Page after editing in WP Gutenberg editor, translated text via WPML tool reverted back to untranslat...

This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.

Problem:
You are trying to translate text using the WPML tool in WordPress, but some text is not being caught by the WPML translation tool. When you manually translate text directly in the WP Gutenberg editor and later update the content using the WPML translation editor, the manually translated text reverts back to the original language.
Solution:
You cannot use the Advanced Translation Editor (ATE) and manually edit content in Gutenberg simultaneously as this causes translation issues. You need to choose either to continue using ATE exclusively or to manually translate all content. If certain texts are not detected by ATE, it might be due to a compatibility issue with the plugin generating the Gutenberg block. If the plugin is tested and supported by WPML, we can help investigate the issue. If not, you should contact the plugin developer to make their plugin compatible with WPML. You can find guidance on making custom Gutenberg blocks translatable here: Make Custom Gutenberg Blocks Translatable. Additionally, if you prefer to use manual translation for specific pages, follow the steps outlined here: Using Different Translation Editors for Different Pages.

Please note that this solution might be outdated or not applicable to your specific case. We highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have installed the latest versions of themes and plugins. If the issue persists, please open a new support ticket at WPML Support Forum.

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Tagged: Documentation request

This topic contains 5 replies, has 0 voices.

Last updated by Marcel 1 week, 4 days ago.

Assisted by: Marcel.

Author	Posts
June 16, 2025 at 10:18 am #17138037
hounOC	Background of the issue: I am trying to translate text using the WPML tool in WordPress. Some text is not being caught by the WPML translation tool, so I translate the untranslated text directly in the WP Gutenberg editor. I want to update content like adding images or changing block styles without losing the translated text I worked on before using both the WPML Editor and the standard WP editor. Symptoms: When I update the content and use the WPML translation editor, the translated text I input directly in the WP Gutenberg editor reverts back to untranslated (back to English). Questions: How can I update content without losing the translated text? Why does the translated text revert back to untranslated when using the WPML translation editor?
June 16, 2025 at 10:48 am #17138217
Christopher Amirian WPML Supporter since 07/2020 Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Asia/Yerevan (GMT+04:00)	Hi, Welcome to WPML support. You can not use the Advanced translation editor and manually change stuff in Gutenberg at the same time. That mix and match will not work. You either need to keep using ATE or use manual translation. If there are texts that are not detected it might be a compatibility issue between the plugin that you use that generates the Gutenberg block and WPML. If it is listed as a tested plugin by WPML we can check and see what that happens. If it is not tested then you will need to contact the developer of the plugin and ask them to make their plugin compatible with WPML using the method below: https://wpml.org/documentation/support/language-configuration-files/make-custom-gutenberg-blocks-translatable/ You can deactivate the plugins one by one to know which plugin generates the section of the text that i snot available to ATE. Also we can check your installation in general if you provide the debug information: https://wpml.org/faq/provide-debug-information-faster-support Finally, if you want to keep using the manual translation for that specific page or other pages of your website you can follow the steps below: https://wpml.org/documentation/translating-your-contents/using-different-translation-editors-for-different-pages/ Thanks.
June 16, 2025 at 12:25 pm #17138584
hounOC	Thanks for your quick response. Could you guide me how to work with the text_blocks attribute in Guteberg editor, so then the text string input will be detected by ATE? Also is there any efficient way to update newly added content, like images or video, to different language version when the translation was edited manually? Thanks /Sharon
June 16, 2025 at 2:35 pm #17139568
Marcel Supporter Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) German (Deutsch ) Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+02:00)	Hi Sharon, My name is Marcel, and I’ll be handling your ticket from here. In general, the text needs to be handled through an XML configuration that instructs WPML how to process it during translation. The document Christopher shared with you outlines the steps to automatically generate this configuration for your specific content within the mentioned block. Just to clarify — is this text coming from a specific third-party add-on? Best regards, Marcel
June 17, 2025 at 8:33 am #17141355
hounOC	Hi, I use useBlockProps, RichText, MediaUpload, MediaUploadCheck, from '@wordpress/block-editor for the custom block in the editor js. And WMPL cannot pick up the string I input into RichText, I also experienced the same issue with textblock. /Sharon
June 17, 2025 at 1:09 pm #17142628
Marcel Supporter Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) German (Deutsch ) Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+02:00)	Hi Sharon, as mentioned above in the doc, if you're using a custom block, you'll need to generate the XML configuration manually. Please refer again to the documentation I shared with you earlier. Once you've activated the required setting, you can generate the XML for the specific blocks. Best Regards, Marcel