Editing a new page using Elementor breaks

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

Problem:
The client is experiencing a white screen when trying to edit a page with Elementor, accompanied by a TypeError related to the json_decode function in the WPML plugin. The error message indicates that json_decode expects a string, but an array was given.
Solution:
We recommend the following steps to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:
1. Perform a full backup of your site.
2. Temporarily deactivate all third-party plugins except WPML and Elementor to check for conflicts.
3. If the problem persists, provide FTP access to the staging site so we can examine the error logs for more detailed information.
4. Contact Elementor support as the issue persists even after deactivating WPML, suggesting that the problem might not be directly related to WPML.

Please note that this solution might be outdated or not applicable to your specific case. 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. If the issue persists, please open a new support ticket with us for further assistance.

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Tagged: Not WPML issue

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Last updated by alexandreP-37 1 week ago.

Assisted by: Kor.

Author	Posts
April 15, 2025 at 10:05 am
alexandreP-37	Background of the issue: I am trying to edit a new page using Elementor. I created a new page and clicked on 'Edit with Elementor'. The interface starts loading but stops on a white screen. I have an Airbrake issue with more details. Link to a page where the issue can be seen: hidden link Symptoms: Instead of seeing the Elementor edit screen, I got a blank screen and this error reported in Airbrake: Error type: TypeError, Error message: json_decode(): Argument #1 ($json) must be of type string, array given. File: /var/www/html/web/app/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/addons/wpml-page-builders/classes/Integrations/Elementor/DataConvert.php Questions: Why does the Elementor interface stop on a white screen when I try to edit a page? How can I resolve the TypeError related to json_decode in the WPML plugin?
April 15, 2025 at 10:30 am
April 15, 2025 at 10:30 am #16933295
Kor WPML Supporter since 08/2022 Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Asia/Singapore (GMT+08:00)	Thanks for your patience. Here is the ticket. I will need to closely examine your website. Therefore, I will require temporary access (WP-Admin and FTP) to a test site where the problem has been replicated, if possible. This will enable me to provide better assistance and determine if any configurations need to be modified. Please note that it is important to have a backup for security purposes and to prevent any potential data loss. You can use the UpdraftPlus plugin (https://wordpress.org/plugins/updraftplus/) to fulfill your backup requirements. Your upcoming reply will be treated with confidentiality and will only be visible to you and me. ✙ To resolve the issue, I may need your consent to deactivate and reactivate plugins and the theme, as well as make configuration changes on the site if necessary. This emphasizes the significance of having a backup.
April 15, 2025 at 11:28 am
April 15, 2025 at 2:28 pm #16934628
Kor WPML Supporter since 08/2022 Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Asia/Singapore (GMT+08:00)	Thanks for your reply. Could you please grant me full administrative access to your staging site? I need to update the WPML plugins to the latest version for a test.
April 15, 2025 at 4:48 pm #16935588
alexandreP-37	done!
April 16, 2025 at 1:48 pm #16939274
alexandreP-37	Hello, do you have an update for me ?
April 16, 2025 at 2:37 pm #16939614
Kor WPML Supporter since 08/2022 Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Asia/Singapore (GMT+08:00)	Thanks for your patience. I've deactivated most of the 3rd party plugins, including WPML and editing this page hidden link using Elementor is still not possible. This is something else and have you contacted Elementor support?
April 16, 2025 at 3:01 pm #16939743
alexandreP-37	No, as the bug reported by Airbrake points at a WPML file: File /var/www/html/web/app/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/addons/wpml-page-builders/classes/Integrations/Elementor/DataConvert.php:42 URL: hidden link Error message json_decode(): Argument #1 ($json) must be of type string, array given
April 16, 2025 at 3:05 pm #16939750
Kor WPML Supporter since 08/2022 Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Asia/Singapore (GMT+08:00)	Thanks for your reply. I've already deactivated all WPML plugins, and the issue persists. Please ask Airbrake to check on this again. I'm sure they will have another opinion on this matter.
April 16, 2025 at 8:17 pm #16941142
alexandreP-37	I understand your opinion based on the fact that the error remains after disactivating WPML, but please: I don't want to be bounced back from one support team to another. The original error logged in our system refers to this file on line 42: /var/www/html/web/app/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/addons/wpml-page-builders/classes/Integrations/Elementor/DataConvert.php:42 ...which belongs to WPML. If I share this issue with the Elementor Support team, they will just say the same.
April 17, 2025 at 1:17 am #16941524
Kor WPML Supporter since 08/2022 Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Asia/Singapore (GMT+08:00)	Thanks for your reply. Could you please share FTP access to your staging site so that I could check the error logs?
April 17, 2025 at 12:37 pm #16943940
alexandreP-37	thanks for the help Kor, i will pass it along to the Elementor support team and see if they can solve it.