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[Resolved] Pantheon: "WPML detected a new address for this site" keeps coming back

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

Problem:
The client is experiencing an issue with WPML's address detection on a Pantheon hosted WordPress site. WPML keeps indicating a change in the site's address, which is preventing further development. The root cause was identified as the domain setup in Pantheon and the Kadence plugin's license records.
Solution:
To resolve this, follow these steps:
1. Ensure your domain is set up and active on Pantheon before installing WordPress or any plugins.
2. Use Terminus to change your primary domain on Pantheon before installing any plugins.
3. If WPML or other plugins have already been installed, manually remove any Pantheon domain entries from plugin license records.
4. Perform a global search-replace using Terminus and WP-CLI to remove any remaining Pantheon domain references.
5. If you have added your sitekey in the wp-config.php file, remove it.
6. Go to https://wpml.org/account/sites, remove the website from the list, and then add it again to copy the newly generated key.
7. In your website's admin panel, go to Plugins > Add New > Commercial Tab and click on "Unregister WPML from this site".
8. Register the website again with the newly copied key.

If this solution does not apply to your case, or if it seems outdated, we highly recommend checking the related known issues, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have installed the latest versions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 issues persist, please open a new support ticket.

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This topic contains 3 replies, has 0 voices.

Last updated by Lucas Vidal de Andrade 1 week, 5 days ago.

Assisted by: Lucas Vidal de Andrade.

Author Posts
October 8, 2025 at 7:17 pm #17468713

restekC

Background of the issue:
I am trying to resolve an issue with WPML's address detection on our Pantheon hosted WordPress site. WPML keeps displaying this message: "The site was previously at hidden link and now it’s at hidden link." I have already modified wp-config and included the code mentioned in the WPML errata in our pantheon-config include file. THIS IS BECOMING AN URGENT ISSUE as it's preventing further development, and we have a hard deadline.

Symptoms:
WPML detected a new address for this site keeps coming back with the message: 'Looks like this site was previously at hidden link and now it’s at hidden link. Do you still have the same site running at hidden link?'

Questions:
How can I permanently resolve the WPML address detection issue on Pantheon? THIS IS BECOMING AN URGENT ISSUE as it's preventing further development, and we have a hard deadline.
October 9, 2025 at 11:56 am #17471081

Lucas Vidal de Andrade
WPML Supporter since 11/2023

Languages: English (English )

Timezone: Europe/Vienna (GMT+01:00)

Hey there,

If you have added your sitekey in the wp-config.php file, please remove it and follow the steps below. Otherwise, you can follow the steps directly:

1. Go to wpml.org/account/sites and remove the website from the list;
2. Add it again and copy the newly generated key;
3. In your website's admin panel, go to Plugins > Add New > Commercial Tab and click on "Unregister WPML from this site";
4. Register the website again, with the key you copied in step #2;

That should do the trick. Let me know how it goes.
October 13, 2025 at 12:49 pm #17479704

restekC

This is resolved; however, providing information that may be valuable.

The root of the issue was actually Pantheon + Kadence. When setting up a site on Pantheon, ensure your domain is set up and active BEFORE installing WordPress, or at least BEFORE installing any plugins. OOTB, Pantheon uses container URLs "your site name . pantheonsite . io", which get populated into the WordPress database, specifically the wp_options table. There is a process, using Terminus, to change your primary domain on Pantheon. DO THIS STEP BEFORE installing any plugins. Otherwise, the Pantheon domain gets written into plugin license records and the result is WPML's detection routine will discover those Pantheon domains. In our case, Kadence license records were the issue. We manually removed those license records and did a global search-replace using Terminus and WP-CLI, and removed the Pantheon domains from the Kadence portal.

Additional note for WPML support: in a standard Pantheon WordPress setup, plugin management is limited in the production/live environment. If set up as prescribed, you do not have access to add or remove plugins in the production/live environment, as they are code and should be tested and deployed through the pipeline: multidev -> dev -> test -> live. Thus, access to the commercial tab in the live environment is unavailable. Unfortunately, this results in an unsafe and untested deployment for WPML... if you configure WPML in multidev (or dev), for proper testing before deployment through the pipeline, it breaks when deployed into the test and live environments, requiring the wp-config hack for licensing. We ended up uninstalling, then reinstalling without configuration before deployment through the pipeline. Once WPML was installed on live, we then completed confiiguration.

October 14, 2025 at 7:23 am #17482072

Lucas Vidal de Andrade
WPML Supporter since 11/2023

Languages: English (English )

Timezone: Europe/Vienna (GMT+01:00)

Thank you for sharing the valuable context and path to solution. This will be recorded as a solution and will be available to other users that have similar issues.