How can I sell in French and Belgian markets with language settings?

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Topic summary

Issue: A merchant wants to sell to France and Belgium but, after setting those markets’ default language to French, visitors (tested via VPN) still land on the main .com instead of localized subfolders (e.g., /fr-fr or /bn-fr). They expect automatic country-based selection of the correct subfolder.

Suggested checks:

  • Shopify setup: Confirm language subfolders/subdomains are correctly configured under Online Store > Domains.
  • Geolocation: Ensure IP-based location detection and redirection are enabled; verify via a test site (e.g., iplocation.net).
  • Browser behavior: Check if automatic redirects are being blocked.
  • VPN settings: Confirm the VPN isn’t overriding or misreporting location.
  • Translation: Using the free DeepL plan should not affect redirection.

Key terms:

  • Subfolder: URL path indicating locale (e.g., /fr-fr) used for language/market versions.
  • Geolocation: Identifying visitor location via IP to serve localized content.
  • VPN: Tool that can change or obscure a user’s apparent location.

Status: No confirmed fix yet. Action items involve configuration and environment checks. Discussion remains open pending verification of these settings.

Summarized with AI on January 31. AI used: gpt-5.
1

hey i would like to sell in other markets like france and belgium but when i change the default language to french for the markets and then go to the countries with the vpn i end up on the normal .com page and not on .com/fr-fr or .com/bn-fr despite deleted history and cache.
Should not be regulated by the subfolders so that when someone in the country goes to the page the subfolder URL of the respective country is automatically selected?

www.le-x-atelier.com

pw: djerba

2

Hello @le_X_Atelier ,

We are Transcy by OneCommerce - a powerful translator and currency converter.

In this case, you may want to check a few things below:

  • Make sure that you have set up the subfolders correctly in your Shopify account. Go to “Online Store” > “Domains” and check that you have set up a subdomain for each language version of your website.
    Check that your website is set up to detect the visitor’s location. There are a few ways to do this, but one common method is to use a geolocation service or app that can identify the visitor’s location based on their IP address. You can check if your website has this feature by visiting a geolocation testing website like https://www.iplocation.net/.
    Make sure that your browser is not blocking the redirection. Some browsers have settings that block automatic redirects, so you may need to check your browser settings to allow for redirection.
    If you are using a VPN, make sure that the VPN is not overriding your location. Some VPNs allow you to choose a different location than your actual location, so you may need to double-check that the VPN is not causing the issue.
  • Using free plan of DeepL translator is not an issue so don’t be worry.

If you need any further support, don’t be hesitate to contact us. Please hit the Like Button or mark this as Accepted Solution to let us know if this reply is useful, it means a lot to us.

Regards,

Transcy team.