Problem: The client was experiencing an issue where both the top and bottom language switchers were only showing the original language available, instead of all the languages.
Solution: We advised the client to ensure that the home page is completely translated. The language switcher by default only displays languages/flags for which translations are available. If the home page is not translated, the language switcher will not show the other languages.
If the solution provided here does not resolve your issue or seems irrelevant due to being outdated or not applicable to your case, we encourage you to open a new support ticket. We also 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 further assistance is needed, please contact us on the WPML support forum.
Problem: The client needed confirmation on whether changing the hreflang attribute from "fr" to "fr-ca" was correct for their site targeting French-Canadian users, and whether using American English as the primary website language instead of British English would pose an issue for targeting Canada. Solution: 1. We confirmed that using "fr-ca" is appropriate if the client wants to target the Canadian French-speaking audience. If the client does not wish to target specifically Canadian users, they can use "fr". 2. To change the hreflang value, we advised the client to navigate to WPML > Languages > Edit Languages. 3. We also mentioned that the client could switch to "en-gb" if they feel it is more accurate for their target audience, but if they do not target "en-gb" users, no change is necessary at this time. 4. We provided a custom search URL for the client to explore existing tickets regarding similar hreflang changes: here.
Please note that the solution provided might be irrelevant due to being outdated or not applicable to your case. If the solution does not resolve your issue, 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 you still need assistance, please open a new support ticket here.
Problem: The client is trying to optimize an English website for a French-speaking audience using French keywords with the Yoast SEO plugin on English pages.
Solution: We explained that once the WPML SEO plugin is activated, it allows for the translation of various Yoast SEO plugin fields. This means that when translating content, the client also has the option to translate SEO-related information, which will be reflected in the translated post/page.
To include French keywords on English pages, the client can use the Yoast SEO plugin's meta box in the Editor to enter Meta titles, descriptions, keywords, and other SEO-related properties. The client can add French keywords in the meta fields to optimize English pages for a French-speaking audience without changing the content language.
When translating English content into French, the keywords entered in the meta fields will be available for translation in the Editor, allowing the client to translate them as needed.
We also recommended consulting the official documentation and support team of the Yoast SEO plugin for additional details on the Meta box and referred to a guide on optimizing page titles for SEO: https://yoast.com/page-titles-seo/.
If this solution is not relevant due to being outdated or not applicable to your case, we suggest opening a new support ticket. 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 contact us in the WPML support forum.
Problem: The client is trying to clean their site and has encountered an issue with lots of caching files in the WPML cache directory Solution: We recommend going to WPML->Support->Troubleshooting and clearing the WPML Cache. This action should resolve the issue. For further guidance, please refer to our documentation on WPML troubleshooting options:
Problem: If you're trying to work with WPML and expect to see the advanced translation editor page while clicking on "Take & Translate" button from WPML >> Translations page but instead get nothing Solution: First, ensure that your current WPML user is added as a translator in WPML >> Translation Management > Translators tab. Next, cancel any stuck jobs for Header/Footer templates by navigating to WPML >> Translation Management > Jobs tab and using the trash icon to remove them. For more details, check out our documentation on how to cancel translation jobs.
Then, edit the Header/Footer template in WPBakery Page Builder > Templates by making a small change to the default language header/footer title and revert the change to trigger a translation reload. After that, go to WPML >> Translation Management page, select the Templates post type, click the Filter button, choose the Header/Footer template, and add them to the translation basket.
Proceed to WPML >> Translation Management > Translation basket tab and assign that job to the First available translator. Visit WPML >> Translation Management > Translations page, press the Take and Translate button, and you should be able to load the page in WPML Advanced Translation Editor. Click the Complete button to finish.
Problem: The client is experiencing issues with image alignment on a bilingual website. The French translation, which is longer than the English version, causes the image in the adjacent column to have undesirable top and bottom margins. The client is unsure if changes made in the translated text should appear on the live site and is also confused about the appearance of a cog icon instead of a pencil icon after translation.
Solution: We recommend setting the image height to "auto" to accommodate the varying text lengths in different languages. This can be done by adding the following CSS rule:
This CSS rule should be added at Customizer > Additional CSS. It's important to note that this is not a WPML issue, as WPML will use the same image in both languages unless an alternative image is uploaded at WPML > Media Translation.
Take note, that when translating the content with the WPML Translation Editor then it will use the same settings in both language. In this case, the Elementor Page Builder Widgets all had the same setting, only the amount of text was different.
Problem: The client is trying to display only the non-current languages in the top WPML language switcher using the Elementor WPML Language Switcher widget. Solution: We recommend the following steps to achieve this: 1. Ensure you back up your site for safety reasons. 2. Edit the Elementor header template and remove the WPML Language Switcher widget. 3. Add a "Shortcode" widget and insert the following shortcode:
[wpml_language_selector_widget]
4. Navigate to WPML >> Languages >> Custom Language Switchers, select the "Enable" checkbox, and click the "Customize" button. 5. In the "Language switcher style" dropdown, select "Vertical list", uncheck the "Current language" checkbox, and click the Save button. This will hide the current language from the language switcher.
