What is reversed proxy?

Summary

A reverse proxy translator makes a website available in multiple languages without changing the original site. Instead of building separate versions of your website, a translation proxy sits between the visitor and your website and translates the page on the fly.

This approach allows businesses to launch multilingual websites quickly, even for older platforms or sites that were never designed for multiple languages.

FAQ

Does a reverse proxy change my original website?

No. Your original website remains exactly the same.

Is the translated website a separate copy?

No. The translated version is generated dynamically by the proxy.

Can this work with existing websites?

Yes. Even older websites can become multilingual using a reverse proxy.

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What is a reverse proxy translator
How a reverse proxy translation works
Step-by-step example of the translation process
Why companies use reverse proxy translation
Example: multilingual website structure
Key advantages of reverse proxy translation

What is a reverse proxy translator

A reverse proxy translator is a system that automatically translates website content before it reaches the visitor.

Instead of creating multiple language versions of your website, a translation proxy acts as a middle layer between the visitor and your website server.

The visitor never interacts directly with the original website. Instead, the proxy receives the page, translates it, and then delivers the translated version.

The original website remains unchanged.

How a reverse proxy translation works

Normally, when someone visits a website, the request goes directly to the server.

Without a translation proxy

Visitor → Website → Page returned in the original language

With a reverse proxy translator, there is an extra step in the process.

With a translation proxy

Visitor → Translation proxy → Website

↓

Translated page returned

The proxy retrieves the original page from the website, translates the content, and then sends the original page with the translated content back to the visitor.

Step-by-step example of the translation process

Here is a simplified example of what happens when a visitor opens a translated page.

A visitor opens a website address such as es.website.com.
The reverse proxy receives the request.
The proxy fetches the original page from the main website.
The page content is translated.
The translated version is sent to the visitor’s browser.

For example, the original website might contain the text:

Welcome to our website

The proxy translates it to:

Bienvenido a nuestro sitio web

The visitor only sees the translated version, while the original website continues to run in its original language.

Why companies use reverse proxy translation

Many websites are not built to support multiple languages. Adding full multilingual support often requires rebuilding large parts of the site.

Developers frequently avoid this because it requires significant time and resources.

A reverse proxy translation solution solves this problem by handling translations outside the original website.

This allows companies to make their website multilingual without redesigning their infrastructure.

Example: multilingual website structure

With a reverse proxy translation setup, different languages are typically served through sub folders, subdomains or custom domain names.

For example:

Original website

website.nl → Dutch

Translated versions through sub folders

website.nl/en → English

es.website.nl/es → Spanish

de.website.nl/de → German

Translated versions through subdomains

en.website.nl → English

es.website.nl → Spanish

de.website.nl → German

Translated versions through custom domains

website.com → English

website.es → Spanish

website.de → German

When someone visits one of these translated domains, the proxy loads the Dutch page, translates it, and delivers the translated version to the visitor.

The original website continues to operate normally in Dutch.

Key advantages of reverse proxy translation

Using a reverse proxy for translation provides several practical benefits.

No changes to the original website

Your website remains unchanged. The proxy handles all translation outside your existing infrastructure.

Fast language expansion

New languages can be added quickly because the proxy performs the translation automatically.

Works with existing websites

Even older websites or platforms that were never designed for multilingual content can become multilingual.

Centralized translation control

Translations can be managed in one place without editing the original website.