=== Lang Forge – Multilingual, Translation & hreflang SEO ===
Contributors: avakodeforge
Donate link: https://avakode.com/?utm_source=wporg&utm_medium=readme&utm_campaign=langforge&utm_content=donate
Tags: multilingual, translation, language switcher, hreflang, woocommerce
Requires at least: 6.5
Tested up to: 7.1
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 1.0.39
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Make your site multilingual — translate posts, WooCommerce products and strings, add a language switcher and correct hreflang SEO.

== Description ==

**Lang Forge** is a modern multilingual plugin that handles multilingual URL routing (4 URL formats), manual post and string translation, a language switcher, hreflang SEO, RTL layouts, a glossary, WooCommerce, unlimited languages, and one-click migration from WPML / Polylang / TranslatePress. It ships a REST API and WP-CLI commands and is a drop-in WPML compatibility layer. AI translation is available as the **Lang Forge Pro** add-on.

= Switching from WPML, Polylang or TranslatePress? =

Lang Forge imports your existing setup instead of making you start over. The migration tool reads your current plugin's data and recreates it: translated posts and their language links, string translations, taxonomy translations, and your language URL structure.

The migration is non-destructive. Your current plugin stays installed and untouched until you confirm the result, so you can compare both side by side and roll back if anything looks wrong.

If you are coming from WPML, you can also keep your existing theme and plugin code working unchanged. Lang Forge ships a WPML compatibility layer that implements the functions third-party code expects — `icl_object_id()`, `icl_get_languages()`, `icl_get_current_language()` and `icl_get_default_language()` — so integrations built against WPML keep working without edits.

= Free =
* Unlimited languages
* Multilingual URL routing — 4 formats (directory `/fr/`, query `?lang=fr`, subdomain, domain mapping)
* Manual post / page / CPT translation linking
* Manual string translation (auto-registered via gettext)
* Language switcher (widget / shortcode / admin bar)
* hreflang tags with x-default, plus an hreflang sitemap
* Glossary
* WooCommerce product and store string translation
* WPML compatibility layer (`icl_object_id()`, `icl_get_languages()`, etc.)
* REST API + WP-CLI commands
* One-click migration from WPML / Polylang / TranslatePress
* RTL support (ar/he/fa/ur/ku)

= Pro =
* AI translation with translation memory
* Visual editor (side-by-side WYSIWYG translation)
* Frontend translation
* Elementor + ACF integration
* Content diff + Translation QA
* Analytics dashboard
* Import / export XLIFF + CSV
* Bulk AI translation, translator roles, media/comment translation, live preview

Part of the **Forge Suite** — bundle includes Rank Forge, Form Forge, Field Forge.

== Third-Party Services ==

This plugin contacts no external service. Translation, the language switcher, string translation, hreflang and migration run on your own site, and the plugin has no analytics, no telemetry and no licensing calls of its own. AI translation and quality checks belong to the separate Lang Forge Pro add-on, which describes the services it uses in its own documentation.

== Installation ==

1. Upload `langforge` to `/wp-content/plugins/`, or install via Plugins → Add New.
2. Activate the plugin.
3. Go to **Lang Forge → Settings** and enable your target languages.
4. (Optional) AI translation comes with the separate Lang Forge Pro add-on; the add-on adds its own Connect screen.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= How do I make my WordPress site multilingual? =

Install Lang Forge, go to Lang Forge → Settings and add the languages you need. Pick how language URLs should look — subdirectories like /fr/, a query parameter, subdomains, or a separate domain per language. From there every post, page and custom post type gets a Language panel where you link or create its translations.

= How do I translate WooCommerce products and categories? =

Lang Forge translates WooCommerce product content, product categories and tags, and store strings such as cart and checkout labels. Open any product in the editor and use the Language panel the same way you would for a post.

= How do I add hreflang tags to WordPress? =

Lang Forge outputs hreflang tags automatically in `wp_head` for every translated URL, including the x-default entry, and generates an hreflang sitemap. No manual markup and no separate SEO plugin configuration needed.

= Can I use a separate domain for each language? =

Yes. Domain mapping is one of the four supported URL formats, alongside subdirectories, subdomains and query parameters. You can point example.fr and example.de at the same WordPress install and Lang Forge will serve the correct language on each.

= How do I migrate from Polylang without losing translations? =

Run the built-in migration tool. It imports your translated posts, the links between them, your string translations and your language URL structure. Polylang stays installed and untouched until you confirm the migration, so nothing is lost if you change your mind.

= Can I migrate from WPML? =

Yes, and your existing code keeps working. Beyond importing your content, Lang Forge provides a WPML compatibility layer implementing `icl_object_id()`, `icl_get_languages()` and related functions, so themes and plugins written against WPML continue to work without modification.

= Will my URLs change if I switch from TranslatePress? =

Only if you want them to. The migration tool reads your current language URL format and reproduces it, so existing links and search rankings stay intact. You can change the format later from Settings if you decide to.

= Does it support right-to-left languages like Arabic and Hebrew? =

Yes. Lang Forge includes RTL support for Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Urdu and Kurdish, switching text direction and adjusting the admin and switcher layout automatically.

= How do I add a language switcher to my menu? =

The switcher is available three ways: as a widget, as a shortcode you can drop anywhere, and in the admin bar. It can display flags, native language names, or both.

= How do I translate strings from my theme or another plugin? =

Any string passed through WordPress translation functions is registered automatically via gettext and appears in the String Translation screen, where you can translate it per language. No .po file editing required.

= Can I translate my site from the command line? =

Yes. Lang Forge ships WP-CLI commands for listing languages, linking and unlinking translations, importing and exporting translation data, and running bulk operations — useful for staging deployments and scripted workflows.

= Is there a way to export translations to XLIFF or CSV? =

Import and export of XLIFF and CSV files is available in Lang Forge Pro, for sending content to external translators or translation agencies.

= How many languages can I use on the free version? =

Unlimited. There is no plan-based cap on the number of languages in the free version.

= Does Lang Forge work with my theme? =

Yes. Lang Forge uses standard WordPress hooks — `the_content`, `get_the_title`, hreflang via `wp_head` — so no theme-specific integration is needed.

= Does it work with Elementor and ACF? =

Elementor and ACF field translation is available in Lang Forge Pro. The free version handles standard post content, custom post types and taxonomies.

= Does it slow down my site? =

Basic translation, the language switcher, string translation and hreflang all run locally with no external requests. Nothing is sent anywhere unless you use an AI feature, which is a Pro add-on.

= Is AI translation included in the free version? =

No. The free version covers manual translation of posts, strings, taxonomies and WooCommerce content. AI translation, translation memory and bulk AI translation are part of the Lang Forge Pro add-on.

= How much does AI translation cost? =

AI translations consume Forge Credits (separate from the subscription). One credit ≈ one short paragraph. Credits don't expire.

= Is my content sent to OpenAI? =

Only when you run an AI feature, and only the text being translated. It goes to the Avakode API, which forwards it to OpenAI or DeepL. No personal data, no admin information, no site URLs. See the Third-Party Services section for the full breakdown.

= What is a glossary and when do I need one? =

A glossary locks specific terms to a fixed translation — brand names, product names, industry terminology — so they stay consistent across every translated page instead of varying between passes.

== Screenshots ==

1. Multilingual setup — add unlimited languages, set language codes, display labels, switcher visibility and the default language.
2. Post translation — the Language panel lists every linked translation and creates missing ones in one click.
3. Translation management — a language column on the posts list with per-language filters, counts and translation shortcuts.
4. Multilingual URL structure — choose subdirectory, query parameter, subdomain or domain mapping, and set the language fallback chain.
5. Language switcher — the front-end switcher with flags and native language names.
6. Migration — Lang Forge detects an existing WPML, Polylang or TranslatePress install and imports it without touching the original data.

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.39 =
* Glossary opens with no licence check. It has always been part of this plugin, and the menu no longer puts it behind a gate that could only answer yes.
* The PRO badge in the menu and in the section tabs marks a screen the Lang Forge Pro add-on provides and this site does not have. It follows whether the add-on is installed, not the licence.
* The String Translation help shows the [langforge_string] shortcode. The old [lf_string] form keeps working in existing content.

= 1.0.38 =
* Fixed: on a site without WPML or Polylang, the first activation made Russian the default language and added English under /en/, whatever language the site was written in. A fresh install now starts with the site's own language (Settings → General → Site Language) as its only language, so an English site stays English; add more languages under Lang Forge → Languages.

= 1.0.37 =
* **This release needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.0 or newer.** An older add-on is switched off whole rather than left running, because beside this core it would be present and wrong rather than absent. Until you update it AI translation, bulk AI translation, translation memory, translation QA and the frontend editor are unavailable. Translations already saved are untouched, an admin notice names both versions and what stopped, and installing the current add-on brings all of it back.
* Deleting the last Forge product on a site now clears the job queue the Forge plugins share — its table, its two scheduled events and its version marker. While any other Forge product is still installed, deleting this one leaves the queue exactly as it is, because the pending jobs in those rows are that product's too.
* Fixed: Lang Forge → Tools stopped with a fatal error on a site whose licence includes bulk duplication while the Pro add-on is not loaded. The card shows the Pro teaser instead.

= 1.0.36 =
* No change in this package: the release updated parts that ship only in the edition distributed through avakode.com.

= 1.0.35 =
* No change in this package: the release updated parts that ship only in the edition distributed through avakode.com.

= 1.0.34 =
* Smaller package and one less admin surface: the SDK’s own menu, opt-in screen and promotional notices are gone.

= 1.0.33 =
* No change in this package: the release updated parts that ship only in the edition distributed through avakode.com.

= 1.0.32 =
* No change in this package: the release updated parts that ship only in the edition distributed through avakode.com.

= 1.0.31 =
* Fixed: requesting a URL that doesn't exist answered with a redirect to the homepage instead of a 404. The "missing translation → language homepage" fallback now fires only when the request itself names a language — a language-prefixed URL, a ?lang= parameter, a language subdomain or mapped domain, or the language cookie from an earlier switch. A dead URL with no language signal returns a real 404: your theme's 404 page for visitors, and the correct status code for search engines instead of a soft-404.

= 1.0.30 =
* Declares support for WordPress 7.1. Checked against 7.1-RC3, where the post editor canvas moves into an iframe for good: the language panel, the admin-bar switcher and the editor scripts all still work, because they read the post through the editor's own data store rather than reaching into the canvas.
* The sibling plugin formerly called SEO Forge is now Rank Forge, so the shared Forge screens and the cross-links name it correctly.

= 1.0.29 =
* No change in this package: the release updated parts that ship only in the edition distributed through avakode.com.

= 1.0.28 =
* No change in this package: the release updated parts that ship only in the edition distributed through avakode.com.

= 1.0.27 =
* No change in this package: the release updated parts that ship only in the edition distributed through avakode.com.

= 1.0.26 =
* Fixed: hreflang alternates pointed at the page being viewed instead of the translation. On an English page the `es`, `de` and `x-default` links all resolved back to the English URL (and the same on every other language), so search engines discarded the annotation. Both the `wp_head` tags and the hreflang sitemap are affected.
* Fixed: the canonical URL on a translated page could resolve to a sibling translation instead of the page itself.
* Fixed: on a non-default-language page, permalinks lost their language prefix, because the language-aware `home_url()` was being used as the base for detecting it.
* Fixed: `/sitemap-hreflang.xml` and `/sitemap-hreflang-N.xml` were redirected to a trailing-slash URL before the sitemap could render.
* Plugin name now mentions hreflang SEO, which the plugin has always handled.

= 1.0.25 =
* readme: clearer plugin title, updated tags and an expanded FAQ covering multilingual setup, WooCommerce, hreflang, migration and RTL.
* No functional changes.

= 1.0.24 =
* Security hardening: all dynamic output is now escaped late with the context-appropriate function (esc_html/esc_attr/esc_url, esc_html__ for translated strings used as format strings, and wp_kses for trusted pre-built admin markup). No behavioural changes.
* The glossary CSV export now neutralises CSV/formula injection in exported cells.

= 1.0.23 =
* Free now supports an unlimited number of languages with no plan-based cap — removed all license-gated language-limit code (no "locked" language rows, no over-limit notice, no limit on saving).
* Tightened the glossary REST list endpoint to the same administrator capability as glossary management.

= 1.0.22 =
* Hardened WP-CLI export: files are now always written to a plugin-slug folder inside the uploads directory (wp-content/uploads/langforge/) instead of an arbitrary path, so nothing is ever written into the plugin folder.
* Uninstall cleanup now only removes data under the plugin's own unambiguous prefix, so unrelated options/metadata belonging to other plugins are never deleted.

= 1.0.18 =
* New: Support menu item that opens the Avakode support dashboard.
* New: Contextual, dismissible Pro feature tips on the plugin dashboard (Free users only).


= 1.0.15 =
* WordPress.org compliance and licensing hardening.
* Pro entitlement is now resolved by the Lang Forge Pro add-on; the free plugin bundles no licensing SDK.
* The plugin no longer modifies admin notices belonging to other plugins.
* readme metadata cleanup.

= 1.0.0 =
* Initial release.

== Upgrade Notice ==


= 1.0.39 =
Still needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.0 or newer. Glossary opens with no licence check, the PRO badges follow whether the add-on is installed, and the String Translation help names the shortcode that works.

= 1.0.38 =
Still needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.0 or newer. A fresh install on a site without WPML or Polylang now starts in the site's own language instead of switching it to Russian; language settings you already have are not changed.

= 1.0.37 =
Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.0 or newer — an older add-on is switched off whole, so AI translation, translation memory, QA and the frontend editor stop until you update it. Translations already saved are untouched.

= 1.0.29 =
Maintenance release.

= 1.0.28 =
Maintenance release.

= 1.0.27 =
Complete, corrected translations for all 15 supported languages, and a 24% smaller download.

= 1.0.26 =
Important SEO fix: hreflang alternates and canonical URLs on translated pages were pointing at the wrong page. Update if you rely on multilingual SEO.

= 1.0.25 =
Documentation-only update: clearer title, better tags and a much larger FAQ.

= 1.0.18 =
Adds a Support menu and dashboard Pro tips.


= 1.0.15 =
Licensing and WordPress.org compliance improvements.

= 1.0.0 =
Initial release.
