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[Resolved] Assistance Needed for Migrating Translations from GTranslate to WPML
This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.
Problem: You are currently using GTranslate TDN for translations on your WordPress site and are planning to migrate to WPML. You are concerned about losing translations and potential negative impacts on SEO during the migration. Solution: If you can extract the content from the GTranslate TDN cloud servers, you can import it into WPML using various workflows. We recommend using tools like the native WordPress importer or WP All Import, which are integrated with WPML for importing translations. You can explore these options here: Supported Export and Import Plugins and Tools. For the format of the exports, using CSV, XML, or other formats is suitable, and you do not need to manually map to the database as the import tools handle this process. More details on how WPML handles translations in the database can be found here: WPML Database Tables.
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<b>Background of the issue: </b>
We are currently using the GTranslate TDN (Translation Delivery Network) solution to manage translations on our WordPress website. This technology operates as a translation proxy, mirroring our website in different languages and hosting these translations in their cloud network. While this has allowed us to have a multilingual website without altering our environment, we are now facing some issues with GTranslate and are planning to migrate to WPML.
Given that GTranslate TDN works by proxying visits to the translated versions of our site through their network, all translations are hosted on their cloud rather than on our server.
<b>Symptoms: </b>
Concern about losing translations and potential negative impact on SEO during migration from GTranslate to WPML.
<b>Questions: </b>
Is there a recommended process for migrating translations from GTranslate TDN to WPML, considering that the translations are hosted externally and served via proxy?
Is it possible to export or migrate the translations from the GTranslate TDN system and import them into WPML? If so, could you provide guidance on how to do this?
How can we ensure that SEO-related elements (such as canonical URLs, meta titles, and slugs) remain consistent during the transition to WPML to avoid any potential SEO penalties?
Languages: English (English )Spanish (Español )German (Deutsch )
Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+02:00)
Hi,
unfortunately, we do not have specific knowledge of the GTranslate TDN plugin, nor do we have a migration tool for it. Our migration capabilities focus on content that is already present in your WordPress database, such as from plugins like qTranslate or Polylang. Since GTranslate TDN operates via a proxy and stores translations externally on their cloud, we are unable to offer a direct migration path.
I cannot recommend any particular migration process as we are unfamiliar with the inner workings of GTranslate TDN, and it does not appear to offer an export functionality for translations. Based on other cloud translation tools, I believe you'll need to translate everything from scratch, as manual migration likely isn't possible.
Regarding SEO, I strongly recommend conducting thorough testing in a staging environment before making the switch. Ensure that permalinks remain consistent, or if there are any changes, set up 301 redirects to preserve your site's SEO integrity during the transition. This will help minimize any negative impact.
Thank you for your response. I understand that WPML doesn't offer support for exporting content from the GTranslate TDN cloud system, and that there's no direct migration tool available for it.
However, if we are able to export all the translated content from the GTranslate TDN cloud servers, would it be possible to import that content into our WordPress website once WPML is installed? We have a capable technical team that can handle the export process, so we would just need some guidance or best practices on how to import the translated content into WPML, perhaps using a tool like WP All Import or via Nulk.
Additionally, could you provide some advice on the format these exports should have or which WordPress tables we should focus on for importing the translations? We want to ensure that each translation is properly linked to the corresponding original page or post, so any information on how WPML stores or references translations in the database would be very helpful.
Any direction you can provide on these points would be greatly appreciated.
Languages: English (English )Spanish (Español )German (Deutsch )
Timezone: Europe/Madrid (GMT+02:00)
Hi,
yes, if you can extract the content from the TDN cloud servers, you’ll be able to import it into WPML via different workflows.
so we would just need some guidance or best practices on how to import the translated content into WPML, perhaps using a tool like WP All Import or via Nulk.
There are several ways to import content, and you can explore the options here: Supported Export and Import Plugins and Tools. WPML also offers a plugin that integrates with the native WordPress importer and WP All Import for importing translations.
Additionally, could you provide some advice on the format these exports should have or which WordPress tables we should focus on for importing the translations?
If you’re using the import tools mentioned above, you don’t need to worry about manually mapping to the database. The tools will handle the process, whether you're importing CSV, XML, or other formats (using the different plugin options).
Technically, WPML handles each translation as a separate post ID in the database. The translation is linked to the original post through the "trid" entry, which connects them via matching IDs. More details can be found here: WPML Database Tables.
