Translate a Wix, Squarespace or Webflow Website
Wix, Squarespace and Webflow each document a different way to build a multilingual site. Wix offers a built-in Multilingual feature with subdirectories as the default URL structure and hreflang added by default. Webflow offers Localization with a URL subdirectory per locale and a paid add-on for secondary locales. Squarespace documents a manual build with separate pages per language, plus an integration with an external translation service on version 7.1 sites. This guide separates what the platforms document from what is not documented, and notes where plans or versions change the answer.
All three change their products often, and these notes come from help pages retrieved in October 2026. Re-check before you build.
What do Google's requirements mean for a site builder?
Whatever the platform, Google's documented requirements are the same: a separate URL for each language version rather than cookies or browser settings, each page in one language, links between versions with hreflang (page tags, HTTP headers or a sitemap), and visible links so users can switch language. Google also advises against redirecting visitors based on a guessed language. On the URL side it lists country domains, subdomains and subdirectories as options and does not recommend URL parameters.
So for each platform the questions are: does it create distinct crawlable URLs, does it output reciprocal hreflang, can you translate titles, descriptions and URLs, and can you control all of this. The standards are covered in the hreflang guide.
What does Wix officially support?
Wix's help center describes Wix Multilingual as a feature you add after building your site in the main language. You choose a main and secondary languages and can translate manually or automatically; the overview says the options cover "over 180 languages". A Translation Manager lists site content in one place, including app content, and a language selection menu is added automatically showing the published languages.
URLs. Wix offers three structures: subdirectories, subdomains and language parameters. Subdirectories are the default for new multilingual sites. Subdomains require a Premium or Studio plan, and are unavailable if the domain uses the pointing method (the help page suggests the name server method or transferring the domain to Wix). Wix says it does not recommend language parameters, noting Google does not either, since search engines may treat parameter versions as duplicates.
SEO. Wix's help center says it adds hreflang tags to pages by default, and that SEO Settings can be applied across languages at once, while individual pages can have their SEO Basics customized per language. The pages we read did not describe the exact hreflang markup, nor sitemap content or URL slug handling per language, so check these in a published page's source and your sitemap. Wix's overview also says SEO settings can be optimized per language individually. Automatic translation does not guarantee that metadata is reviewed; open each language's titles and descriptions.
Limits to check. Whether every Wix app (stores, bookings, blog and so on) is fully translatable is on separate Wix pages we did not verify; confirm the apps you use appear in the Translation Manager. Changing URL structure later can affect discoverability, and Wix says search engines may need time to recrawl.
What does Squarespace officially support?
Squarespace's help center describes two routes, and which applies depends on your version:
- An integration with an external translation service (version 7.1 only). The help page states it is currently only available for version 7.1. It adds a language switcher and translates content, with translations edited in the external service rather than in Squarespace. The page says it uses language subdomains (for example
es.yourmultilingualsite.com), that subdomains require a custom domain connected to the site, and that it automatically adds hreflang tags. It lists items not yet integrated, including Email Campaigns, Acuity Scheduling, third-party content blocks and member site login screens, and describes plan and word limits that depend on the service's own plans. - A manual multilingual site. You create a set of pages for each language, usually organized with one navigation dropdown per language and a homepage linking to each. The page says you must manually translate content for every page.
Limits documented for the manual method. Squarespace states that sites can only display built-in text, such as checkout text, in one language, that this also affects certain metadata such as blog dates, that a site can only sell products in one currency at a time, and that you can't have different domains or subdomains for different languages. A separate site per language is also described as an option, with each site billed separately.
SEO. The manual page says translated content won't necessarily be searchable in the translated languages without optimizing the site, and does not mention hreflang for the manual method. That is a gap, not proof that none exists: view the page source, and if hreflang is absent, assess whether custom code is possible on your plan. Separate site setups need hreflang between the sites too.
The "Site Language" setting on Squarespace translates built-in text such as form labels and notification emails, but not text you write yourself.
What does Webflow officially support?
Webflow Localization is Webflow's own feature. Our direct access to Webflow's help center was blocked while researching, so the following combines Webflow University's Localize checklist, which we could read in full, with search-result summaries of Webflow help articles, which we could not open.
Documented in the University checklist: each locale needs a URL subdirectory such as /es or /es-mx; each locale can have its own page names, slugs, SEO titles and descriptions, Open Graph settings and custom code; AI translation draws on a monthly word allowance; and you should review hreflang and the sitemap and confirm the sitemap includes the localized pages you plan to publish. It also says to add separate 301 redirect rules for localized paths.
From Webflow help articles (summarized in search, verify): secondary locales require a Localize add-on; hreflang can be generated as page tags and as sitemap entries, and you can control it in the Localize panel; only locales with publishing enabled appear in the generated sitemap; with a custom sitemap you must add hreflang yourself; and automatic locale routing is limited to certain plans.
Conflicting information. The checklist says the primary locale is permanent and cannot be changed later, while a help article summary says it can be changed. Treat the primary locale as a one-way decision until you confirm in the live product. Locale limits per plan and pricing vary across third-party sources; we did not rely on them.
How do the three compare on SEO fundamentals?
| Item | Wix | Squarespace | Webflow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in multilingual feature | Yes (Multilingual) | Manual build; integration on 7.1 | Yes (Localization) |
| Separate language URLs | Subdirectories (default), subdomains, parameters | Manual: pages in one site; integration: subdomains | Subdirectory per locale |
| hreflang | Added by default per Wix help | Not mentioned for manual; integration page says automatic | Tags and/or sitemap, configurable per help summary |
| Translated titles and descriptions | Per-language SEO settings | Manual pages: write them yourself | Per-locale fields per checklist |
| Plan or version caveats | Subdomains need Premium or Studio | Integration only on 7.1 | Add-on for secondary locales |
Treat the table as a map of what to verify, not a ranking. A feature being documented is not proof that the output on your site is correct.
How should I choose between them, or move?
If SEO control over URLs and metadata matters most, favor the platform where you can see and edit hreflang, slugs, titles and sitemap per language. If you only need a small brochure site in two languages, a manual build can be enough. If you need many languages and content updates, plan the translation workflow first; machine output is a first draft, as discussed in machine-translation and Google Search.
Before launch, run through the multilingual SEO checklist, and compare the URL options in subdirectories vs subdomains vs ccTLDs. We are building ResilientLang for sites that need more control than a builder's built-in options, but it is not released.
Key takeaways
- Wix, Webflow and Squarespace differ most in URL structure and in how much hreflang and metadata you can control; verify each in the page source.
- Wix documents subdirectories as the default and hreflang added by default; subdomains need a Premium or Studio plan.
- Squarespace's manual method keeps everything in one site on one domain and does not document hreflang; its integration is 7.1 only and uses subdomains.
- Webflow documents a subdirectory per locale and per-locale SEO fields, but we could only partly verify its help articles; treat plan details and primary-locale rules as unconfirmed.
- Platform features and plans change; re-check before you build.
Sources
- Wix Multilingual: An Overview – Wix Help Center – features, translation methods, language selector, URL options
- Wix Multilingual: Editing Your Multilingual Site's URL Structure – Wix Help Center – URL structures, defaults, plan requirements
- SEO Settings for Multilingual Sites – Wix Help Center – hreflang and per-language SEO settings
- Manually creating a multilingual site – Squarespace Help Center – manual method and documented limits
- Creating a multilingual site with an integration – Squarespace Help Center – version 7.1 integration, subdomains, hreflang, exclusions
- Webflow Localize checklist – Webflow University – subdirectories, per-locale SEO fields, hreflang and sitemap review
- Localized SEO and locale routing – Webflow Help Center – hreflang and routing (found in search; page not directly retrievable)
Frequently asked questions
Which of Wix, Squarespace and Webflow has built-in multilingual support?
Wix has an official Multilingual feature and Webflow has Localization, which publishes locales as subdirectories and needs a paid add-on for secondary locales. Squarespace documents a manual approach with separate pages per language, plus an integration with an external translation service on version 7.1 sites.
Do these platforms add hreflang automatically?
Wix's help center says it adds hreflang tags by default for multilingual sites. A Webflow help article, as summarized in search results, says hreflang can be output as page tags or sitemap entries, controlled in the Localize panel. Squarespace's manual method does not mention hreflang; its integration page says tags are added automatically.
Can I use different domains per language on Squarespace?
Squarespace's help center says you can't have different domains or subdomains for different languages with its manual multilingual approach. Its integration page describes language subdomains, so the answer depends on which method you use. Check the current documentation for your site version.
Is machine translation good enough for SEO?
Quality depends on the content and language pair. Google's concern is low-value content, not the method used. Review machine-translated pages for accuracy, translate titles and descriptions, and prioritize human review for pages that bring revenue or carry legal meaning.