Translating Elementor content does not always mean that every language must use the same page structure. A multilingual website may need a different header, footer, post layout, archive design, or other Theme Builder presentation for each language. WPML documents a workflow for connecting separate Elementor templates by language while keeping the display rules in one primary template.
This guide explains the documented process for Elementor Pro and WPML: create the template in the default language, assign its Display Conditions, create and publish the secondary-language template without adding new conditions, and connect both templates through WPML. You can then verify the result on equivalent translated content. The exact behavior can still depend on the theme, Elementor add-ons, caching configuration, custom post types, and other settings on the website.
When You Need Different Elementor Templates by Language
Translation Versus Template Selection
WPML can be used in a translation workflow for Elementor pages, posts, headers, footers, custom posts, templates, and products. Translating that content, however, is a different task from choosing which Theme Builder template should render it. A translated page can contain different text while still using the same structural design. In other cases, each language needs its own template layout or visual presentation.
The language-specific template workflow is relevant when the default language should use one Elementor Theme Builder template and a secondary language should use another. The documented procedure uses Elementor Pro together with WPML. It focuses on linking templates as translations and assigning the display rule correctly; it does not establish universal compatibility with every theme, add-on, caching layer, or custom configuration.
Before You Start: Template and Translation Checklist
Define the Primary Rule Set
Before editing anything, identify the exact template type you want to change and decide which content it should affect. The display scope may be broad, such as applying a template to all posts, or limited to selected content. Record that intention before assigning conditions so that the primary template remains the clear source of the display rule.
Use this preparation checklist:
- Confirm that the documented setup is Elementor Pro with WPML.
- Identify the website’s default language and the secondary language that will receive a different template.
- Choose the Theme Builder template type and intended display scope.
- Prepare equivalent translated posts or pages for later verification.
- Plan to review both desktop and mobile layouts where relevant.
The available documentation demonstrates a default language and one secondary language. It does not provide a complete operational matrix for websites with many secondary languages, so treat additional languages as configurations that require their own testing.
Create the Default-Language Elementor Template
Assign Display Conditions Once
Start while working in the website’s default language. Create the required Elementor Theme Builder template and design the layout intended for content in that language. The template may represent a site part such as a post layout or another Theme Builder template included in the setup.
After creating the layout, assign its Display Conditions in Elementor. For example, the documented WPML workflow describes a default-language template with a condition such as applying it to all posts. The specific scope should match the content you intend to control; do not assume that one broad condition is appropriate for every website.
Display Conditions determine where a Theme Builder template appears. Elementor describes conditions that can apply across the site or to selected content types and pages. This makes the default-language template the place where the primary rule set is configured.
Save or publish the template with its intended conditions before creating the secondary-language version. Keeping the condition on this primary template is important when following the WPML process. Do not independently assign the same broad condition to every translated template, because overlapping conditions can create template-selection conflicts.
If Elementor reports a conflict or the wrong site part appears, review the conditions already assigned to the relevant templates. Inspect the scope, inclusions, and exclusions before adding another rule. A second condition may increase competition between templates instead of solving the selection problem.
Create the Secondary-Language Template Without New Conditions
Why the Secondary Template Has No Conditions
Next, switch the WordPress administration language to the secondary language. Create a separate Elementor template for that language and design the language-specific layout. The structure can be different from the default-language template because the purpose of this workflow is to let each language use its own template presentation.
Publish the secondary-language template according to the documented WPML process, but leave its Display Conditions unset. This is a central step. The secondary template is being prepared as the translation counterpart of the default-language template, not as a second unrelated template with an independently assigned site-wide rule.
Leaving conditions unset avoids duplicating the primary template’s display rules on the translated template. Elementor distinguishes between templates with assigned conditions and templates without conditions in the Theme Builder interface. The language-specific application of this arrangement is documented by WPML, so the absence of conditions should be understood as part of this particular WPML workflow rather than as a universal rule for every Elementor configuration.
Do not add an identical condition to the secondary template merely because it should appear for similar content. First connect the two templates as translations. Then test whether translated posts use the secondary-language design according to the documented process. If the result differs, investigate the connection and existing conditions before creating additional rules.
Connect the Templates in WPML
Use the Language Box
Once both templates exist, connect them through WPML rather than treating them as unrelated independent templates. Begin by editing the default-language Elementor template in the WordPress editor.
- Open the default-language template in the WordPress editor.
- Locate the Language box in the editor sidebar.
- Choose Connect with translations.
- Enter or select the name of the secondary-language template.
- Confirm the assignment so WPML links the templates as translations.
This connection tells WPML which secondary-language template corresponds to the default-language template. It is different from creating two templates that happen to have similar display conditions. The documented workflow uses the translation relationship together with the condition assigned to the default-language template.
After confirming the connection, check that the secondary template remains published and that its Display Conditions are still unset. Avoid changing several unrelated settings at the same time. A controlled setup makes it easier to determine whether a later display issue comes from the translation connection, the condition scope, or another part of the website configuration.
Test the Result on Translated Content
Verify the Language-Specific Output
Do not assume the setup is complete immediately after linking the templates. Open equivalent published or translated content in the default and secondary languages. The default-language content should use the primary template, while translated content should use the language-specific template according to the documented WPML workflow.
Compare the relevant output on representative content:
- Open the corresponding content in the default language.
- Open its translated version in the secondary language.
- Confirm that each language displays its intended template.
- Check relevant headers, footers, post layouts, archives, or other site parts included in the setup.
- Review desktop and mobile layouts where relevant.
Testing equivalent content helps distinguish a template-selection issue from a translation-content issue. If the secondary-language design does not appear, return to the template connection and Display Conditions before changing additional settings. The sources describe the expected workflow, but they do not guarantee identical rendering for every theme, Elementor add-on, caching plugin, or custom post type configuration.
Troubleshoot Conflicting or Stale Template Output
Review Conditions Before Adding More Rules
If the wrong template appears, first review overlapping Elementor Theme Builder conditions. Elementor warns that conflicting conditions between site-part templates can create selection problems. Confirm that the default-language template has the intended scope and that the secondary-language template does not have independently assigned Display Conditions.
Then check the basic WPML relationship. Confirm that both templates are published as required and that the secondary-language template is connected to the default-language template through the Language box and Connect with translations. A missing or incorrect connection can prevent the intended language-specific template from being selected.
If the output looks unchanged after a saved edit, consider cache clearing or cache review as a conditional troubleshooting step. This is relevant when the displayed result appears stale, not a universal requirement for every setup. The available research does not establish a complete troubleshooting matrix for theme overrides, third-party conflicts, or every caching configuration.
Avoid responding to an unclear result by adding identical broad conditions to all language templates. That can introduce overlapping rules and make selection harder to evaluate. Keep one primary rule set, verify the translation connection, and test representative content again. If the issue continues, the cause may depend on a theme, add-on, custom post type, caching layer, or other configuration not covered by the documented workflow.
The documented sequence is straightforward: configure Display Conditions on the default-language Elementor template, create and publish the secondary-language template without new conditions, connect both templates through WPML, and test translated content. This approach keeps the display rule in one primary location while allowing a different design for another language. Use Elementor Pro with WPML as the stated setup, and verify the result on representative posts or pages, including responsive layouts where relevant. Themes, add-ons, caching, and other configuration details can affect behavior, so do not treat the process as a guarantee for every website. Explore our WordPress plugins, WooCommerce extensions, themes and membership plans to find the right tools for your website.