plugin names and short descriptions. My plugin is a global product that is known under different names in different regions.

Could you please confirm:

Is it officially allowed to include a localized brand name or variant in the **short description** (so it appears in the metaMeta Meta is a term that refers to the inside workings of a group. For us, this is the team that works on internal WordPress sites like WordCamp Central and Make WordPress. title, meta description, and search results)?

Or must the plugin always appear under the same English name in every localeLocale Locale = language version, often a combination of a language code and a region code, for instance es_MX denotes Spanish as it’s used in Mexico. A list of all locales supported by WordPress in https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/teams/, even if users in that market know it by a different name?

If localized brand variants are not allowed in the short description, does this mean the only option is to create separate plugins for each market? Or is there an approved way to adapt one plugin listing for multiple markets?

Thank you very much for clarifying this. I’d like to ensure I follow the guidelines consistently across all localesLocale Locale = language version, often a combination of a language code and a region code, for instance es_MX denotes Spanish as it’s used in Mexico. A list of all locales supported by WordPress in https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/teams/.

#request

tobifjellner (Tor-Bjorn “Tobi” Fjellner) 6:51 am on September 5, 2025
Hi,
Each localeLocale Locale = language version, often a combination of a language code and a region code, for instance es_MX denotes Spanish as it’s used in Mexico. A list of all locales supported by WordPress in https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/teams/ team sets their own style guide.
Most teams keep the original pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party name as it is written in English, to make it easier to distinguish and find the correct plugin even if you’re using WordPress in a different language. (In Swedish, we may replace the English preposition “for” with the Swedish translation “för” — but that’s about it.)

Translating the plugin description with different names is technically possible, but such a practice would be on the border with regards to our general expectations on translations, in that it should be a truthful translation.

In the case you describe, I’d recommend:
- give your plugin a unique own name.
- describe the “multi brand” situation in the readme, mentioning all the relevant brands for various markets.
- if your own team will provide translations, ask them to register their own, personal accounts here; check the routines and style guide of their target locale (ref: https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/handbook/translating/glossaries-and-style-guides-per-locale/ and https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/handbook/translating/teams/local-slacks/); and suggest translations. When there are good translations pending, you can post a request to promote these users as PTEProject Translation Editor A Project Translation Editor (often referred to as PTE) is a person, who has access to validate strings on a specific project (for example BuddyPress, WooCommerce or Twenty Fourteen) for one specific locale. A project translation editor can approve strings that are added by translation contributors. Per project translation, editors are appointed by a general translation editor after a request by the project author or by the contributors themselves. for their respective locale.
- Join the global SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. team for WordPress contributors via https://make.wordpress.org/chat/, then you can more conveniently ask more in our Slack channel “polyglots”.
Dev master 8:47 am on September 5, 2025

Just to refine my question: I fully understand that the pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party name itself should remain consistent and untranslated. My main concern is the Search engines aspect. For example, if the plugin’s metaMeta Meta is a term that refers to the inside workings of a group. For us, this is the team that works on internal WordPress sites like WordCamp Central and Make WordPress. title says *“[Plugin brand name] – Scheduling System”*, is it acceptable to translate the descriptive term *“scheduling system”* into the local language for better clarity, understanding and trust for local users?

In other words, is it allowed to translate descriptive terms in the meta title and description while keeping the plugin name unchanged, or would that still fall outside the translation guidelines?

Thanks again for your guidance!
- tobifjellner (Tor-Bjorn “Tobi” Fjellner) 11:22 am on September 5, 2025
  
  @plugindevel
  Most localesLocale Locale = language version, often a combination of a language code and a region code, for instance es_MX denotes Spanish as it’s used in Mexico. A list of all locales supported by WordPress in https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/teams/ will just pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party name.
  For this reason, it’s usually best to avoid long, descriptive plugin names, like (just making something up) “Your very best WordPress plugin to safely guard favorite hotels in all parts of the world, including Myanmar and Bangladesh”.
  
  The “Plugin description”, on the other hand, is the perfect place to give this kind of information.
  At first, I understood your question like you might be interfacing towards different brands in various markets, say if you had a plugin to order consumer ice-cream, which may be marketed as GB in Sweden, Algida in Spain, etc. In that case it might be OK to “localize” rather than just “translate” the plugin description field. But if you do that, then it would be very useful to provide all relevant brands further down in the readme.

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Plugin localization

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