=== 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: 1.2.12
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. 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 call the same functions without edits. One difference to check: unlike WPML, a translation that is still a draft counts as “no translation” for visitors, so `icl_object_id()` gives back the original page (or nothing) until you publish the translation.

= 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
* Priority email support with an active Pro licence

Part of the **Forge Suite**: twelve WordPress and WooCommerce plugins by Avakode, including Rank Forge, Form Forge and Field Forge.

== External services ==

Every outbound request this plugin makes is listed below. Activating it, and opening its screens, contacts nobody.

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 can keep calling the same functions. 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 work without modification. One difference: unlike WPML, a translation that is still a draft counts as “no translation” for visitors, so these functions return the original page (or nothing) until the translation is published; editors previewing the draft still see it.

= 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.

= My site has a very large String Translation table. How do I update its key? =

After an update Lang Forge rebuilds the key of its strings table once, when an admin page is opened, so that names that differ only in case or accent ("Size" and "size", "Resume" and "Résumé") are separate strings. On a site whose strings table has more than 500,000 rows it does not change the table when the admin is opened, because a web request must not hold such a table for minutes, and the admin shows no notice about it. Run `wp langforge strings-key` to see the state and `wp langforge strings-key --yes` to rebuild the key, whatever the number of rows. Until then the site works as before.

= 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.
This plugin sends nothing anywhere. The separate Pro add-on, if you add it, lists its own requests in its readme.

= 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? =

Not by this plugin; AI translation is a feature of the separate Pro add-on, which lists its own requests in its readme.

= 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 ==

= 1.2.12 =
* The Forge Suite dashboard lists Cascade Forge and Inclusive Forge as available on wordpress.org. The plugin logo and icon use the new mark.
* The shared e-mail template carries a note for the wordpress.org code check; the e-mails it sends are unchanged.
* Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before.

= 1.2.11 =
* Alt text and caption of a picture can be translated. The Media Translations box on the full Edit Media screen of a picture (pictures only, not PDF or video files) now saves what you type for each language; before, the fields were shown and nothing was kept. A page in that language shows them: pictures in posts and pages, the WooCommerce product gallery in a classic theme (main picture, thumbnails, lightbox, the picture of a chosen variation) and the Product Gallery block of a block theme (alt text of the main picture, thumbnails and lightbox). A language left empty shows the text of the main language. The alt text and the caption of the media library and of the original language stay as they are.
* Fixed: the text WooCommerce saves with a variation (for example "Color: Red" or "Color: Rojo") could take the attribute value in the wrong language when a plugin or the theme works on a copy of the value while it is read. It keeps the language of the product now.
* Fixed: on a site where a language has its own subdomain or its own domain, the summary of a translated variation showed the original name ("Red", or "Crimson" after you renamed the value) instead of "Rojo" when you saved the variation or renamed an attribute value in the admin of that language. It stays in the language of the variation.
* Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before.

= 1.2.10 =
* Strings that differ only in letter case or accent ("Size" and "size", "Resume" and "Résumé") are now separate strings on the String Translation screen, each with its own translation on the translated page. Before, the second one was never listed and the page showed the translation of the first. The first admin page you open after the update changes the strings table; your strings and translations are kept. On a store with more than 500,000 strings run `wp langforge strings-key --yes` (see the FAQ).
* The "Find WooCommerce strings" button goes on from where it stopped after you close the tab or the connection drops, says "Continuing the last search from where it stopped." and does not count a string twice. A new "Start over" link searches from the beginning.
* WooCommerce refund emails go out in the language of the order, with the subject, heading and text you saved or translated, also when two refunds are sent in one request. Fixed: the second email of such a request could go out with the default WooCommerce text.
* Fixed: saving the WooCommerce email settings from a page in a translated language, or through the REST API, could store the translated texts as the texts of the original.
* The summary WooCommerce saves with a variation of a translated product (for example "Color: Red") is written in the language of that product, whichever language the page is in when the variation is saved. The variation of the original product keeps the original language.
* The hint above the values of an attribute without Enable archives? now says that each value you save is listed on the String Translation screen and that "Find WooCommerce strings" lists the values saved before. Before, it sent you to Add New String.
* New WP-CLI command `wp langforge strings-key`: it shows the state of the strings table and, with --yes, rebuilds its key on a store with a very large strings table.
* `wp langforge import` now lists, one line each, the rows of the file that the import did not take as written (a row the page has no place for, tags that were mended, a block that was rebuilt), the same notes the import screen shows. It needs Lang Forge Pro 1.3.5, which reports them; with an older Pro the command prints only the count.
* Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before.

= 1.2.9 =
* The String Translation screen now lists the texts of your WooCommerce emails (subject, heading, additional content and the footer), and a new "Find WooCommerce strings" button looks through the shop in small steps and adds the texts, attribute names and attribute values that were saved before. A translation typed there is used in the email sent in the language of the order, the partial refund email included; a text without a translation stays as you wrote it. Links in a translated email text are kept, scripts are removed.
* Translated posts now open under the language folder with every permalink structure, for example "Month and name", "Numeric", with a category, an author or a /blog/ base, and so do custom post types under a base such as /blog/. The next pages of a post or a page (/es/my-post/2/) and its comment pages open too, and the links of "Pages: 1 2 3" keep the language folder. Fixed: with these structures the address of a translated post led to the language home page.
* The names of the values of a variable product's attributes on a translated page are in the language of the page also on a store with a persistent object cache (Redis, Memcached). Fixed: they could come out in the language of the visitor who opened the product first.
* The screen of the values of an attribute without Enable archives? now explains how to translate its values.
* After you remove a language, the "Orphaned translations" notice (Leave published, Move to Draft, Delete permanently) shows also on a store with a persistent object cache, and its buttons work on every admin screen. Fixed: the notice could be lost, and on screens such as the Dashboard its buttons did nothing.
* The new post addresses start to work with the first page view after the update: you do not need to save Permalinks again.
* Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before.

= 1.2.8 =
* Feeds under a language folder now work: the feed of the site (/es/feed/), of a category, tag, author or search, the comments feed of a post, and the comments feed of the language (/es/comments/feed/), which lists only the comments on posts in that language. The feed links in the head of a translated page point at them. Fixed: these addresses led to a page or to the feed of the default language.
* Archive pages under a language folder (category, tag, date, author, search results, the shop and a product category) now list their posts and products on a site with a static front page, and their page 2, author, search and date addresses open. Fixed: such a page could come out as the front page without posts, and some addresses sent the visitor to the language home page.
* A variable WooCommerce product on a translated page now shows the values of its attributes: a global attribute (for example Color) shows the name of its translated term, a custom attribute its translated values, and the name of the variation in the cart, the order and the emails is in the language of the product. A value that is not translated yet is shown in the language of the original. Fixed: the choices of a variable product could come out empty.
* The language of the page is kept by the login, registration, lost password and password reset forms (for example wp-login.php?lang=es): the screen after you send the form, the email and the link in it stay in that language when its language pack is installed.
* WordPress emails to the admin address in Settings, General (new user, password changed, comment waiting for moderation) are written in the language of the site also when no user has that address. Before, they followed the language of the page.
* The new feed and archive addresses start to work with the first page view after the update: you do not need to save Permalinks again.
* Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before.

= 1.2.7 =
* Variations of a variable WooCommerce product are now created for each translation and follow the product in the default language: price, SKU, GTIN, image, attributes and shipping class. Translations made before get their variations the next time the original or the translation is saved.
* Stock changes (orders, refunds, edits) on a product or variation in any language now update the same product in the other languages, also a stock status set by hand (for example Out of stock) on a product that does not track its quantity.
* The price, SKU and stock of a product in the default language are copied to its translations by the save that changed them. Before, the translations received the values of the save before, and a price changed through the REST API, an import or another plugin could miss them.
* A translated product may share its SKU or GTIN with the original without blocking the original's save.
* Saving a translated product no longer overwrites the original's price or stock status.
* The AI Translate button also translates variation descriptions.
* Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before.

= 1.2.6 =
* WooCommerce and WordPress texts on a translated page (cart, checkout, My account, login, field labels) are now shown in the language of that page when its language pack is installed. Before, they were in the language of the site.
* WooCommerce emails to the shop staff stay in the language of the site, also when they are sent from a translated page.
* WordPress emails to the site staff who have no language of their own in their profile (password changed, comment waiting for moderation, new user) are written in the language of the site; emails to customers in the language of the page.
* The texts of Lang Forge Pro on a translated page are now in the language of that page too.
* Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before.

= 1.2.5 =
* WooCommerce emails to the customer about an order (order confirmation, status changes, customer notes, refunds, invoices) are now written in the language the order was placed in, also when they are sent from wp-admin, in bulk, by a scheduled task or through the REST API: subject, heading and text. A subject, heading or additional text saved in the email settings is sent as saved. Emails to the shop staff stay in the language of the site. Before, customer emails went out in the language of the screen or task that sent them. With WPML active, for a language that is not enabled in Lang Forge, or for a language whose WordPress language pack is not installed, emails go out as before.
* Orders placed through the Checkout block are saved in the language of the cart or checkout page the customer saw last. Before, on a site that uses language folders or ?lang= in the address, such an order could be saved in the default language.
* With the Checkout block on a translated page, the customer is now sent to the thank-you page in the language of the order. Before, the address had no language folder.
* WooCommerce pages under a language folder (for example /es/my-account/orders/ and the thank-you page /es/checkout/order-received/123/) now open. Before, the visitor saw "page not found", or was sent to the language home page when "Use fallback languages" is on. The same applied to pages of other plugins that add their own page endpoint.
* Translated Cart, Checkout and My account pages now tell page caches not to store them, the same way the original pages do.
* The Plain language switcher now shows the language name (for example "Deutsch") instead of the language code ("de") when the Display field of a language in Languages is empty or holds just the code. Before, saving the Languages form put the code into an empty Display field, and Plain printed it. A label you typed yourself (for example "eng" or "DE") is kept as it is.
* Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before.

= 1.2.4 =
* Custom fields are now copied to a new translation exactly as they are stored. Before, a custom field with several values kept only the last one, and a field that holds a list of settings or text with backslashes (page builder data, custom CSS) could come out changed in the translation.
* The copies made for Divi, Elementor, Yoast SEO and WooCommerce no longer drop the backslashes of a value, for example in custom CSS.
* The TranslatePress migration copies custom fields the same way. Before, it removed backslashes from page builder data and could stop with an error on a field that holds an object.
* Translations that were made before this update are not changed.
* Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before.

= 1.2.3 =
* The "Link" button next to a translation now refuses a post that is the original itself, that does not exist, that is of another type (a page for a post, for example) or that is in the Trash, and it says why. Before, it accepted the original itself, a post of another type and a post in the Trash, and a missing post got only the word "Forbidden".
* After a failed "Link" attempt the button keeps its own label. Before, it changed to "Link existing".
* Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before.

= 1.2.2 =
* The dropdown language switcher can now be opened without a mouse. It opens when you reach it with the keyboard or tap it on a touch screen, and the language you are on shows a visible outline. Before, the list opened only on mouse hover, so keyboard and touch users could not pick a language.
* The Language Switcher box on the settings page no longer suggests a menu item as a placement. It names the placements that exist: widget, shortcode and template function.
* Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before.

= 1.2.1 =
* Fixed a fatal error on sites that run WooCommerce. The 1.2.0 package from WordPress.org called a function that was not in the package, so a page with an Add to cart button, a product attribute label or WooCommerce breadcrumbs could stop with an error. If you run WooCommerce, update now.
* Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before.

= 1.2.0 =
* With Lang Forge Pro 1.3.0 or newer, AI translation no longer fills a part that did not come back with the source text: the whole request fails with its own message and nothing is written. The parts that did come back are kept for an hour, so a second try pays only for the parts that failed, and a post with no content (or no title and excerpt) sends no empty request.
* With Lang Forge Pro 1.3.0 or newer, a kept draft with a failure record has a Retry AI translation button on its language row (post box and posts column), and a second click on an AI button while its request is out does nothing.
* The record of a failed translation is kept per language, so two jobs of one post can no longer drop each other's record. A record written by an older version is still read and moved.
* WP-CLI export: --output must be a plain file name with one dot and an export extension (csv, xliff or xlf) and --lang a plain language code; a refused call stops before any query is run or any folder is made.
* Deleting the last Forge plugin or add-on on a site now removes everything Forge stored on the site, on every site of a network: the statistics settings and the install ID, the shared job queue with its scheduled events, and the other settings and caches the Forge plugins share. While another Forge product stays, only this plugin's own share goes.
* Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before.

= 1.1.0 =
* The functions that WPML-style theme code calls — `icl_object_id()`, the `wpml_object_id` filter and `langforge_get_translation()` (and `langforge_get_post_translations()`) — treat a translation that is not published (a draft, pending, scheduled or private one) as “no translation” when a visitor loads the page: they return the original page when your code asks for it, or nothing, so the address of an unpublished page never reaches the theme. This differs from WPML, which does not hold a draft translation back. In WP-CLI, for a signed-in user who can edit that translation (in the admin, over REST or AJAX) and for an editor previewing the draft they answer as before; a signed-in user who cannot edit it, such as a subscriber, gets the visitor’s answer there too.
* The hreflang sitemap now gives each language the same code as the page head, written the way hreflang wants it: `de` instead of `de-de`, `en-US` instead of `en-us`, and `es-MX` instead of `es-mx` for a language with a region of its own; the page head now says `es-MX` for such a language too, where it said `es_mx`.
* With Rank Math, Yoast SEO, All in One SEO, SEOPress or The SEO Framework active, a page has one canonical link instead of two, and the SEO plugin's own og:locale tag alone instead of two (none where it prints none, as with its Open Graph switched off). The canonical is the page's own language address unless one was typed into the SEO plugin for that page, and the og:locale:alternate tags are printed only where the SEO plugin prints its og:locale.
* A new translation no longer takes over the canonical URL typed in for its source page, and a translation that already holds the same canonical as its source is treated as having none (Rank Math, Yoast SEO, All in One SEO, SEOPress, The SEO Framework, and Rank Forge in a version that asks Lang Forge about it), so its canonical link names its own address. With The SEO Framework this needs version 5.0 or later, and with SEOPress its current versions: an older release does not offer the hook Lang Forge uses for the link, and there the translation keeps the canonical it holds.
* With Yoast SEO, such a translation also names its own address in og:url and in the schema data (the page's url and the ids built on it), where it used to name the source page there.
* A new translation no longer takes over the redirect SEOPress holds for its source page.
* With Lang Forge Pro 1.2.0 or newer, AI translation keeps the shortcodes of your content whole. Before a text goes to the AI, the tag of every shortcode on your site (`[contact-form-7 id="12"]`, `[gallery ids="1,2"]`, `[button]…[/button]`) is swapped for a placeholder, and the answer gets the tags back exactly as they were. If the AI changes or drops one, the translation is not saved and you are told so, instead of a broken form or gallery going into the translated page. Text inside a shortcode's attributes, such as the label of `[button text="Buy"]`, is not translated and stays in the source language; the words between an opening and a closing tag are translated. A shortcode that a plugin registers only on the front end is not known during an AI translation in the admin: add its name with the `langforge_ai_shortcode_tags` filter to protect it too. The AI translation itself is part of Lang Forge Pro; without it, or with an older version, nothing changes.
* “Create + AI Translate” (Lang Forge Pro): when the AI does not translate the page it has just created, the edit screen of that page now says so, and why (out of credits, or another failure; with Lang Forge Pro 1.2.0 or newer also a shortcode the AI could not keep), where the message used to vanish with the screen you left.

= 1.0.41 =
* Deleting the plugin leaves the job queue the Forge plugins share in place while another Forge plugin or add-on is still on the site. The check used to miss add-ons, and Rank Forge installed from wordpress.org, so the queue could be dropped while a neighbour still had jobs in it.
* Settings no longer shows the Translation Model card: this package has no AI translation, so the card had nothing to describe.

= 1.0.40 =
* **This release needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on.** The licence screen, the upgrade prompt and the upgrade banner moved into the separate Lang Forge Pro add-on; this plugin only notes which features the add-on provides, with a link to its product page. An older add-on stays switched off until it is updated, and an admin notice names both versions and where to download the add-on. Translations already saved are untouched.
* String Translation shows no AI Translate button unless the add-on runs AI translation — no locked button. One line says where AI translation comes from.
* Settings and Tools no longer link to an upgrade: AI translation, Translation Memory and one-click site duplication say that they come with the add-on.
* The screens the add-on provides (Visual Editor, Analytics, Translation Memory, Import / Export) name it, with a link, instead of showing a locked page.

= 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 ==


= 1.2.12 =
Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before. The Forge Suite dashboard lists Cascade Forge and Inclusive Forge as available on wordpress.org, and the plugin logo and icon use the new mark.

= 1.2.11 =
Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before. The alt text and the caption of a picture are saved per language and shown on pages in that language, and the text of a translated variation keeps its language.

= 1.2.10 =
Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before. Strings that differ only in case or accent get their own translations, and "Find WooCommerce strings" goes on after a break. The first admin page after the update changes the strings table.

= 1.2.9 =
Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before. Translated posts open under the language folder with every permalink structure, and email texts and WooCommerce strings can be translated on the String Translation screen.

= 1.2.8 =
Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before. Feeds and archives under a language folder work, attribute values show on translated product pages, and the login forms keep the language of the page.

= 1.2.7 =
Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before. Variable WooCommerce products get their variations in every translation, and stock changes in one language update the others.

= 1.2.6 =
Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before. WooCommerce and WordPress texts on translated pages (cart, checkout, My account) are now in the language of the page, not of the site.

= 1.2.5 =
Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before. WooCommerce emails to the customer go out in the language of the order, store pages under a language folder open, and the Plain switcher shows the language name.

= 1.2.4 =
Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before. Custom fields are now copied to a new translation exactly as they are stored: several values of one field are all kept, and backslashes and lists are no longer changed.

= 1.2.3 =
Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before. The "Link" button now refuses a post that cannot be a translation (the original itself, another type, in the Trash) and says why.

= 1.2.2 =
Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before. The dropdown language switcher now opens from the keyboard and on touch screens, not only on mouse hover.

= 1.2.1 =
Fixes a fatal error on sites that run WooCommerce with the 1.2.0 package from WordPress.org: update now if you run WooCommerce. Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before.

= 1.2.0 =
Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on, as before. Failed translations are recorded per language, and deleting the last Forge plugin now removes everything Forge stored on the site, on every site of a network.

= 1.1.0 =
One canonical link and one og:locale next to Rank Math, Yoast SEO, All in One SEO, SEOPress and The SEO Framework; hreflang codes match between page head and sitemap. Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on; Pro 1.2.0 adds shortcode protection for AI translation.

= 1.0.41 =
Deleting the plugin leaves the job queue shared by the Forge plugins alone while another one is still installed. If you run Lang Forge Pro, it must be 1.1.4 or newer.

= 1.0.40 =
Needs Lang Forge Pro 1.1.4 or newer if you run the add-on: the licence screen moved into it, and an older add-on stays switched off until it is updated. String Translation shows no locked AI button.

= 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.
