How to Translate Shopify's Dynamic Checkout Button for Multilingual Stores

In the world of e-commerce, providing a seamless shopping experience for customers is crucial. One key element of this experience is the language used throughout the store, including on buttons and checkout options. For Shopify merchants serving international customers, the ability to translate the dynamic checkout button is particularly important. In this article, we’ll explore the challenges and solutions for translating Shopify’s “Buy it Now” button and other dynamic checkout elements.

Understanding Shopify’s Dynamic Checkout Button

What is the Dynamic Checkout Button?

The dynamic checkout button is a feature in Shopify that allows customers to quickly proceed to checkout using their preferred payment method. Typically labeled “Buy it Now,” this button appears on product pages and offers a streamlined purchasing process.

The Importance of Translation

For stores serving customers in multiple languages, having all elements of the site properly translated is essential. This includes the dynamic checkout button, which plays a crucial role in the purchasing decision.

Current Limitations

Many Shopify merchants have discovered that translating the dynamic checkout button is not as straightforward as other site elements. The text “Buy it Now” often remains in English, regardless of the store’s language settings.

The Challenge of Translation

Core System Integration

The primary reason for the difficulty in translating the dynamic checkout button lies in its integration with Shopify’s core system. Unlike other theme elements that can be easily modified, the dynamic checkout feature is deeply embedded in Shopify’s infrastructure.

Supported Languages

Shopify does offer support for translating the dynamic checkout button, but only for a limited number of languages. This leaves many merchants serving markets with less common languages unable to fully localize their stores.

Impact on User Experience

The inability to translate this crucial button can lead to a disjointed user experience, potentially affecting conversion rates and customer trust, especially in markets where English is not widely spoken.

Official Solution and Workarounds

Shopify’s Official Stance

According to Shopify support, the translation of the dynamic checkout button is handled at the core system level. This means that individual stores cannot directly edit the language of this button through their theme settings or language files.

Requesting Translations

Shopify has implemented a system where merchants can request translations for languages that are not currently supported. This involves submitting a request with the store’s URL and the desired language.

Third-Party Apps

Some developers have created apps to address this issue. For example, there are apps that use JavaScript to translate text after the page loads, providing a temporary solution while waiting for official support.

Best Practices for Multilingual Stores

Use Supported Languages When Possible

If your target market’s language is supported by Shopify’s dynamic checkout translations, ensure your store’s language settings are correctly configured to take advantage of this feature.

Submit Translation Requests

For unsupported languages, submit a formal request to Shopify for translation. While this doesn’t guarantee immediate action, it helps Shopify prioritize language support based on demand.

Consider Alternative Checkout Flows

If the untranslated button is a significant issue for your store, consider disabling the dynamic checkout feature and optimizing your standard cart and checkout process, which can be more fully translated.

Implement Custom JavaScript Solutions

For tech-savvy merchants, implementing a custom JavaScript solution to translate the button text client-side can be a temporary fix. However, this approach should be used cautiously as it may break with future Shopify updates.

The Future of Dynamic Checkout Translation

Ongoing Development

Shopify is continually working on expanding language support for dynamic checkout buttons. Keep an eye on Shopify’s update announcements for new language additions.

Community Feedback

The high volume of requests for additional language support suggests that Shopify may prioritize this feature in future updates. Continued feedback from merchants helps drive these improvements.

Potential for Theme-Level Control

While not currently available, there’s potential for Shopify to introduce theme-level control over dynamic checkout button text in the future, which would greatly simplify the translation process.

By understanding the current limitations and available options for translating Shopify’s dynamic checkout button, merchants can make informed decisions about their multilingual store strategy. Whether leveraging official support, using workarounds, or optimizing alternative checkout methods, the key is to provide a consistent and localized experience for all customers, regardless of their language preferences.