How does Webflow support Arabic and other RTL languages?
TL;DR
- Set text direction to Right-to-Left via the Style panel or custom CSS.
- Use Arabic-compatible fonts and align text to the right.
- Add
<html dir="rtl">ordirection: rtl;in custom code for site-wide RTL. - Reconfigure UI layouts using flex/grid settings for RTL flow.
- Preview and test across devices and browsers for accurate RTL rendering.
Webflow supports Arabic and other right-to-left (RTL) languages through styling controls and custom configurations that let you adjust text direction, alignment, and typography to suit RTL layouts.
1. Enable RTL Text Direction
- Webflow doesn't currently offer built-in RTL support across the entire project, but you can apply it manually.
- Set text direction by selecting a text element, then going to the Style panel and setting the Direction to Right-to-Left under Typography > More type options.
- Alternatively, you can apply RTL direction using a custom class and setting it via Custom CSS or using the Style panel's Advanced options.
2. Adjust Typography and Alignment
- For Arabic text, choose a web-safe or imported Arabic typeface (like Cairo, Amiri, or Tajawal from Google Fonts) to ensure character compatibility.
- Set text alignment to the right to match traditional Arabic typography.
- Use Webflow’s text alignment controls or style classes to standardize alignment across multiple components.
3. Use Custom Code for Global RTL
- To apply RTL throughout your whole site, you can use a custom code snippet at the page or project level:
- Add
<html dir="rtl">in the Before tag in Project Settings > Custom Code. - Or apply
direction: rtl;to thebodyor a wrapperdivvia custom CSS.
4. Adapt UI Elements
- For full RTL usability, reposition navigation, icons, and grid structures to follow the right-to-left reading flow.
- Use flexbox or grid layout controls in reverse (like
row-reverse) to adjust element flows for RTL designs.
5. Preview and Test Thoroughly
- Webflow's Designer may not always reflect RTL fluidly during design time.
- Use the Preview mode and publish to a staging domain to verify how the layout renders in real browsers with real RTL users.
- Test on different screen sizes and on common RTL browsers/locales.
Summary
Webflow supports Arabic and other RTL languages through manual styling, custom direction settings, and targeted typography/layout adjustments. While not automatic, RTL layouts can be fully achieved using Webflow’s style tools and optional custom code.