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

Problem:
You are experiencing an issue where translated subcategories in your LMS system become main categories instead of connecting with their parent categories when using WPML to translate from English to Arabic.
Solution:
To resolve this issue, we recommend translating the parent taxonomy first and then the child taxonomies. This ensures that the hierarchy of the categories is maintained correctly after translation. Please follow the step-by-step guide provided here to synchronize the taxonomy structure: Translating Post Categories and Custom Taxonomies.

If this solution does not apply to your case, or if it seems outdated, we highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have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. Should you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to open a new support ticket at WPML support forum.

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This topic contains 2 replies, has 1 voice.

Last updated by Carlos Rojas 1 week, 6 days ago.

Assisted by: Carlos Rojas.

Author Posts
August 31, 2025 at 1:25 pm #17360476

heshamA-5

Background of the issue:
My website is an LMS system with a 3-level category system: main category university, subcategory college, and subcategory department under the college. I am trying to translate these categories from English to Arabic using WPML.

Symptoms:
When I translate some categories through WPML course translation, the translated categories become main categories and cannot connect with parent categories.

Questions:
How can I fix the issue of translated subcategories becoming main categories?
What steps should I follow to ensure categories remain connected to their parent categories after translation?

August 31, 2025 at 1:29 pm #17360477

heshamA-5

any response please

September 1, 2025 at 10:14 am #17362017

Carlos Rojas
WPML Supporter since 03/2017

Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español )

Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+02:00)

Hello,
Thank you for contacting us

To avoid having this issue, you must translate the parent taxonomy first and then the child taxonomies. I recommend you follow the steps described in this guide to sync the taxonomies hierarchy: https://wpml.org/documentation/getting-started-guide/translating-post-categories-and-custom-taxonomies/#sync-taxonomy-structure

Regards,
Carlos