How to switch WPML language depending on delivery country in WooCommerce checkout?

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30-08-2024

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Seamless Language Switching in WooCommerce Checkout: Targeting Delivery Country

Navigating multiple languages and currencies in an e-commerce environment can be tricky, especially when you're dealing with tax rates and payment gateways. This article will guide you through the process of automatically switching WPML languages in your WooCommerce checkout based on the customer's delivery country. We'll build upon the challenges highlighted in the Stack Overflow question, providing a practical solution and relevant insights.

The Problem:

A user needs to change their website language to match the selected delivery country. This is crucial for accurate tax calculation, currency display, and consistent customer experience. However, the user wants to retain their session data (cart, login, etc.) throughout the language switch.

The Solution:

We'll use a combination of WooCommerce hooks and WPML functionality to achieve this dynamic language change. Here's a step-by-step approach:

1. Identify the Country:

   • Utilize the woocommerce_checkout_fields filter to detect the selected delivery country in the checkout form.
   • Extract the country code from the shipping address fields.

   Code Example (from Stack Overflow user "Mark"):

   add_filter( 'woocommerce_checkout_fields', 'change_language_based_on_country' );
   function change_language_based_on_country( $fields ) {
       if( isset( $_POST['shipping_country'] ) ) {
           $country_code = sanitize_text_field( $_POST['shipping_country'] );
           // ... (Your logic to determine the corresponding language code)
       }
       return $fields;
   }
   

2. Determine the Language:

   • Establish a mapping between country codes and language codes based on your website configuration.
   • This mapping should align with your WPML settings.

   Example Mapping:

   $language_mapping = array(
       'US' => 'en-US',
       'DE' => 'de-DE',
       'FR' => 'fr-FR',
       // ... add your mapping here
   );
   

3. Switch the Language:

   • Employ the wpml_current_language function to set the language based on the determined code.
   • Remember to use the wpml_switch_language function to trigger the language switch while preserving the user's session.

   Code Example:

   if ( isset( $country_code ) && isset( $language_mapping[$country_code] ) ) {
       $target_language = $language_mapping[$country_code];
       wpml_switch_language( $target_language, true );
   }
   

4. Redirect and Refresh:

   • Use a wp_redirect call to redirect the user to the checkout page after the language change.
   • Add the wp_redirect within the woocommerce_checkout_process hook to ensure the redirection occurs after the form submission.

   Code Example:

   add_action( 'woocommerce_checkout_process', 'redirect_after_language_change' );
   function redirect_after_language_change() {
       // ... (Your code to determine country and language)
       wp_redirect( wc_get_checkout_url() );
       exit;
   }
   

Additional Considerations:

• Currency Synchronization: Ensure the selected currency automatically changes based on the language using WPML's currency settings.
• Tax Rate Accuracy: Verify that the corresponding tax rates are applied based on the chosen delivery country and language.
• User Experience: Optimize the user interface to provide clear communication about the language change, ensuring a seamless checkout experience.

Conclusion:

By leveraging WPML's capabilities and integrating them with WooCommerce hooks, you can create a dynamic system that automatically adjusts website language based on delivery country. This approach ensures a consistent and accurate customer experience, catering to different regions and their unique requirements. Remember to carefully test and refine the code to accommodate any specific complexities in your website setup.