# Translate

The theme includes built-in support for multiple languages and can be fully translated using simple JSON files. It also offers automatic RTL support for the Arabic language (AR).

Included Languages:

* English (EN)
* Spanish (ES)
* French (FR)
* Portuguese (PT)
* German (DE)
* Italian (IT)
* Arabic (AR)

### How it Works

Translations are managed through Ghost’s official `{{t}}` helper and JSON files stored in the theme’s `locales/` folder. You can edit existing translations or add new ones easily, without the need for any additional setup or dependencies.

For more information, see: [Ghost Translate System](https://ghost.org/docs/themes/helpers/translate/)

### How to Edit or Add a Translation

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### Unzip the Theme

* Unzip the theme `sand.zip` file on your computer.
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Open the Translations Folder

* Go to the `locales/` directory inside the theme folder.
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Edit an Existing File

* Open a file like `pt.json` using a code editor such as [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/) or [Sublime Text](https://www.sublimetext.com/)
* Update the values to match your preferred translations:

{% code title="pt.json" %}

```json
{
  "Subscribe": "Inscreva-se"
}
```

{% endcode %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Add a New Language (Optional)

* Duplicate an existing file (e.g., `en.json`)
* Rename it using a valid [language code](https://www.w3schools.com/tags/ref_language_codes.asp) (e.g., `de.json` for German)
* Replace the values with your own translations.
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Repackage the Theme

* Compress the entire theme folder into a new `sand.zip` file.
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Upload the Updated Theme

* In Ghost Admin, go to: **Settings** > **Site** > **Theme** > **Change theme** > **Upload Theme**\
  `yoursite.com/ghost/#/settings/theme`
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Set the Site Language

* Go to **Settings** > **General** > **Publication Language** and enter your language code (e.g., `pt`, `es`, `fr`, `ar`, `de`)
  {% endstep %}
  {% endstepper %}

### Recommended Tools

To safely edit translation files, always use a code editor that supports UTF-8 encoding and JSON formatting, such as:

* [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/)
* [Sublime Text](https://www.sublimetext.com/)

{% hint style="danger" %}
Avoid using basic text editors like Notepad or word processors like Word — they can break the file structure, add hidden characters, or corrupt encoding, which may cause errors when uploading the theme.
{% endhint %}
