This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.
Problem: The client is experiencing issues with canonical tags for posts duplicated across several languages, which always point to the original language version. Solution: We recommend managing the canonical tags by using the taxonomy editor in Yoast SEO. You can access the taxonomy editor in the desired language by changing the admin language via the flag icon on the top bar. Once there, set the canonical tags directly. For more detailed instructions, please visit the Yoast SEO guide on canonical URLs.
Please note that this functionality is part of Yoast SEO and not directly a feature of WPML, so we cannot guarantee the exact behavior.
If this solution does not apply to your case, or if it seems outdated, we highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have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 open a new support ticket at WPML support forum.
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Background of the issue:
I have posts duplicated across several languages on my site, hidden link. I am trying to manage canonical tags for these duplicated posts.
Symptoms:
The canonical tags for duplicated content always point to the original language version.
Questions:
How can I bulk detach duplications from the source in WPML?
In short, WPML does not have a feature to bulk disconnect duplicates from originals. Nonetheless, I can offer some insights and recommendations:
1. First, ensure that detaching the translation actually brings you to your expected result. Detach one post manually, and check if the canonicals behave as you expect.
There are 2 ways to bulk detach the duplicates. Please note that they're not official recommendations from WPML, so please make 100% sure you have a backup before proceeding:
1. Check this custom plugin that does that: hidden link
2. Manually edit the DB to detach duplications: it is possible to remove the duplicate state of a translated product by deleting the '_icl_lang_duplicate_of' meta_key entry in the wp_postmeta table of the database.
I have installed the plugin, but I can not activate it. It says :
"WPML TM Translate Independently has been deactivated. It requires both "WPML Multilingual CMS" and "WPML Translation Management" to be active."
But I can not find a plugin named "WPML Translation Management" anywhere.
Thanks! The DB alteration worked perfectly.
I have another similar issue: all taxonomy pages' canonical tags point to the default-language taxonomy page. How can I fix that?
Thanks!
Please send me an example of such page, as well as a screenshot that shows precisely what you are referring to. I want to check it myself, in more detail.
This depends on which SEO plugin you are using. Since you haven't shared your debug information, I can't offer a more detailed answer. Please share it, as explained here:
I checked Yoast's documentation, and it seems that this can be done from within the taxonomy editor, directly.
Visit the taxonomy editor in the desired language (you can change the admin language by clicking on the flag, on the top bar), and set the canonical directly. More details:
hidden link
Please note that this is Yoast feature, not a WPML one, so I cannot totally ensure how the process works.
