Background of the issue:
I am trying to update the original page on my site hidden link using Elementor Pro. I may have attempted to edit the page while the WPML translator editor was open because I noticed a mistake in the original.
Symptoms:
I am encountering a 403 error when trying to update the original page, and now I cannot update any of the pages.
Questions:
How can I resolve the 403 error when updating pages with Elementor Pro?
What steps should I take if I edited a page while the WPML translator editor was open?
Thank you for contacting WPML support. While one of my colleagues reviews your ticket, I would like to offer some initial troubleshooting steps that may help resolve the issue sooner.
A 403 error typically indicates a permission-related problem. Please reach out to your hosting provider and ask them to review the server error logs for any related entries.
In the meantime, try the following steps:
-Create a new WordPress administrative user.
-Log in using the new account.
-Attempt to access and edit the page again.
Let us know the outcome so we can assist you further.
I've tried logging in with the original Admin account and still getting the error. I'd also previously deactivated the RSS security plugin just in case. I have the extra headache of not having access to the hosting control panel as it's via a consultancy who uses a shared server for all their clients, but I'll ask them to investigate for me. If it were on my servers it would be easier.
1. Do you get the error only when the WPML Translation Editor is open for a translation of the Elementor page in question?
2. If you are persistently getting the error (not only when WPML Translation Editor is open), does it still happen if you deactivate WPML?
Please make sure to have a full website backup before making any tests. I'm waiting for your feedback.
Ok, to clarify, the translation editor is working fine. It's just Elementor. Curiously, I've tried disabling WPML as you suggest and am still getting the error, suggesting something weird has happened outside WPML, though I can't believe they are not connected.
It looks like I need to talk to the hosting company. I did have the thought of trying the RSS plugin to create htaccess permissions instead of via WordPress, though I'm not familiar with that.
Either way, there's probably not a lot you guys can do until I talk to the hosting company, Dinahosting in Spain.
Thank you for your feedback. When an issue happens while a plugin is deactivated, it's very unlikely that the deactivated plugin is causing the issue.
You can also reach out to Elementor support, to check if they have any input on this matter. This ticket stays open for up to 14 days of inactivity, so we'll be here in case there's anything we can do to help you.
Just a quick update: while I know it does seem unlikely, the fact is that I got the problem while editing a page and using the translation editor. I am certainly not saying it's a problem with WPML, except insofar that it perhaps does not have sufficient protection against user carelessness!
The update is that I tried creating a new page and it worked. With no translations yet, there is no permissions error, I can create and edit the page. So there is clearly a connection.
I am remembering a bit more: I had the original page in Catalan open in Elementor and the translation editor at the same time, so when I saved the translation to English and Spanish and went back to alter the text in the original, it produced the error. There's a logical connection here in permissions...what I don't know is how to resolve it.
Were you editing a translation via Elementor, while editing it inside WPML Translation Editor? I mean, using both editors at the same time. This is not recommended and can lead to problems. Once a translation is created with the WPML Translation Editor, it shouldn't be edited elsewhere. There's a pop-up stating that, when you try to do so. Let me know if that was the case
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Can you test and share how we can reproduce the issue? A way to make the issue happen from scratch. This way we can start narrowing down what might be happening.
Well, not exactly, no. I wasn't trying to edit the translation in Elementor, I just had the original page open in Elementor.
I have tried to reproduce the error on a new page by having both open - even changing the original and then updating the translation (which is based on the old version) and both save correctly with no error. I also tried doing it the other way around, saving a change on the page then going back to the translation editor and saving that. Still no error in either place!
The only difference I can see is that the other pages had two languages/translations, but that shouldn't make any difference.
The translation editor still works so I can complete the translations, but clearly if I cannot make changes to the original (most importantly correcting the error on the homepage), it doesn't make much sense, if I will have to reproduce it all.
There is another issue, but it predates this one. I switched from the editor to manual copies for one page, because there is some content that is not relevant to the international audience. It was a bit annoying having to do everything from scratch just for one section (everything else, including the design, is the same), but I understand the logic. Either way, as I say, I don't see how that could affect things either.
I'll keep testing and let you know as and when I have a response from the IT consultancy about the server logs, etc. Thanks!
In summary, you're having a non-consistent 403 error with Elementor, that happens even when WPML is deactivated.
You shared:
"The update is that I tried creating a new page and it worked. With no translations yet, there is no permissions error, I can create and edit the page. So there is clearly a connection."
"I have tried to reproduce the error on a new page by having both open - even changing the original and then updating the translation (which is based on the old version) and both save correctly with no error."
This doesn't bring any indication that the issue is related to WPML, as it doesn't seem that WPML is playing a role here:
1. The issue happens when WPML is deactivated;
2. The issue can't be reproduced from scratch;
3. WPML Translation Editor is not causing the issue on new pages;
4. The 403 error happens with the Elementor page builder;
I understand that there's a (rather remote) possibility that WPML might be related with that, but I have nothing to investigate so far. Please reach out to Elementor and to your hosting's support. Let me know if they have any useful insights.
Can't argue with that, no. I am in the hands of the IT consultancy, so will keep you posted in case anything comes to light that can help others.
One final thing for now is that on the page I was reproducing, I did encounter the issue again, when copying elements over from one of the "offending" pages. When deleted it and duplicated a button that wasn't causing the error, it went away.
This does indeed suggest it is primarily an Elementor issue, but I'm guessing that something happened while doing translation/editing work that Elementor didn't like - so it's not unrelated, even if it's not something inherently "wrong" with WPML. Given Elementor has other issues, I would wager it is at their end anyway. I've always found WPML to be very robust, hence me sticking with it all these years. (Someone at the consultancy installed polylang before I got to WP, so I quickly removed it lol. To be fair I've not used it in at least 10 or 15 years, but I've also seen WPML modernise and become more robust too.)
Thanks for keeping on top of this and for the whole team at WPML 🙂
Sure 🙂 Thanks for sharing. Even though the possibility is low, we can't discard it, so I'll be here to further support you.
What you've shared, that "I did encounter the issue again, when copying elements over from one of the "offending" pages.". Can you reproduce that consistently? If possible, please test it from scratch. Let me know what the results are.
Interestingly, I have just had the error occur when copying an element from another page - this time a working page.
The source is a parent page, and the destination contains a part of the parent content, so I disabled the translator and created a new page for the Spanish version in the old way, so I could copy and paste in the accordion. Shortly afterwards I got the error.
I've finally opened a ticket with Elementor, but while they were quick with the initial reply, so far they've just given me the 101 "disable security plugins" (the first thing I tried) - nor is it a firewall issue as there are pages with the same elements and history, some work some don't.
Given it does seem to happen when working between languages, there may still be a link, though it very much looks like it's in how Elementor interacts with languages and/or their database entries.
