Home›Support›English Support›[Resolved] Recurring Issue with WPML Translations Reverting to Original English Version
[Resolved] Recurring Issue with WPML Translations Reverting to Original English Version
This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.
Problem: The client reported an issue where pages translated into Albanian on their multilingual website using WPML unexpectedly reverted to the original English version. This problem occurred despite following the standard translation process, causing significant rework.
Solution: We advised the client to ensure that they switch from WPML editor mode to WordPress editor mode in the language sidebar when manually translating pages. This change is necessary to prevent the system from overwriting the Albanian translations with the English content when updates are made. For detailed guidance on using different translation editors, please see Using Different Translation Editors for Different Pages.
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<b>Background of the issue: </b>
I am writing to report a persistent issue with our multilingual website setup using WPML. We have been experiencing a recurring problem where our translated pages (Albanian version) unexpectedly revert back to the original English version without any action on our part. This results in the loss of our Albanian translations, requiring us to re-translate the content repeatedly.
I expected to see:
Our translated Albanian pages to remain in Albanian once translated, with all content properly saved and displayed in the Albanian language on the kastratijewellery.al domain.
Instead, I got:
Pages that were previously translated into Albanian suddenly reverting back to their original English content without any action from our team. The Albanian translations disappear completely, and we have to re-translate the same content repeatedly.
Website Information
Main Albanian site: hidden link
English version: hidden link
Language configuration: Domain-based language switching
Affected Pages
This issue has affected multiple pages on our site, including but not limited to:
Homepage: hidden link (had to be re-translated)
Brand pages such as: hidden link hidden link
And several other pages throughout the site
My Translation Process
The standard process I follow for translating pages is:
I create the page in English first
After adding the title, text, and content, I click on "Translate this Document" in the sidebar
I select "Duplicate" to create a copy for translation
I switch to the Albanian version (SQ) and click "translate independently" in the sidebar
I make my translations, modify the title and/or permalinks as needed
I save the changes by clicking "Update"
The Issue
Despite following this process consistently, we frequently discover that pages that were previously translated into Albanian have reverted back to English content. This happens unpredictably - we cannot identify a specific pattern of when or which pages will be affected. The Albanian version (SQ) of the content simply disappears, replaced by the original English content.
This problem has occurred multiple times in the past and continues to happen regularly. It creates significant additional work for us as we need to constantly check and re-translate pages that were already completed.
Domain Configuration
As mentioned, our WPML configuration uses domain-based language switching:
Albanian (primary language): kastratijewellery.al
English: kastratijewellery.com
I would greatly appreciate your assistance in identifying the root cause of this issue and providing a permanent solution. This recurring problem is significantly impacting our workflow and the user experience of our Albanian-speaking visitors.
Is there perhaps a setting we've overlooked, or could there be a conflict with other plugins or theme elements? Any insight or suggestions would be extremely valuable.
While doing the process of manual translation, did you select WordPress editor in language sidebar tab, on that page? If not, then it is expected as WPML still think you are using WPML editor for translation.
Yes, we always make changes with the WordPress editor. However, we haven't changed anything in the page backend afterward. We only noticed the issue when we saw that the English (en) version content appeared in the Albanian (sq) version. Are there any options to prevent this from happening in the future?
The steps that i follow is:
I create the page in English first
After adding the title, text, and content, I click on "Translate this Document" in the sidebar
I select "Duplicate" to create a copy for translation
I switch to the Albanian version (SQ) and click "translate independently" in the sidebar
I make my translations, modify the title and/or permalinks as needed
I save the changes by clicking "Update"
After that, i haven't updated the content in sq or en version. After some times i see the SQ version it isn't in the website. It shows en version.
Right now this problem has been resolved by re-updating the sq version. But need to know how we can prevent it in the future.
Then that is expected, as I have said few replies before.
You can not have WPML editor enabled there and add updates manually by editing the page, as they will be overwritten / removed on saving the default language page.
Please make sure you have made the switch for pages you edit and translate by manually editing/duplicate.
