AI & Automation
Personas
SaaS & Startup
Time to ROI
Medium-term (3-6 months)
Last month, I had a SaaS client come to me with what seemed like a simple request: "Can you make our Framer site work in French, German, and Spanish?" Simple, right? Wrong. What followed was a deep dive into the reality of Framer's translation limitations that taught me more about international expansion than any course ever could.
Here's the thing nobody tells you about Framer translations: the "plugin" everyone asks about doesn't exist in the way you think it does. But that doesn't mean you're stuck with three separate sites or manual copy-paste hell.
After working through this challenge and testing multiple approaches, I discovered a systematic way to handle Framer translations that actually works for growing businesses. No magic plugin required.
In this playbook, you'll learn:
Why the "Framer translation plugin" approach is fundamentally flawed
The three-layer system I developed for scalable multilingual Framer sites
How to implement automated translation workflows that actually maintain quality
When to use Framer vs. when to migrate to other platforms for multilingual needs
Real costs and timelines for different translation approaches
Industry Reality
What everyone searches for but won't find
If you've landed here searching "Framer translation plugin," you're not alone. This is probably the most common question I get from international SaaS founders. The expectation is simple: install a plugin, magic happens, your site works in multiple languages.
Here's what the industry typically recommends for Framer translations:
Manual duplication approach: Create separate pages for each language and manually translate everything
Component override method: Use Framer's override feature to change text for different variants
External translation service: Export content, translate externally, then re-import
Wait for Framer to build it: Cross fingers and hope for official internationalization features
Migration to WordPress/Webflow: Abandon Framer entirely for platforms with better i18n support
These recommendations exist because Framer was built as a design-first prototyping tool, not a content management system. The platform excels at beautiful interactions and rapid prototyping, but it lacks the content infrastructure that platforms like Webflow have built specifically for multilingual sites.
The problem? Each approach has fatal flaws. Manual duplication becomes a maintenance nightmare. Component overrides break with complex layouts. External services create workflow bottlenecks. And migration means losing all your beautiful Framer interactions.
Most agencies throw up their hands and recommend expensive WordPress builds or complex headless setups. But there's a better way that preserves what makes Framer great while solving the translation problem.
Consider me as your business complice.
7 years of freelance experience working with SaaS and Ecommerce brands.
The client was a B2B SaaS company with a beautifully designed Framer site that was converting well in English. They'd just closed a Series A and needed to expand into European markets quickly. Their existing site had complex animations, interactive demos, and a conversion rate they didn't want to sacrifice.
The challenge wasn't just translation—it was maintaining their brand consistency, preserving their conversion-optimized flows, and doing it all without breaking their tight launch timeline for the European expansion.
Initially, I tried the "obvious" solutions:
Attempt 1: Manual Page Duplication
I started by duplicating their main pages and manually translating the content. This worked for about a week until they needed to update their pricing page. Suddenly, I had to make the same change across four different language versions. When they wanted to A/B test a new hero section, the maintenance overhead became impossible.
Attempt 2: Component Override Approach
Next, I tried using Framer's component override feature. This seemed promising—I could create variants for each language within the same component. But it broke down with their complex layouts. Long German text broke their carefully crafted designs, and maintaining content consistency across overrides became a nightmare.
Attempt 3: External Translation Workflow
I set up a workflow where we'd export content to Google Sheets, send it for translation, then manually re-import. This created a 3-5 day delay for any content updates and completely broke their ability to iterate quickly on messaging.
None of these approaches worked for a fast-moving startup that needed to test and iterate their messaging across different markets. I realized the problem wasn't finding the right plugin—it was understanding that Framer translations require a completely different approach to content architecture.
Here's my playbook
What I ended up doing and the results.
After the failed attempts, I developed what I call the "Three-Layer Translation System" for Framer. Instead of fighting against Framer's limitations, this approach works with them while building scalable translation workflows.
Layer 1: Content Modeling and Management
First, I restructured how we thought about content in Framer. Instead of treating text as design elements, I created a content model that separates copy from design:
Set up Airtable as our content source of truth with fields for each language
Created content types (Hero Headlines, Feature Descriptions, CTAs, etc.)
Established character limits for each content type to prevent layout breaks
Built approval workflows for translated content before it goes live
Layer 2: Strategic Page Architecture
Rather than duplicating everything, I identified which pages truly needed full localization versus which could use strategic redirects:
Tier 1 Pages (Full Localization): Homepage, pricing, core product pages
Tier 2 Pages (Partial Localization): About, careers, basic support pages
Tier 3 Pages (English Only): Detailed help docs, technical specifications
This approach reduced our translation workload by 60% while still providing a fully localized experience for the pages that matter most for conversion.
Layer 3: Automated Update Workflows
The magic happened in the automation layer. I built Zapier workflows that:
Monitor Airtable for content changes
Automatically send new content for translation when English content is updated
Flag when translated content needs review due to English changes
Generate reports of translation coverage and pending updates
For the Framer implementation, I used a hybrid approach:
Domain-based routing: site.com for English, site.com/de for German, etc.
Master template system: One Framer file with language-specific overrides
Variable-based content: Use Framer variables connected to our content database
Smart fallbacks: English content displays if translation isn't ready
The key insight was treating this like a content operations problem rather than a design problem. Once I stopped looking for a magic plugin and started building proper content infrastructure, everything clicked.
Content Architecture
Separate content from design using external databases and clear content types with character limits
Smart Localization
Focus translation efforts on high-impact pages rather than translating everything
Automated Workflows
Use Zapier to monitor content changes and manage translation pipelines automatically
Fallback Strategy
Always have English content ready to display if translations aren't complete yet
The results spoke for themselves. Within 6 weeks of implementing this system:
Launch Timeline: We went from an estimated 4-month localization project to launching in German and French within 6 weeks
Maintenance Overhead: Content updates that previously took 2-3 days across languages now take 2-3 hours
Translation Costs: Reduced ongoing translation costs by 60% through strategic prioritization
Quality Consistency: Eliminated the layout breaks and formatting issues that plagued our earlier attempts
But the real win was operational. The marketing team could now test messaging changes across markets without waiting for development cycles. They went from quarterly content updates to weekly iterations, which directly impacted their ability to optimize conversion rates in new markets.
The client's German market conversion rate matched their English performance within 8 weeks of launch, something they hadn't expected to achieve for months. The French market took a bit longer due to more significant messaging adjustments needed, but even that outperformed their conservative projections.
Most importantly, they maintained their beautiful Framer interactions and animations that had been crucial to their brand differentiation. They didn't have to sacrifice what made their site special to achieve multilingual functionality.
What I've learned and the mistakes I've made.
Sharing so you don't make them.
Stop looking for plugin solutions: Framer translations require content architecture, not just tools
Content-first approach works: Separating content from design solves 80% of multilingual challenges
Strategic localization beats full translation: Not every page needs to be translated to create an effective multilingual experience
Automation is essential: Manual translation workflows break down as you scale
Character limits save design integrity: Planning for different text lengths prevents layout disasters
Fallback strategies are crucial: Always have content ready to display, even if translations aren't complete
Test early and often: Different markets need different messaging, not just different languages
The biggest lesson? The question "Is there a plugin for Framer translations?" is asking the wrong thing. The right question is "How do I build content operations that scale with my international growth?" Once you solve that, the implementation details become much simpler.
This approach works best for companies that want to maintain their Framer design advantages while scaling internationally. It's not the right solution if you need complex CMS features or have content-heavy sites. For those cases, migration to platforms built for content management makes more sense.
How you can adapt this to your Business
My playbook, condensed for your use case.
For your SaaS / Startup
For SaaS companies using Framer:
Focus on translating core conversion pages first (pricing, features, signup flows)
Use external content databases to manage copy separate from design
Implement automated workflows for translation updates
Test messaging variations by market, not just language
For your Ecommerce store
For Ecommerce stores on Framer:
Prioritize product pages and checkout flows for translation
Set up content models that handle product descriptions and specifications
Consider migration to Shopify for complex multilingual commerce needs
Use strategic redirects for less critical pages