To handle language switching on your Shopify store based on customer preferences without relying on geolocation, you can implement a few strategies. Since geolocation will no longer be available, leveraging browser language settings and providing a prominent language switcher are good alternatives. Here’s how you can approach this:
1. Browser Language Detection
Use JavaScript to detect the user's browser language and redirect them to the appropriate language version of your site. This can be done without relying on geolocation services.
2. Language Switcher
Ensure that your language switcher is prominently placed and easy to use, allowing customers to manually select their preferred language.
Implementing Browser Language Detection
Here's a step-by-step guide to implement this:
Step 1: Add Language Detection Script
Add the following script to your Shopify theme. This script will detect the browser's language and redirect users to the corresponding language version of your site.
Edit your theme's code:
- Go to Online Store > Themes.
- Click Actions > Edit Code.
Add the script to your theme:
- Open the theme.liquid file or your main layout file.
- Add the following script inside the <head> tag:
<script>
document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() {
const userLang = navigator.language || navigator.userLanguage;
const preferredLang = localStorage.getItem('preferredLang');
if (!preferredLang) {
if (userLang.startsWith('de')) {
window.location.href = '/de'; // Adjust to your German URL structure
} else if (userLang.startsWith('en')) {
window.location.href = '/en'; // Adjust to your English URL structure
}
localStorage.setItem('preferredLang', userLang);
}
});
</script>
This script checks the user's browser language and redirects them to the German or English version of your site accordingly. It also stores the user's preferred language in localStorage to avoid repeatedly redirecting them.
