storekit supports multiple languages for both the ordering interface and your menu content. This guide explains how language settings affect the guest experience and how to configure them for your store.
Supported Languages
storekit supports the following languages:
| Language | Code |
|---|
| 🇬🇧 English | en-GB |
| 🇫🇷 Français | fr-FR |
| 🇪🇸 Español | es-ES |
| 🇩🇪 Deutsch | de-DE |
| 🇮🇹 Italiano | it-IT |
| 🇳🇱 Nederlands | nl-NL |
| 🇵🇹 Português | pt-PT |
| 🇸🇪 Svenska | sv-SE |
| 🇵🇱 Polski | pl-PL |
| 🇹🇷 Türkçe | tr-TR |
| 🇬🇷 Ελληνικά | el-GR |
| 🇯🇵 日本語 | ja-JP |
| 🇨🇳 简体中文 | zh-CN |
| 🇹🇼 繁體中文 | zh-TW |
What Gets Translated
Language settings affect two different things:
1. Interface Text
All buttons, labels, and system messages throughout the ordering flow:
- “Add to basket”, “Checkout”, “Place order”
- Form labels like “Email”, “Phone number”, “Delivery address”
- Error messages and confirmations
- Allergen names and dietary tags
This is handled automatically by storekit - no setup required.
Your product names, descriptions, category names, and modifier options. This requires you to provide translations in your menu management system or POS.
Interface translations are automatic. Menu translations require you to add translated content for each language you want to support.
Store Language Settings
Default Language
The primary language for your store. This is used when:
- Auto language is disabled
- A guest’s browser language isn’t supported
- No language preference can be detected
Auto Language
When enabled, storekit automatically detects the guest’s browser language and switches to it if supported.
How it works:
- Guest visits your store
- storekit checks their browser’s language setting
- If that language is supported, the store displays in that language
- If not supported, falls back to your default language
Best for:
- Tourist areas with international visitors
- Hotels and airports
- Areas with diverse local populations
- Dine-in QR ordering where guests may be visiting from abroad
Auto language is particularly useful for dine-in. A French tourist scanning your QR code will automatically see the interface in French.
Manual Language Switching
Regardless of auto language settings, guests can always manually switch languages using the language selector in your store. This opens a modal showing all available languages with their native names and flag emojis.
For guests to see your menu in their language, you need to provide translated content.
- You create translations for your menu items (names, descriptions) in each language
- When a guest views your store in French, storekit requests the French version of your menu
- Product names and descriptions display in French
- If a translation is missing, the original text is shown
What to Translate
| Content | Priority |
|---|
| Product names | High - guests need to understand what they’re ordering |
| Product descriptions | Medium - helps guests make decisions |
| Category names | Medium - aids navigation |
| Modifier names | Medium - important for customisation |
| Modifier group titles | Low - often self-explanatory |
Translation Sources
Menu translations can come from:
- Your POS system - If your POS supports multilingual menus, translations sync automatically
- storekit dashboard - Add translations directly for each menu item
- CSV import - Bulk upload translations via spreadsheet
If you enable auto language but don’t have menu translations, guests will see your interface in their language but menu items in your default language. This can be confusing - either provide translations or disable auto language.
Best Practices
If You Have International Guests
- Enable auto language - Remove friction for visitors
- Translate your menu - At minimum, product names
- Test in each language - Check nothing looks broken
- Consider descriptions - Even brief translations help
If Your Guests Are Primarily Local
- Set your local language as default
- Consider disabling auto language - Avoids confusion if you don’t have translations
- Add translations later - As your international customer base grows
For Tourist Hotspots
- Enable auto language
- Prioritise common tourist languages - Usually English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese
- Use photos - Good product photos transcend language barriers
- Keep descriptions simple - Easier to translate and understand
Troubleshooting
Cause: Auto language is on but menu translations are incomplete.
Fix: Either complete your translations or disable auto language until translations are ready.
Guest Can’t Find Language Switcher
The language switcher appears in the store footer or header depending on your theme. Ensure it’s visible and not hidden by custom styling.
Translations Not Updating
Menu translations are cached. After updating translations:
- Wait a few minutes for cache to clear
- Hard refresh the page (Ctrl+Shift+R / Cmd+Shift+R)
- If still not showing, contact support
