Language subdomains let you publish each translated version of your website on its own hostname. For example, if your main website is example.com, the Italian version can be published at it.example.com, the German version at de.example.com, and the French version at fr.example.com.
Nalyvox Translate can verify the DNS, HTTPS/SSL certificate, and WordPress origin before a language subdomain goes live. Once activated, Nalyvox automatically updates the language URL, canonical tags, hreflang tags, Nalyvox sitemaps, and the 301 redirect from the previous language-folder URL.
Before you start
Language subdomains are available on paid Nalyvox Translate plans.
Your translated subdomains must point to the same WordPress installation as your main website. Do not create a second WordPress installation for each language.
For example:
- Main website:
example.com - Italian:
it.example.com - German:
de.example.com - French:
fr.example.com
If you prefer URLs such as example.com/it/, you do not need to configure DNS. Choose Language folders during the Nalyvox setup instead.
Step 1 — Add the subdomain in your hosting panel
Open your hosting control panel and add the language subdomain you want to use, for example:
it.example.com
The subdomain must use the same document root as the main website.
If your main WordPress installation uses a directory such as:
/public_html
then the language subdomain must also serve that same WordPress installation. It must not point to a new empty folder containing another WordPress site.
Hosting panels use different names for this feature. You may see options such as Subdomain, Domain Alias, Addon Domain, or Domain Management.
Step 2 — Create the DNS record
Open the DNS manager for your domain.
For a typical setup, create a CNAME record:
- Type: CNAME
- Name / Host:
it - Target:
example.com - TTL: Auto or the default value
This creates:
it.example.com
Repeat the same process for every translated language you want to publish on a subdomain.
For example:
it→example.comde→example.comfr→example.com
An A record pointing directly to the same server IP can also work, but a CNAME is usually easier to maintain when the main domain already points to the correct server.
If you use Cloudflare
In Cloudflare, go to DNS → Records → Add record.
Choose CNAME, enter the language code in the Name field, and point it to your main domain.
Example:
- Type:
CNAME - Name:
it - Target:
example.com
Cloudflare can normally work with either Proxied or DNS only mode. If verification fails, temporarily switching the record to DNS only can help determine whether the issue is related to the Cloudflare proxy or to the origin server.
Do not change the nameservers of your domain just to create a language subdomain.
Step 3 — Enable HTTPS / SSL
Every language subdomain must have a valid HTTPS certificate.
Open the SSL section of your hosting panel and make sure the new hostname is covered by a valid certificate.
For example:
https://it.example.com
must open without a browser certificate warning.
If your hosting provider uses AutoSSL or Let’s Encrypt, the certificate may be issued automatically after the DNS record starts resolving.
DNS changes and SSL issuance are not always immediate. Depending on the provider, you may need to wait a few minutes before verification succeeds.
Step 4 — Verify the subdomain in Nalyvox
In WordPress, open:
Nalyvox Translate → SEO & URLs → Language Subdomains
For the language you are configuring:
- Enter the hostname, for example
it.example.com. - Click Save.
- Click Verify DNS & SSL.
Nalyvox performs three checks:
- DNS — the hostname resolves publicly.
- HTTPS / SSL — the subdomain has a valid certificate.
- WordPress origin — the hostname is serving the same WordPress installation connected to Nalyvox.
Nalyvox will not activate the subdomain until all checks pass.
Step 5 — Activate the language subdomain
When all checks show as verified, click Activate subdomain.
After activation, Nalyvox changes the public translated URL from a language folder such as:
example.com/it/example-page/
to:
it.example.com/example-page/
Nalyvox also updates the multilingual SEO signals automatically.
This includes:
- canonical URLs;
- hreflang URLs;
- Nalyvox language sitemaps;
- language-switcher links;
- translated page and product URLs;
- internal translated links.
The previous language-folder URL is preserved with an HTTP 301 redirect to the new subdomain URL.
Example
Before activation:
https://example.com/it/products/example-product
After activation:
https://it.example.com/products/example-product
The previous URL redirects permanently to the new one, helping search engines and visitors reach the correct translated page.
Troubleshooting
DNS verification fails
Check that the CNAME or A record exists and points to the correct website. DNS changes may need time to propagate.
SSL verification fails
Open the language subdomain directly in your browser using https://. If the browser shows a certificate warning, issue or renew the SSL certificate before trying again.
Nalyvox says the subdomain is not serving the same WordPress installation
Check the document root configured by your hosting provider. The subdomain must load the same WordPress installation as the main website.
Do not install a separate copy of WordPress on the language subdomain.
The subdomain works in the browser but verification still fails
Check whether a firewall, CDN, security plugin, or reverse proxy is blocking the Nalyvox verification endpoint. If you use Cloudflare, you can temporarily test the DNS record in DNS only mode.
Can I switch back to language folders?
Yes. You can deactivate a language subdomain from Nalyvox Translate. The language will return to the standard folder structure, such as:
example.com/it/
Nalyvox keeps its multilingual routing and SEO configuration aligned with the active URL structure.
Which option should I choose?
Choose Language folders if you want the simplest setup and do not want to change DNS.
Choose Language subdomains if you specifically want each language to have its own hostname and you are comfortable managing DNS and SSL.
Both structures are designed to be SEO-ready with Nalyvox Translate.