Language Suggestion Banner
The Language Suggestion Banner detects a visitor’s browser language and shows a dismissible prompt inviting them to switch to an available translation of the current page. When a visitor accepts or dismisses the prompt, their choice is remembered so the banner does not reappear on future visits.
Enabling the Banner
Section titled “Enabling the Banner”- In your WordPress admin, go to Omnalingo → Settings.
- Open the Language Suggestion tab (added by the Pro plugin).
- Toggle the feature on.
- Choose a display mode and adjust any other settings to your liking.
- Click Save Changes.
Display Modes
Section titled “Display Modes”Choose how the banner appears to visitors.
Bar — top of page A full-width bar appears at the top of the page content area. It scrolls with the page.
Bar — bottom of page A full-width bar fixed to the bottom of the browser window. It stays visible as the visitor scrolls.
Dialog A centred pop-up overlaid on the page with a dimmed background. Good for sites where a persistent bar would interfere with the header or footer design.
Switcher (inject into language switcher) Instead of adding a new element to the page, the hint is injected directly into an existing Omnalingo language switcher widget or block already on the page. This is the most subtle option — the banner blends into your existing navigation rather than interrupting the layout. The switcher must be present on the page for this mode to work.
Key Settings
Section titled “Key Settings”Banner message The text shown to visitors. You can use placeholder variables to personalize it — see Placeholder Variables below.
Default: This page is available in {language}
Button text The label on the button that switches the visitor to the suggested language. Placeholder variables work here too.
Default: Switch
Remember dismissal for (days) How long the visitor’s choice is remembered. Once they accept or dismiss the banner, it will not reappear for this many days. Set a higher number for a less intrusive experience.
Default: 90 days
Exclude pages
A list of pages where the banner should never appear. Enter one URL path per line (for example /contact or /shop). Use exact paths — wildcards are not supported.
Colors and styling You can customize the banner’s background color, text color, button color, font size, corner rounding, and other visual details to match your site’s design. These options are in the same settings tab.
Placeholder Variables
Section titled “Placeholder Variables”When writing your banner message or button text, you can include any of these variables. They are replaced automatically with information about the visitor’s detected language:
| Variable | What it shows | Example |
|---|---|---|
{language} | The language’s English name | German |
{native} | The language name in its own language | Deutsch |
{code} | The short language code | DE |
{flag} | A small flag icon for the language | (flag image) |
Example message using multiple variables:
This page is also available in {language} ({native}) {flag}If you mistype a variable name, the literal text (including the curly braces) will appear to visitors instead. Double-check spelling if your message looks odd.
How It Works
Section titled “How It Works”The banner only appears when a visitor is viewing a page in your site’s source language and their browser indicates a preference for a language that has an active translation. The banner never appears on translated pages — only on source-language pages where a relevant translation exists.
When a visitor accepts or dismisses the banner, a cookie remembers their choice. The banner will not reappear until the cookie expires (controlled by the Remember dismissal for setting).
Common Issues
Section titled “Common Issues”Banner does not appear
Section titled “Banner does not appear”Work through these checks:
- Is the feature enabled? Go to Omnalingo → Settings → Language Suggestion and confirm the toggle is on.
- Do you have active translations? The banner only appears when there is at least one active translated language on the site. If no translations exist yet, the banner is suppressed.
- Are you viewing a source-language page? The banner never appears on translated pages. Test by visiting a page in your site’s default language.
- Is the page excluded? Check the Exclude pages list in settings to make sure the page path is not listed there.
Banner keeps reappearing after dismissal
Section titled “Banner keeps reappearing after dismissal”The banner remembers dismissals via a browser cookie. If it keeps reappearing:
- The visitor’s browser may be blocking cookies, or they may be browsing in a private/incognito window (which does not persist cookies).
- A cookie consent plugin on your site may be preventing the dismissal cookie from being set. If you use a cookie consent tool, make sure it allows Omnalingo’s cookies, or categorize them as functional/necessary.
Switcher mode shows nothing
Section titled “Switcher mode shows nothing”Switcher mode requires an Omnalingo language switcher widget or block to already be on the page. If there is no switcher present, there is nowhere to inject the hint and the banner is silently skipped.
Fix: Either add an Omnalingo language switcher to your page layout, or change the display mode to Bar — top, Bar — bottom, or Dialog, which do not depend on an existing switcher.