DLE Multi-Language

Full-fledged multilingual support for DLE without duplicating the engine

DLE Multi-Language is a professional solution that makes your website truly multilingual within a single DLE installation, with one database and full support for search engines' SEO requirements.

The module allows you to add an unlimited number of languages, translate content manually or via artificial intelligence (GPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek), and provides developers with a flexible system of template tags for creating any multilingual interfaces.

Module features

1. URL structure and routing

• Prefix URL structure — each language gets its own prefix: site.com/en/, site.com/es/, site.com/de/. The default language works on the root domain without a prefix, which is important for SEO.
• Automatic URL replacement — all internal links in the template are automatically supplemented with a language prefix. The developer does not need to manually rewrite hrefs.
• Protection of static resources — folders /uploads/, /templates/, /engine/, /language/ and the favicon never receive a language prefix, which eliminates 404 errors on images and CSS.
• Support for arbitrary ISO codes — built-in database of more than 90 language codes (ISO 639-1) and 90+ country codes (ISO 3166-1) with reference tables right in the admin panel.

2. SEO optimization for international search engines

• Automatic hreflang generation — the module creates correct <link rel="alternate" hreflang="..."> tags for all active languages, including the required x-default for Google.
• Localization of site meta tags — home_title, description, short_title and keywords can be set separately for each language through system settings.
• Four strategies for handling untranslated pages:
  • Fallback — show the original content
  • Strict Mode — clear the fields, showing empty values
  • 404 Not Found — return an error to the search engine
  • Redirect — 301 redirect to the homepage
• Hiding untranslated content in listings — the option allows you to exclude news without translation from the homepage, categories, and search results for a specific language.
• Configurable translation criteria — the administrator decides which fields (Title / Short Story / Full Story) must be filled in for the material to be considered translated.

3. Language files (.lng) and translation editor

• Built-in visual .lng file editor — no more editing files via FTP. All keys are displayed in a convenient table with the original and translation side by side.
• Highlighting missing translations — untranslated keys are immediately visible in red. The counter shows how many lines still need to be translated.
• Instant search — live filter by keys and text content, works without reloading the page.
• Creating your own .lng files — add any custom files (for example, my_design.lng) for translating elements of your design.
• Importing translations from other languages — a two-step wizard lets you copy the contents of a .lng file between any language folders.
• Protection of DLE system files — keys from adminpanel.lng, website.lng, and other original DLE files cannot be accidentally deleted.

4. Automatic AI translation

• Four supported AI providers:
  • OpenAI — GPT-5.4 Pro, GPT-5.4 Thinking, GPT-5.4 Mini, GPT-4o
  • Anthropic Claude — Claude Opus 4.6, Claude Sonnet 4.6
  • Google Gemini — Gemini 3.1 Pro, Gemini 3 Flash, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
  • DeepSeek AI — a cost-effective alternative for large volumes
• Switching providers on the fly — compare translation quality across different models without code changes.
• Translate a single key with one button — for targeted translation editing.
• Batch AI translation of the entire file — with a progress bar, smart processing of 5 keys per request, and automatic retry on network errors.
• Skip Existing mode — translate only empty keys, leaving already completed translations untouched.
• Preserving technical elements — the AI receives special instructions that variables like {user}, HTML tags, and DLE special markup must remain untouched.
• Translating news content — a separate mechanism translates headlines, short descriptions, and full news text while preserving all HTML tags, styles, and the document structure.

5. Template tags for developers

The module adds a powerful set of tags that work in any DLE .tpl templates:

• — output any string from a .lng file directly in the template.
• en — the two-letter ISO code of the current language (convenient for <html lang="...">).
• /en/ — the absolute URL of the homepage, taking the current language prefix into account.
• DLEMod.ru — Modules and plugins for DLE, DLEMod.ru is a specialized store of modules and plugins for DataLife Engine (DLE). Download paid and free add-ons to expand the capabilities of your DLE website. Regular updates, proven quality, and technical support!, DLEMod — localized site metadata.
• [if_lang=en,ru]... — show the block only for the specified languages.

[not_lang=en]... — show the block to everyone except the specified languages.

6. Language switcher — { lang-select }

One tag — dozens of design options without writing jаvascript:

• Four display types:
  • links — horizontal/vertical list of links
  • dropdown — dropdown list with animation
  • select — native HTML select (good for mobile)
  • auto — automatic switching: dropdown on desktop, select or links on mobile
• Element display settings — flag, name, native, code — in any combination via the show parameter.
• Themes and sizes — light/dark, sm/md/lg via CSS variables.
• Animations — fade, slide, and other dropdown opening effects.
• Positioning — bottom-left, bottom-right, top-left, top-right.
• Open trigger — click or hover.
• Flexible order management — the order parameter allows you to set any language order, exclude — to exclude unnecessary ones.
• Custom names — via the names parameter, you can set your own labels for any language.
• Responsive breakpoint — a configurable switching threshold between the desktop and mobile versions.
• Full accessibility — ARIA attributes, keyboard support, hreflang attributes for each link.

7. Custom switchers via {lang-select-loop}

For developers who need full control over the HTML markup of the switcher, the module provides a loop tag with its own templating system:

• Variables inside the loop: {ls-url}, {ls-code}, {ls-CODE}, {ls-name}, {ls-name-native}, {ls-flag}, {ls-flag-url}, {ls-active}, {ls-selected}, {ls-index}, {ls-count}, {ls-odd}, {ls-even}.
• Conditional blocks: [if_ls_active], [if_ls_inactive], [if_ls_first], [if_ls_last], [if_ls_odd], [if_ls_even].
• You can build any custom interfaces: language cards with flags, tab switchers, mega menus with grouping — all this within a regular HTML template.

8. Support for DLE XFields (additional fields)

• Automatic cloning of XFields — when a new language is added, all existing additional fields are automatically duplicated with a language suffix.
• Separate field group for each language — in the DLE admin panel, translation fields are logically grouped under the name Multi-Language: [ISO].
• Complete removal when deleting a language — all localized XFields fields are correctly deleted together with the language, without leaving junk in the database.

9. Safe installation and removal of languages via AJAX

• Step-by-step installation with progress bar — all operations (creating a folder, copying files, adding columns to the database, configuring XFields) are performed in stages.
• Resistance to 504 Timeout — the module automatically reconnects on network errors and continues the operation from the same step.
• Cloning from an existing language — when creating a new language, you can copy all .lng files from any existing folder, which significantly speeds up localization.
• Automatic installation of flag icons — the module automatically selects the correct country icon from the built-in database, even if the language ISO code does not match the country ISO code (for example, en → flag gb).

10. Professional admin panel

• Dashboard with statistics — module status, number of active languages, default language — all on one screen.
• Built-in ISO code reference — modal windows with all language and country codes, flags, and names. Click on a row — the code is automatically inserted into the form.
• ISO code validation — the module instantly warns you if you try to use a country code instead of a language code (a typical SEO mistake).
• Update check — automatic and manual checking for new versions with changelog display right in the admin panel.
• Multilingual admin interface itself — the entire module is built on .lng files and can be translated into any language.

12. Compatibility and performance

• DataLife Engine — support for all current versions, including 19.x and above.
• PHP — compatible with PHP 7.4 — 8.x.
• One database — no duplicate records, only additional columns.
• Minimal performance impact — the module works at the template engine level and does not affect DLE's core queries.

Who this module is for

• News websites targeting an international audience.
• Corporate portals that need localization for different regions.
• Blogs and informational projects where SEO visibility in multiple countries matters.
• Travel and event websites that must operate in multiple languages.
• Any DLE-based projects that want to add multilingual support without migrating to another CMS.

What you get

• Full multilingual support within a single DLE installation.
• Automatic translation of content and interface through leading AI models of 2026.
• Proper SEO optimization for Google, Yandex, and other search engines.
• Flexible tools for building language switchers without writing jаvascript.
• An intuitive translation editor that will save dozens of hours working with .lng files.
• Professional technical support and regular updates.

DLE Multi-Language turns your monolingual site into a full-fledged international publication in a few clicks — without pain, without engine duplication, without SEO losses.