Since October 9, 2026 Shopify's Translate & Adapt app has an Auto-sync feature: turn it on for a language and Shopify translates new and updated store content every week on its own, while the limit for automatically translated languages has gone up from 2 to 8. Until now, editing a product description meant going back into the app and re-translating it yourself.
The bad part for a Lithuanian store: Lithuania is not among the 12 countries Shopify opened this up to. But there is one concrete check that shows whether your store has it anyway.
What is Translate & Adapt Auto-sync?
Translate & Adapt Auto-sync is a feature live since October 9, 2026 that automatically translates new and updated store content into a chosen language once a week, on the same day each time. It is enabled with a separate toggle per published language and is off by default.
The button logic changed with it: the old "Auto-translate" became "Translate now" and translates content immediately instead of waiting for the weekly cycle. Translations you wrote by hand stay untouched - Shopify spelled that out:
"As usual, translations you wrote manually are never overwritten." - Shopify changelog, October 9, 2026
Does Auto-sync work for a store based in Lithuania?
Lithuania is not on Shopify's list: Auto-sync and the 8-language limit are announced for Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Stores based elsewhere officially stay on 2 automatic languages.
But the Shopify Help Center leaves an important exception: if you see the Translate now button in the app, your store can use up to 8 languages and Auto-sync - even if your country is not on the list. If you still see the old Auto-translate, your limit is still 2 languages.
It is a 30-second check: Shopify admin > Apps > Translate & Adapt, and look at what the button is called.
How do you turn Auto-sync on, and how many languages will you really get?
Auto-sync is enabled per language inside the Translate & Adapt app, and every automatically translated language takes one slot of your limit. The detail that matters most: you cannot switch that automatic translation to a different language, and removing a language does not free up the slot.
- Open Translate & Adapt and pick a published language.
- Turn on the Auto-sync toggle. The first translation can take up to a week - enabling it does not translate anything immediately.
- If you need it faster, click Translate now: content is translated right away.
- Review the translations before publishing. Machine translation still gets product names and units of measure wrong.
Because slots are never freed, it is worth choosing languages up front, against your market plan, rather than experimenting. If you are expanding into new markets, the full picture - domains, currencies, localisation - is covered in our market expansion and localisation service.
What will Auto-sync not translate for you?
Auto-sync does not translate your store's legal policies - the Shopify Help Center states they cannot be machine translated and have to be handled manually. Theme default text is treated differently too: only missing translations are added, and existing ones are not updated.
In practice that means your refund and withdrawal terms, privacy policy and terms of sale remain your responsibility. This is not a formality: terms aimed at an EU consumer have to meet that market's requirements rather than be a literal translation. We wrote about one of those requirements in our article on the EU right of withdrawal.
What to do if your store does not have Auto-sync yet
Until the feature opens up, the working setup is still 2 automatic languages:
- Keep automatic translation for your two most important languages and handle the rest manually or through a third-party app.
- Make it a rule that every product description edit goes straight into translation as well - this is exactly where content falls behind.
- Prioritise collection and product titles plus meta descriptions: they have the biggest effect on search and on AI answers.
- Check the app from time to time to see whether the button has changed to Translate now - Shopify opens features up gradually.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Auto-sync cost?
Translate & Adapt is a free Shopify app from the Shopify App Store. Neither the October 9 changelog entry nor the Help Center page mentions a separate fee or a required plan - the limit depends on your store's country.
Will Auto-sync overwrite translations I already fixed?
No. Shopify states that translations written manually are never overwritten. Automatic translation is only added where no translation exists, or it updates an earlier machine translation.
When will the first translations appear after I enable it?
The first Auto-sync run can take up to a week, because translation happens on the same weekday at the same time. For an unpublished language, Shopify waits until you publish it.
Can I move an automatic language slot to another language?
No. Each automatically translated language takes a slot in your limit and that slot cannot be moved to a different language. Removing a language does not free it up either, so choose deliberately.
Planning a multilingual Shopify store or an expansion into a new market? Get in touch.
