This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.
Problem: You are experiencing issues with category display in the backend of a multilingual site using WPML. Categories are not displayed in the expected language; instead, they appear in the language of the last updated post. Solution: We recommend the following steps to resolve the issue: 1. Navigate to WPML > Support > Troubleshooting. 2. Click on the following buttons: - Synchronize posts taxonomies (Select pages/posts from the dropdown before clicking the button) - Clear the cache in WPML - Remove ghost entries from the translation tables - Assign translation status to duplicated content - Set language information - Fix post-type assignment for translations 3. Go to Settings > Permalinks. 4. Set the Permalink structure to "Postname" and save the changes. 5. Clear the caches from your site and browser, then check again.
If the issue persists or the solution seems irrelevant due to being outdated or not applicable to your case, we highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent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 further assistance is needed, please open a new support ticket at WPML support forum.
This is the technical support forum for WPML - the multilingual WordPress plugin.
Everyone can read, but only WPML clients can post here. WPML team is replying on the forum 6 days per week, 22 hours per day.
<b>Background of the issue:</b>
I am working on a site under development with WPML in three languages: English (default), Portuguese, and Spanish. The content and categories display correctly on the front end, but there are issues with category display in the backend.
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Personal note: I can see that you are using AI, very cool. However, please check out the following google doc. to read my original ticket if you need a more detailed description:
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Just in case, in the following folder you can see the images that I have uploaded in this form:
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<b>Symptoms:</b>
In the backend, categories are not always displayed in the expected language. They appear in the language of the last updated post, regardless of the current post's language. This results in categories not being displayed in the expected language.
<b>Questions:</b>
- Why are categories in the backend displayed in the language of the last updated post instead of the current post's language?
- How can I ensure that categories are always displayed in the same language as the post language in the backend?
- Why are categories not checked correctly when they are displayed in a different language?
I checked the doc file you shared and understand the issue. It is possible that the language information has not been added to the categories yet, which could be causing the problem. Please try the following steps and see if there are any changes:
1. Go to "WPML > Support > Troubleshooting".
2. Click on the following buttons:
- Synchronize posts taxonomies (Select pages/posts from the dropdown before clicking the button)
- Clear the cache in WPML
- Remove ghost entries from the translation tables
- Assign translation status to duplicated content
- Set language information
- Fix post-type assignment for translations
3. Once done, go to "Settings > Permalinks".
4. Set the Permalink structure to "Postname" and save the changes.
5. Clear the caches from your site and browser, then check again.
Please let me know how it goes. I'll be happy to help if you need further assistance in this matter.
Hi Prosenjit,
Thanks for your quick reply, and the steps provided.
I will try that out as soon as I can.
However, It sounds like a bit complicated. I would like to understand what is happening, if that is possible. Did I do something wrong?
Some aditional information that I did not say before, is that I deleted WPML pluings while trying to connect the github repository to wordpress.com, but then I added OTGS Installer back again, and installed the plugins again.
There are some steps in your instructions that I do not know how to do ahead of time, may be they are easily available through WPML settings. If the next steps are easily accessible from the WPML settings, don't bother telling me how to do them:
- Remove ghost entries from the translation tables
¿What are ghost entries?
- Assign translation status to duplicated content
I understand that "translation status" is like telling WPML that a specific post is "being translated". ¿Why do I have to do this? ¿Why would I have duplicated content?
- Set language information
¿Do you mean by this to assign the category to each post?
- Fix post-type assignment for translations
Sorry, I don't understand what this means. May be this means assign the category to each post?
Sorry to bother with this questions, our content is our gold, and I want to make sure that I understand the steps involved.
Sometimes, the translation information or other language-related details may not be added correctly for certain posts, pages, or taxonomies. This can happen due to plugin conflicts, incorrect information stored in the database, or other issues. As a result, the translated posts, pages, or taxonomies might not work correctly. As a primary step to address these kinds of issues, we recommend using the WPML Troubleshooter, which has proven to resolve most of the time effectively.
For your information, If you have deleted the WPML plugin, the information and settings from WPML will still be saved in the database (unless you have reset WPML). So, if you install WPML again, all the information in the plugin will be the same as before.
I completely understand your concern about your content before proceeding with the troubleshooting. Let me clarify these steps for you:
- Remove ghost entries from the translation tables: Ghost entries are orphaned or incomplete entries in the translation tables, often caused by improper deletions or plugin issues. These entries can lead to errors or inconsistencies in your translations. By clicking the appropriate buttons, these orphaned entries will be removed from the database.
- Assign translation status to duplicated content: Translation status indicates whether a piece of content is translated, needs updating, or is still being translated. This option will not create duplicate content. Instead, it will update the translation status of any content that has been duplicated from the default language, ensuring the correct status is set according to the original post.
- Set language information: Language information assigns the correct language to your content, allowing WPML to manage translations properly. This option will assign the correct language information to all content on your site, including taxonomies.
- Fix post-type assignment for translations: Post-type assignment ensures that translations are correctly recognized and displayed as the same type of content as the original (e.g., post, page, product). This option ensures translated content appears correctly within your site's structure, avoiding issues where translations might not display or function properly.
I hope you understand. Although this option will adjust the language-related information for your content, it is a good idea to take a full backup of your site before proceeding with the troubleshooting.
Please let me know the outcome. I will be happy to help if you need further assistance in this matter.
"For your information, If you have deleted the WPML plugin, the information and settings from WPML will still be saved in the database (unless you have reset WPML). So, if you install WPML again, all the information in the plugin will be the same as before."
Thanks for that clarification. That si SO GOOD to know 🙏
I will check out this as soon as I can and let you know how it went.
I have tried your steps, and the issue did not get solved, BUT, I realized that this might has to do with something I did. I have added an "edit" button in every post, that when you click, it takes you to the admin of that particular post. I have done this, because I would expect this button to be on the wordpress top-bar (visible only when you are logged in) but it is not there.
So, I have just realized that this issue happens when I click this button that I have added. Howver, If I switch languages from the admin, by clicking on the pen icon next the language, the categories labels get translated well, that the category from the post is checked as expected.
So, I think this issue is related to mu custom "edit" button.
