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WPML 4.4.2 – Nicer String Translation, Automatic Translation and WordPress 5.5 Compatibility

Announcements, WPML versions
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Today, we released WPML 4.4.2. This release includes important String Translation improvements, plus an automatic translation experience that’s easier to use, and more.

Here is the list of major updates in WPML 4.4.2:

String Translation updates

The String Translation screen is now simpler and faster to use. You can now see the status of your translations in all your languages at a glance.

New String Translation Interface
An improved interface that shows the status of your strings’ translations in all languages

We greatly reduced the number of clicks required to translate strings. Simply click the + icon to translate a string. Use the Tab key on your keyboard to save your translations and move between languages.

BEFORE
NOW
Multiple clicks to translate strings
Multiple clicks to translate strings

BEFORE
Translate your strings with only one click
Translate your strings with only one click

NOW

Searchable Admin Texts Translation screen

Finding strings that don’t appear in the main String Translation screen is easier than ever:

  1. Search for the string you need using the new text search box.
Adding admin strings to the String Translation page
Searching for admin strings using the text search.
  1. Click to add it to the String Translation screen or generate a code snippet for your language configuration file.
Exporting as a WPML configuration file
Generating a code snippet for your config file

Once the string is added to the String Translation screen, you can translate it as normal.

New Admin String Interface
Registering admin strings for translation

Integration with the Advanced Translation Editor

String Translation is now fully integrated into the Advanced Translation Editor. This means you can use automatic translation, and the glossary, spell checker, and translation memory to help translate your strings.

Translating strings using the Advanced Translation Editor

Automatic translation user experience updates

In addition to these String Translation updates, we also made some updates to the automatic translation navigation and content within the Translation Management module. Our focus for these changes was:

  • To more clearly communicate the number of words you have left for the month.
  • To make it easier to change your payment limit, change your payment method, and view your past invoices and word usage reports.
  • To make it easier to understand how to connect sites under the same automatic translation account.

You can see these changes by going to WPML → Translation Management and clicking the Translation Tools tab. See our documentation about automatic translation for more information.

New automatic translation UI
New automatic translation interface

Improved handling of sites that change URLs

If your site’s URL changes as a result of either copying or moving your site, it has implications for some features of the Advanced Translation Editor. From 4.4.0 onward, WPML will detect this change automatically and walk you through next steps.

WPML detecting a change to your site’s URL
WPML detecting a change to your site’s URL

Plugin recommendations

To get the most out of your plugins, you sometimes need a “glue” plugin from WPML. This is the case with the following plugins:

  • WooCommerce
  • Gravity Forms
  • Contact Form 7
  • Ninja Forms
  • WP Forms
  • BuddyPress
  • Advanced Custom Fields
  • WP All Import
  • MailChimp
  • Yoast SEO

WPML 4.4.0 can now detect when you have one of these plugins installed and will proactively suggest installing the glue plugin. It will also be added to the setup wizard. This will ensure you don’t miss a key component of making your site fully multilingual.

Proactively suggesting a glue plugin for a 3rd party plugin
Proactively suggesting a glue plugin for a 3rd party plugin

WordPress 5.5 Compatibility

WordPress 5.5 introduces a breaking change from previous versions. This change removes some JavaScript code that themes and plugins relied on and replaces it with a new version which is not backward compatible. WPML 4.4 includes all the adjustments necessary for complete compatibility with WordPress 5.5.

Compatibility with Toolset

Besides WPML, we are also the authors of Toolset plugins. Toolset is a suite of plugins that helps build dynamic WordPress sites, without coding. It makes it easy to create custom functionality, without needing a developer.

Together with WPML 4.4 we released Toolset Blocks 1.3. This joint release allows you to translate Toolset sites easily and to build advanced multilingual directory sites.

For example, if you’re thinking of building something like Craigslist in multiple languages, you can now do this with WPML 4.4 and Toolset Blocks 1.3. Your multilingual directory site can allow members to submit content, can have a custom search and show related items. And, it will be fully multilingual.

Multilingual directory site example built with Toolset and WPML

Toolset Blocks 1.3 also adds full support for building custom WooCommerce stores. A set of 11 new dynamic blocks for WooCommerce will let you design product templates, archives and searches. No need to edit PHP files or touch the WooCommerce templates system. The whole design is fully visual and gives you pixel perfect control over the output.

WooCommerce product page example built with Toolset

How to install this version

As with other major releases, we are deploying WPML 4.4.2 gradually. If your sites haven’t received this update yet, give it some time and you’ll see the update in a few days. 

To skip the queue and get this update right away go to Plugins → Add New, click the Commercial tab, and then use the Check for updates button.

Of course, you can also download WPML 4.4.2 manually by going to your WPML Account’s Downloads page.

How did we do?

Try out WPML 4.4.2 and let us know what you think in the comments below!

How can we make WPML better for you?

Share your thoughts and comments about our plugin, documentation, or videos by booking a Zoom call with Agnes, our Client Advocate. Your feedback matters and helps us improve.

Book a call with Agnes

18 Responses to “WPML 4.4.2 – Nicer String Translation, Automatic Translation and WordPress 5.5 Compatibility”

    • You should be able to upload and activate the update as usual. If you need further troubleshooting assistance, our support team will be better able to assist you!

    • Sure. We’ve been working on Deepl integration for a while and we’re still not there. The gist of the issue is how Deepl handles HTML. While Azure and Google’s automatic translation leaves HTML “as is”, Deepl insists on translating it. So, if we send to Deepl something like {span class=”major”}Hello{/span}, we’ll get back:
      {envergure classe=”majeure”}Bonjour{/envergure}

      (pardon my French)

      This seems like a little issue, but it’s a lot of work to go around. It means that we need to encode everything that we send to Deepl and then decode it. It’s a whole parsing and encoding project.

      We do intend to enter this project and make Deepl available, it’s just a lot more work than we hoped it would be.

      Does this help?

    • Since several versions, WPML’s String Translation has almost no impact on the site’s front-end. This is because we’re loading the translations from .mo files that we compile (once) on the admin. This new release of WPML changes the editing interface and doesn’t change the way string translation is applied to the front-end. If you’re seeing significant contribution from WPML (including String Translation), we invite you to create a support ticket about it. Show us the site and the performance report that you’re seeing. I’m sure that we can identify the problem and help you get your site to run fast.

  5. When you create lite version

    Bcs right now after when install WPML – admin and website low speed and it’s so bad! Before mob 70 PC 90
    whit wpml mob 34 pc 78 – WHY? i just want lite version whit no fix my website speed! just dublicate that all!

    • Have you checked in Google Page Speed tool what’s actually contributing to the page load time? Our supporters are pretty good at identifying performance problems and fixing them. If you see something related to WPML in your site’s performance report, please create a ticket in WPML support and we’ll help you with it.

    • Hi Leonardo – Thanks for your comment. We made this adjustment as part of WooCommerce Multilingual 4.1.0 (to disable scanning the uploads directory for currency switcher templates). I have just submitted a feature request to be considered for an upcoming WPML core release to allow disabling this for language switchers as well.

  8. Hi
    it stopped to add the correct links of translations. Now when I translate a page so there appear only the links of original page that was translated from.

  9. Hello!

    We have an issue with string translations:
    when we make and save translations for our secondary language, WMPL (and/or WPBakery?) creates an extra html p tags in our string translations! HTML p tags are added around the translated text, which creates p tags inside p tags, and so it renders incorrectly on the front page.

    I think it has something to do with latest update. We did not have this problem previously but now we have it.
    We opened a support ticket but no solutions as of yet:
    https://wpml.org/forums/topic/extra-html-tags-added-to-string-translations-in-woodmart-theme-and-wp-bakery/

    Thank you for your help!

    • Hi Iveta – Thanks for your comment. I see you’ve already opened a support ticket about this. A member of our support team will be with you shortly!