installing WPML in our staging enviroment

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

Problem:
The client was experiencing an issue where the WPML installer was stuck in a loop during installation on their staging environment.
Solution:
We resolved the issue by taking the following steps:
1. We removed the existing copies of the WPML plugins.
2. We uploaded freshly downloaded versions of the WPML plugins.
3. We accessed the database and deleted the problematic option in the

wp_options

table named auto-translation-job-creation-error.
After these steps, we successfully activated the WPML plugins on the staging site.

Please note that this solution might be outdated or not applicable to your specific case. We highly recommend checking the related 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.

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Tagged: Exception

This topic contains 15 replies, has 1 voice.

Last updated by Andrey 1 week, 1 day ago.

Assisted by: Andrey.

Author	Posts
November 7, 2025 at 3:49 pm
rolfv	Background of the issue: I am trying to install WPML in our staging environment at hidden link. Symptoms: No specific issue or error message mentioned. Questions: Installer is in a loop while installing
November 7, 2025 at 7:08 pm #17558402
rolfv	We have tested the login and te credentials are oke. Please use port 21
November 7, 2025 at 7:11 pm #17558421
Andrey WPML Supporter since 06/2013 Languages: English (English ) Russian (Русский ) Timezone: Europe/Kyiv (GMT+02:00)	This is Andrey here, and I will assist you further with the issue. Is this the first time you are setting up WPML? If I need to reinstall, am I allowed to do it? Currently, I am seeing the following error when attempting to access your admin: 07-Nov-2025 19:09:58 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught TypeError: count(): Argument #1 ($value) must be of type Countable\|array, null given in /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/vendor/wpml/fp/core/functions.php:154 Stack trace: #0 [internal function]: count() #1 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/vendor/wpml/fp/core/functions.php(154): call_user_func_array() #2 [internal function]: WPML\FP\Lst::WPML\FP\{closure}() #3 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/vendor/wpml/collect/src/Illuminate/Support/Traits/Macroable.php(56): call_user_func_array() #4 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/classes/automatic-translation/AutomaticTranslationJobCreationFailureNotice.php(91): WPML\FP\Lst::__callStatic() #5 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/classes/automatic-translation/AutomaticTranslationJobCreationFailureNotice.php(64): WPML\TM\AutomaticTranslation\Actions\AutomaticTranslationJobCreationFailureNotice->deleteElementsThatHaveJobsCreated() #6 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/classes/automatic-translation/AutomaticTranslationJobCreationFailureNotice.php(43): WPML\TM\AutomaticTranslation\Actions\AutomaticTranslationJobCreationFailureNotice->updateNotice() #7 [internal function]: WPML\TM\AutomaticTranslation\Actions\AutomaticTranslationJobCreationFailureNotice->__construct() #8 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/vendor/otgs/auryn/lib/Injector.php(415): ReflectionClass->newInstanceArgs() #9 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/vendor/otgs/auryn/lib/Injector.php(373): WPML\Auryn\Injector->provisionInstance() #10 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/classes/container/class-wpml-container.php(98): WPML\Auryn\Injector->make() #11 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/classes/container/functions.php(29): WPML\Container\Container::make() #12 [internal function]: WPML\Container\{closure}() #13 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/vendor/wpml/fp/core/functions.php(154): call_user_func_array() #14 [internal function]: WPML\FP\{closure}() #15 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/classes/container/functions.php(35): call_user_func_array() #16 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/classes/automatic-translation/AutomaticTranslationJobCreationFailureNoticeFactory.php(11): WPML\Container\make() #17 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/classes/action-filter-loader/class-wpml-action-filter-loader.php(148): WPML\TM\AutomaticTranslation\Actions\AutomaticTranslationJobCreationFailureNoticeFactory->create() #18 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/classes/action-filter-loader/class-wpml-action-filter-loader.php(96): WPML_Action_Filter_Loader->run_factory() #19 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/classes/action-filter-loader/class-wpml-action-filter-loader.php(80): WPML_Action_Filter_Loader->load_factory() #20 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/classes/action-filter-loader/class-wpml-action-filter-loader.php(51): WPML_Action_Filter_Loader->load_factory_or_action() #21 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/tm.php(131): WPML_Action_Filter_Loader->load() #22 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php(324): wpml_tm_load() #23 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php(348): WP_Hook->apply_filters() #24 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-includes/plugin.php(517): WP_Hook->do_action() #25 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/sitepress.class.php(527): do_action() #26 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php(324): SitePress->init() #27 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php(348): WP_Hook->apply_filters() #28 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-includes/plugin.php(517): WP_Hook->do_action() #29 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-settings.php(578): do_action() #30 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-config.php(106): require_once('...') #31 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-load.php(50): require_once('...') #32 /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php(22): require_once('...') #33 {main} thrown in /home/stagingbezorgsho/staging.bezorgshop.com/wp-content/plugins/sitepress-multilingual-cms/vendor/wpml/fp/core/functions.php on line 154
November 10, 2025 at 12:37 pm #17562295
rolfv	Hi,, We made a copy of our live envirorement. After that we installed a new theme. You can do want is needed as long as we dont loose data and settings
November 10, 2025 at 12:59 pm #17562484
Andrey WPML Supporter since 06/2013 Languages: English (English ) Russian (Русский ) Timezone: Europe/Kyiv (GMT+02:00)	I’ve looked into this further, and it appears there may be some restrictions on your staging server. Could you please confirm the following? • Whether it’s possible to upload files to your staging server. • Whether your database user has permission to write to the database. I ran a quick test by attempting to update a random plugin on your staging site, and received the following error: Update failed: Could not create directory. If these restrictions are in place, that’s most likely the reason why you’re unable to install the WPML plugin.
November 10, 2025 at 8:54 pm #17564201
rolfv	HI, • Whether it’s possible to upload files to your staging server. Yes you can do • Whether your database user has permission to write to the database Yes i think so. Where can i check this? I am not technical.
November 11, 2025 at 9:06 am #17565258
Andrey WPML Supporter since 06/2013 Languages: English (English ) Russian (Русский ) Timezone: Europe/Kyiv (GMT+02:00)	Thank you for your feedback. • Whether it’s possible to upload files to your staging server. Yes you can do Whenever I try to update a random plugin on your staging site, I still see the error “Could not create directory.” (see attached screenshot). This indicates that there are likely permission restrictions on the server. • Whether your database user has permission to write to the database Yes i think so. Where can i check this? It would be best to clarify both points directly with your hosting provider. Please ask them to confirm whether any file or database limitations are in place and, if so, to temporarily remove or adjust them for testing.
November 11, 2025 at 9:29 am #17565443
rolfv	Hi, I had contact with the provider. It is solved now he says. Can you try again?
November 11, 2025 at 2:36 pm #17566860
Andrey WPML Supporter since 06/2013 Languages: English (English ) Russian (Русский ) Timezone: Europe/Kyiv (GMT+02:00)	Thank you for the update. I’ve checked, and it appears to be the same issue I mentioned earlier. Would you mind giving it a try?
November 12, 2025 at 9:06 am #17569412
rolfv	Hi again, can you please try again? The hosting provider changed some things
November 12, 2025 at 10:53 am #17569848
Andrey WPML Supporter since 06/2013 Languages: English (English ) Russian (Русский ) Timezone: Europe/Kyiv (GMT+02:00)	Hi, Thank you for the update. I will check and let you know.
November 12, 2025 at 1:28 pm #17571153
Andrey WPML Supporter since 06/2013 Languages: English (English ) Russian (Русский ) Timezone: Europe/Kyiv (GMT+02:00)	I appreciate your patience. I’ve investigated the issue and found that a corrupted database option was causing the problem. Here’s what I did to resolve it: 1. Removed the existing copies of the WPML plugins. 2. Uploaded freshly downloaded versions of the WPML plugins. 3. Accessed the database and deleted the problematic option in the wp_options table named auto-translation-job-creation-error. After performing these steps, I was able to successfully activate the WPML plugins on your staging site.
November 12, 2025 at 7:30 pm #17572702
rolfv	Thank you so far for your help. Most pages works with the language switch. Only on the homepage it doenst. Can you please check this? Once again thanks
November 12, 2025 at 8:50 pm #17572751
Andrey WPML Supporter since 06/2013 Languages: English (English ) Russian (Русский ) Timezone: Europe/Kyiv (GMT+02:00)	I appreciate your feedback. I have reviewed this and noticed that your current homepage, named "Home Marketplace2," has not been translated into other languages, so this is expected behavior. You need to translate the homepage so it will appear in other languages as well.
November 14, 2025 at 8:29 am #17577685
rolfv	Oke got it. i did click on the + sign to create a german version however it didnt work. WPML is on automatic translations but it seems it doesnt work? New threads created by Andrey and linked to this one are listed below: https://wpml.org/forums/topic/split-wpml-is-on-automatic-translations-but-it-seems-it-doesnt-work/