diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/setup/i18n/i18n.js b/packages/cli/src/commands/setup/i18n/i18n.js
index 64dc6e498dfe..dd0d2ca79b12 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/setup/i18n/i18n.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/setup/i18n/i18n.js
@@ -19,21 +19,53 @@ export const builder = (yargs) => {
   })
 }
 
+const APP_JS_PATH = getPaths().web.app
+
+const i18nImportExist = (appJS) => {
+  let content = appJS.toString()
+
+  const hasBaseImport = () => /import '.\/i18n'/.test(content)
+
+  return hasBaseImport()
+}
+const addI18nImport = (appJS) => {
+  var content = appJS.toString().split('\n').reverse()
+  const index = content.findIndex((value) => /import/.test(value))
+  content.splice(index, 0, "import './i18n'")
+  return content.reverse().join(`\n`)
+}
+
+const i18nConfigExists = () => {
+  return fs.existsSync(path.join(getPaths().web.src, 'i18n.js'))
+}
+const localesExists = (lng) => {
+  return fs.existsSync(path.join(getPaths().web.src, 'locales', lng + '.json'))
+}
+
 export const handler = async ({ force }) => {
-  const INDEX_JS_PATH = getPaths().web.app
   const tasks = new Listr([
     {
       title: 'Installing packages...',
       task: async () => {
-        await execa('yarn', [
-          'workspace',
-          'web',
-          'add',
-          'i18n',
-          'i18next',
-          'i18next-browser-languagedetector',
-          'i18next-http-backend',
-          'react-i18next',
+        return new Listr([
+          {
+            title:
+              'Install i18n, i18next, react-i18next and i18next-browser-languagedetector',
+            task: async () => {
+              /**
+               * Install i18n, i18next, react-i18next and i18next-browser-languagedetector
+               */
+              await execa('yarn', [
+                'workspace',
+                'web',
+                'add',
+                'i18n',
+                'i18next',
+                'react-i18next',
+                'i18next-browser-languagedetector',
+              ])
+            },
+          },
         ])
       },
     },
@@ -41,34 +73,98 @@ export const handler = async ({ force }) => {
       title: 'Configuring i18n...',
       task: () => {
         /**
-         * Write i18n.js in web/src
+         *  Write i18n.js in web/src
+         *
+         * Check if i18n config already exists.
+         * If it exists, throw an error.
          */
-        return writeFile(
-          path.join(getPaths().web.src, 'i18n.js'),
-          fs
-            .readFileSync(
-              path.resolve(__dirname, 'templates', 'i18n.js.template')
-            )
-            .toString(),
-          { overwriteExisting: force }
-        )
+        if (!force && i18nConfigExists()) {
+          throw new Error(
+            'i18n config already exists.\nUse --force to override existing config.'
+          )
+        } else {
+          return writeFile(
+            path.join(getPaths().web.src, 'i18n.js'),
+            fs
+              .readFileSync(
+                path.resolve(__dirname, 'templates', 'i18n.js.template')
+              )
+              .toString(),
+            { overwriteExisting: force }
+          )
+        }
       },
     },
     {
-      title: "Adding locale file for 'site' namespace",
-      task() {
-        return writeFile(getPaths().web.src + '/locales/en/site.json')
+      title: 'Adding locale file for French...',
+      task: () => {
+        /**
+         * Make web/src/locales if it doesn't exist
+         * and write fr.json there
+         *
+         * Check if fr.json already exists.
+         * If it exists, throw an error.
+         */
+
+        if (!force && localesExists('fr')) {
+          throw new Error(
+            'fr.json config already exists.\nUse --force to override existing config.'
+          )
+        } else {
+          return writeFile(
+            path.join(getPaths().web.src, '/locales/fr.json'),
+            fs
+              .readFileSync(
+                path.resolve(__dirname, 'templates', 'fr.json.template')
+              )
+              .toString(),
+            { overwriteExisting: force }
+          )
+        }
       },
     },
     {
-      title: 'Adding import to App.{js,tsx}...',
+      title: 'Adding locale file for English...',
       task: () => {
         /**
-         * Add i18n import to the top of App.{js,tsx}
+         * Make web/src/locales if it doesn't exist
+         * and write en.json there
+         *
+         * Check if en.json already exists.
+         * If it exists, throw an error.
          */
-        let indexJS = fs.readFileSync(INDEX_JS_PATH)
-        indexJS = [`import './i18n'`, indexJS].join(`\n`)
-        fs.writeFileSync(INDEX_JS_PATH, indexJS)
+        if (!force && localesExists('en')) {
+          throw new Error(
+            'en.json already exists.\nUse --force to override existing config.'
+          )
+        } else {
+          return writeFile(
+            path.join(getPaths().web.src, '/locales/en.json'),
+            fs
+              .readFileSync(
+                path.resolve(__dirname, 'templates', 'en.json.template')
+              )
+              .toString(),
+            { overwriteExisting: force }
+          )
+        }
+      },
+    },
+    {
+      title: 'Adding import to App.{js,tsx}...',
+      task: (_ctx, task) => {
+        /**
+         * Add i18n import to the last import of App.{js,tsx}
+         *
+         * Check if i18n import already exists.
+         * If it exists, throw an error.
+         */
+        let appJS = fs.readFileSync(APP_JS_PATH)
+        if (i18nImportExist(appJS)) {
+          task.skip('Import already exists in App.js')
+        } else {
+          fs.writeFileSync(APP_JS_PATH, addI18nImport(appJS))
+        }
       },
     },
     {
@@ -79,9 +175,6 @@ export const handler = async ({ force }) => {
           ${chalk.hex('#e8e8e8')(
             'https://react.i18next.com/guides/quick-start/'
           )}
-          ${chalk.hex('#e8e8e8')(
-            'https://github.com/i18next/i18next-browser-languageDetector\n'
-          )}
         `
       },
     },
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/setup/i18n/templates/en.json.template b/packages/cli/src/commands/setup/i18n/templates/en.json.template
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..aa0e11b73b6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/setup/i18n/templates/en.json.template
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "Welcome to RedwoodJS": "Welcome to RedwoodJS",
+  "info": "This is your English translation file",
+  "see": "https://www.i18next.com/translation-function/essentials",
+  "HomePage" : {
+      "title": "Home Page",
+      "info": "Find me in",
+      "route": "My default route is named",
+      "link": "link to me with"
+    }
+  }
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/setup/i18n/templates/fr.json.template b/packages/cli/src/commands/setup/i18n/templates/fr.json.template
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7fd9454d7033
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/setup/i18n/templates/fr.json.template
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "Welcome to RedwoodJS": "Bienvenu sur RedwoodJS",
+  "info": "Ceci est votre fichier de traduction",
+  "see": "https://www.i18next.com/translation-function/essentials",
+  "HomePage": {
+    "title": "Page d'accueil",
+    "info": "Trouve moi dans",
+    "route": "Ma route par default se nomme",
+    "link": "le lien vers moi avec"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/setup/i18n/templates/i18n.js.template b/packages/cli/src/commands/setup/i18n/templates/i18n.js.template
index a9277fe19a85..891897093f03 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/setup/i18n/templates/i18n.js.template
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/setup/i18n/templates/i18n.js.template
@@ -1,64 +1,53 @@
 import i18n from 'i18next'
-import HttpApi from 'i18next-http-backend'
-import LanguageDetector from 'i18next-browser-languagedetector'
 import { initReactI18next } from 'react-i18next'
+import LanguageDetector from 'i18next-browser-languagedetector'
+import fr from './locales/fr.json'
+import en from './locales/en.json'
+
+// This is a simple i18n configuration with English and French translation.
+// You can find the translation on web/src/locales/{language}.json
+// see : https://react.i18next.com
+// Here an example of how to use it in your components, pages or layouts :
+/*
+import { Link, routes } from '@redwoodjs/router'
+import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next'
 
+const HomePage = () => {
+  const { t, i18n } = useTranslation()
+  return (
+    <>
+      <h1>{t('HomePage.title')}</h1>
+      <button onClick={() => i18n.changeLanguage('fr')}>fr</button>
+      <button onClick={() => i18n.changeLanguage('en')}>en</button>
+      <p>
+        {t('HomePage.info')} <code>./web/src/pages/HomePage/HomePage.js</code>
+      </p>
+      <p>
+        {t('HomePage.route')} <code>home</code>, {t('HomePage.link')}`
+        <Link to={routes.home()}>Home</Link>`
+      </p>
+    </>
+  )
+}
+
+export default HomePage
+*/
 i18n
-  .use(HttpApi)
-  .use(LanguageDetector)
   .use(initReactI18next)
+  // detect user language
+  // learn more: https://github.com/i18next/i18next-browser-languageDetector
+  .use(LanguageDetector)
   .init({
-    backend: {
-      loadPath: '/locales/{{lng}}/{{ns}}.json',
-      addPath: '/locales/{{lng}}/{{ns}}.json',
-    },
-    load: 'all',
-    ns: ['site'],
-    defaultNS: 'site',
-    fallbackNS: 'site',
-    fallbackLng: 'en',
-    whitelist: ['en'],
-    preload: ['en'],
+    interpolation: { escapeValue: false }, // React already does escaping
     lng: 'en',
-    lowerCaseLng: true,
-    // saveMissing: true,
-    initImmediate: true,
-    detection: {
-      // order and from where user language should be detected
-      order: ['querystring', 'cookie', 'localStorage', 'sessionStorage', 'navigator', 'htmlTag', 'path', 'subdomain'],
-
-      // keys or params to lookup language from
-      lookupQuerystring: 'lng',
-      lookupCookie: 'i18next',
-      lookupLocalStorage: 'i18nextLng',
-      lookupSessionStorage: 'i18nextLng',
-      lookupFromPathIndex: 0,
-      lookupFromSubdomainIndex: 0,
-
-      // cache user language on
-      caches: ['localStorage', 'cookie'],
-      excludeCacheFor: ['cimode'], // languages to not persist (cookie, localStorage)
-
-      // optional expire and domain for set cookie
-      cookieMinutes: 10,
-      cookieDomain: 'myDomain',
-
-      // optional htmlTag with lang attribute, the default is:
-      htmlTag: document.documentElement,
-
-      // optional set cookie options, reference:[MDN Set-Cookie docs](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Headers/Set-Cookie)
-      cookieOptions: { path: '/', sameSite: 'strict' }
-    },
-    react: {
-      wait: true,
-      useSuspense: false,
-      transSupportBasicHtmlNodes: true,
-    },
-    interpolation: {
-      escapeValue: false, // react already safes from xss
+    fallbackLng: 'en',
+    resources: {
+      en: {
+        translation: en,
+      },
+      fr: {
+        translation: fr,
+      },
     },
-    nsSeparator: ':',
-    keySeparator: '.',
   })
-
 export default i18n