Every website platform handles Arabic differently. Some add hreflang tags automatically, some need an extension, and some leave right-to-left layouts to your theme or your developers. For a global brand, the platform decides how much of Arabic SEO is built in and how much your team has to add. This guide explains Arabic SEO on Shopify, Magento, WordPress and Sitecore: how each platform handles Arabic URLs, hreflang tags and right-to-left pages, and what to check before you launch.
What Every Platform Needs for Arabic SEO
| Requirement | Why it matters |
|---|---|
Separate Arabic URLs, such as /ar/ | Google indexes each language version separately |
| hreflang tags | They connect the Arabic and English versions of each page |
lang="ar", dir="rtl" and right-to-left templates | Arabic pages display correctly and work for screen readers |
| Arabic title tags, meta descriptions and alt text | Search results show Arabic snippets |
| Translatable URL slugs, or one clear rule for them | Arabic URLs stay readable and consistent |
| Arabic URLs in the XML sitemap | Google finds every Arabic page |
| Fast pages with Arabic fonts | Arabic pages pass Core Web Vitals on mobile |
Our guide to bilingual SEO and hreflang explains each requirement in detail.
Arabic SEO on Shopify
Shopify handles languages and countries through Shopify Markets. According to Shopify's documentation, when a store uses Markets, Shopify adds hreflang tags to the theme automatically, for markets that have their own domain, subdomain or subfolder. Language subfolders such as /ar/ are the default setup.
- Translations. Shopify's Translate & Adapt app translates store content, and you can translate the URL handles of products, collections, pages and articles for each language.
- Fixed URL prefixes. The
/products/,/collections/,/pages/and/blogs/parts of Shopify URLs cannot be changed. Only the handle after them can be edited. - Right-to-left layout. Not every Shopify theme supports right-to-left languages well, so test the Arabic version of every template, including product pages and the cart.
- One source of hreflang. If a theme or app adds its own hreflang tags on top of Shopify's automatic tags, pages end up with two conflicting sets. Keep one source.
- Product content. Write Arabic product titles and descriptions from keyword research, as our guide to Arabic SEO for e-commerce explains.
Arabic SEO on Magento and Adobe Commerce
Magento and Adobe Commerce handle languages through store views, usually one store view per language.
- hreflang. Most stores add hreflang tags through an extension or custom code. Many extensions connect product and category pages automatically, but CMS pages often have to be linked by hand.
- URL keys. Translate the URL keys of products and categories for the Arabic store view, and follow one rule for Arabic script or Latin letters.
- Right-to-left theme. The Arabic store view needs right-to-left styles. Check the menu, filters, mini cart and checkout.
- Filters and sorting. Filter and sort options can create many URL versions of the same category page, so use canonical tags to point them to the main version.
- Speed. Large catalogues and many extensions can slow a store down, so check Core Web Vitals on the Arabic templates.
Arabic SEO on WordPress
WordPress supports right-to-left languages in its core: when the site language is Arabic, WordPress sets the text direction to right to left, and themes can include right-to-left stylesheets. Core WordPress does not run several languages on one site, so bilingual websites use a multilingual plugin such as WPML, Polylang or TranslatePress. These plugins add language subfolders and hreflang tags.
- Use one multilingual plugin, and check that it outputs hreflang tags with return links and an
x-default. - Use an SEO plugin, such as Yoast SEO or Rank Math, to write Arabic title tags and meta descriptions, and check that it works with your multilingual plugin.
- Choose a theme with right-to-left support, and test any page builder on Arabic pages.
- On WooCommerce, translate product slugs and product attributes as well as the descriptions.
- Use caching and image optimisation to keep the Arabic pages fast.
Arabic SEO on Sitecore
Sitecore is an enterprise content management system in which each page, or item, can have several language versions. Much of the Arabic SEO setup depends on how your implementation partner built the website.
- Language in URLs. Sitecore can add the language code to URLs, either language only, such as
/ar/, or language and country, such as/ar-sa/. Choose one format and keep it. - hreflang. Sitecore websites usually add hreflang tags through custom code or a module. Check that every page lists all its language versions, with links that point both ways.
- Language fallback. If a page has no Arabic version, a fallback setting can show content in another language on the Arabic URL. That creates wrong-language pages, so check your fallback settings.
- Right-to-left components. Every component needs right-to-left styles, and Arabic pages need the
dir="rtl"attribute. - Workflow. Send Arabic versions through the same approval workflow as English, with a native review step.
Shopify, Magento, WordPress and Sitecore Compared
| Platform | Languages handled by | hreflang | Right-to-left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Shopify Markets and Translate & Adapt | Added automatically with Markets | Depends on the theme |
| Magento / Adobe Commerce | Store views | Usually an extension or custom code | Depends on the theme |
| WordPress | A multilingual plugin such as WPML, Polylang or TranslatePress | Added by the plugin | Supported in core, and depends on the theme |
| Sitecore | Language versions of each item | Usually custom code or a module | Depends on the implementation |
Checks for Any Platform Before Launch
- Arabic pages have their own URLs and can be indexed.
- hreflang tags are valid, point both ways and come from one source only.
- Arabic pages have
lang="ar"anddir="rtl", and the right-to-left layout works on mobile. - Title tags, meta descriptions and alt text are written in Arabic.
- Arabic URLs appear in the XML sitemap.
- No plugin or app redirects visitors automatically by location or browser language.
- Arabic templates pass Core Web Vitals.
Our Arabic SEO checklist covers the full list, and a Middle East SEO audit checks a live website against it.
Moving to a New Platform
A platform change usually changes URLs and templates, which puts Arabic rankings at risk. Map every Arabic and English URL and redirect it before launch, as our guide to Arabic website migration explains.
Conclusion
Shopify adds hreflang automatically, WordPress and Magento rely on plugins and extensions, and Sitecore depends on its implementation. On every platform, the Arabic pages need their own URLs, correct hreflang tags and tested right-to-left templates. GOTOMENA helps global brands set up Arabic SEO on their website platform through our Arabic SEO services. To check your setup, contact our team.