The first stepsLos primeros pasos
I started by logging in to translate.wordpress.org with my WordPress.org account and navigated to the Elementor project in the Spanish (Costa Rica) locale (es_CR). When I applied the untranslated strings filter, I found thousands of them waiting. The number was impressive, but it also made clear why this locale needs contributors.
I chose to start at the beginning of the list and move forward in an orderly way. The first string I translated was a short phrase: “This post type does not support Elementor.” Although it seemed simple, it forced me to make decisions from the very first moment.
The first lesson: context is everything
That first string taught me something that would repeat throughout the project. The translation memory suggested a version that, when I reviewed it carefully, did not exactly match the original text: it included a variable and a term that were not in my string. If I had accepted it without thinking, I would have introduced an error.
That is when I understood that translating software is not an automatic task. Every suggestion must be verified, every term must fit the original, and every decision has consequences for the end user. The correct translation was not the one the machine offered me, but the one that faithfully respected the meaning and structure of the English text.
My first contribution confirmed that I had chosen the right project. It combined the technical challenge with linguistic work, demanded attention to detail, and made me feel part of the global WordPress community. It also left me with a clear lesson: contributing to free software does not require being an expert from day one, but rather having a willingness to learn, care in the work, and a commitment to quality.
This first step gave me the confidence to continue. Each translated string is a concrete contribution, and I know there are many more waiting. My first contribution was not the end of anything, but the beginning of a path within the community.