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[Waiting for user confirmation] Website built with the classic WordPress editor – what should we do with the new translations?
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Background of the issue:
Our website was initially translated into a second language using the classic WordPress editor.
Now that we want to add more languages, we’d prefer to switch to the advanced translation editor. We’ve already activated the relevant option, but we’ve noticed that products, posts, and pages originally created with the classic editor still open in that format, even when translated via WPML AI.
According to what we’ve read on the forum, this happens because translations inherit the editor type of the original post. For this reason, we’d like to enable the setting that forces the use of the advanced editor, even for older post IDs.
Symptoms:
Questions:
Can you confirm that switching to the advanced editor for older post IDs won’t cause any issues?
We’ve already translated several post IDs using WPML, for a total of around 50,000 credits, so we definitely wouldn’t want to lose them. Even more importantly, we wouldn’t want to risk any problems with the existing translations in the second language—those were done with the classic editor and are currently perfect.
Languages: English (English )Spanish (Español )German (Deutsch )
Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)
Hello,
Each original post and page has an option for setting the translation method inside the right sidebar of the WordPress Editor.
If the option is still set to "WordPress Editor", it is expected that that the "WPML Translation Editor" will not open. You will need to enable the option "WPML Translation Editon" on each post or page.
Once you switch the option a dialog will allow you to set the same translation method for the current page or post, all post types of the same kind or all the site's content.
IMPORTANT:
Take note, that the WPML Translation Editor will not be able to capture any translations that were created on the WordPress Editor. This means, if you enable the WPML Translation Editor as the translation method, the editor will be empty and you will create completely new translations. Those new translations will overwrite the translations that were earlier created on the WordPress Editor.
Hi Andreas, thank you for the explanation—it was more than thorough. Honestly, I’m feeling a bit disoriented now.
Let’s take a moment to summarise.
We have a WordPress site with the primary language. Years ago, we translated it into a secondary language using the Classic Editor. Both languages are still set to use the Classic Editor by default, as they were back then, and nothing has changed since.
Today, we’re translating the site using WPML AI, using only the primary language as the source. WPML AI is working—we’ve already used over 50,000 credits (and we expect to use many more).
The option to use the Advanced Translation Editor is enabled, as shown in the screenshot we sent previously.
And now we’re discovering that—even with that option enabled in WPML’s settings—if the original post is flagged to use the Classic Editor, then the translation will also use the Classic Editor.
And if we change it later, we lose everything. What?
Honestly, I feel like this should have been stated somewhere really clearly—with a big, visible alert.
That aside, what are we supposed to do now?
Apologies if I sound frustrated—it’s just that we chose WPML to solve our problems, but right now it feels like we’re facing a major one.
I really hope you can advise us on the best way forward so we can continue our translations smoothly.
Languages: English (English )Spanish (Español )German (Deutsch )
Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)
The translations created with the WordPress Editor are not compatible with the WPML Translation Editor, no matter if you use the old Classic Translation Editor or the new Advanced Translation Editor.
Apart from that I could only repeat what I already wrote in my first comment.
The WordPress Editor will still open for old translations, as this must be the translation method set on the original content. You need to switch it to use the "WPML Translation Editor".
