Add a language switcher to a Lovable app
The safest Lovable language switcher keeps your generated app structure intact. Lovalingo adds the switcher, locale paths, automatic translation, hreflang, and translated metadata without asking Lovable to rewrite every component into manual translation keys.
1. Keep English as source
Write and edit the default Lovable app in English.
2. Enable target locales
Turn on Spanish, French, Dutch, German, or any supported language.
3. Publish locale URLs
Verify /es, /fr, and other paths return 200 with matching SEO tags.
What to ask Lovable to do
Ask Lovable to detect whether your project is TanStack Start or legacy React/Vite. New Lovable projects should keep TanStack routing and SSR metadata intact; older projects can use the standard provider setup.
Install Lovalingo and add a language switcher. - Detect whether this is TanStack Start or legacy React/Vite. - Keep the source UI in English. - Add /es, /fr, and /de locale paths. - Add the Lovalingo language switcher. - Verify html[lang], canonical, hreflang, title, and meta description. - Do not rewrite all components into manual JSON translation files.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add a language switcher to Lovable?
Install Lovalingo, enable the target locales, add the Lovalingo switcher in the navbar or bottom-right corner, and verify that locale paths like /es and /fr render with the correct metadata.
Will a language switcher break my Lovable app?
It should not if the i18n layer respects the generated stack. New Lovable projects use TanStack Start, so the setup should preserve routing, server rendering, and metadata instead of replacing the app router.
Do I need JSON files for a Lovable language switcher?
No. Lovalingo lets you keep writing the default UI in English and translates supported languages automatically, so you avoid manual JSON message files and string keys.
Need full Lovable i18n, not just a switcher?
Start with the complete Lovable i18n hub if you also need locale URLs, translated metadata, hreflang, and sitemap coverage.