ACF options page doesn't show translated content

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

Problem:
You are trying to save translations for an ACF options page and expect to see translations on both the backend and frontend. However, the translation appears on the frontend, but the backend options page still shows untranslated content. Additionally, if the options page is saved a second time, the frontend also reverts to untranslated content.
Solution:
We recommend checking the translation option selected for your options page. The available options are:

Same fields across languages
Different fields across languages
Expert

Please adjust the Multilingual Setup in your ACF -> Field Groups settings accordingly. In this case, you can switch to the Expert mode and set the fields in question to Copy Once. Please review our ACF guides and one known issue.
https://wpml.org/documentation/related-projects/translate-sites-built-with-acf/translating-the-acf-options-page-custom-fields-with-wpml/
https://wpml.org/errata/advanced-custom-fields-sub-fields-are-overwritten-in-options-page/
If the issue persists, it might be due to an outdated solution or a different problem not covered here. 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 need further assistance, please open a new support ticket at WPML support forum.

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Tagged: Documentation request

This topic contains 4 replies, has 0 voices.

Last updated by emilyM-7 5 days, 4 hours ago.

Assisted by: Itamar.

Author	Posts
April 24, 2025 at 1:38 am #16962314
emilyM-7	Background of the issue: I am trying to save translations for an ACF options page. I expected to see translations on both the backend and frontend after saving. Symptoms: Translation appears on the frontend, but the backend options page still shows untranslated content. If the options page is saved a second time, the frontend also reverts to untranslated content. Questions: Why does the backend options page still show untranslated content after saving? Why does the frontend revert to untranslated content after saving the options page a second time?
April 24, 2025 at 9:12 am #16963357
Itamar WPML Supporter since 02/2016 Languages: English (English ) Hebrew (עברית ) Timezone: Asia/Jerusalem (GMT+03:00)	Hi, Can you please confirm that you follow our guide on how to translate ACF Option Pages? https://wpml.org/documentation/related-projects/translate-sites-built-with-acf/translating-the-acf-options-page-custom-fields-with-wpml/ Also, please be aware of the following known issue and check if it is related to the issue on your site. https://wpml.org/errata/advanced-custom-fields-sub-fields-are-overwritten-in-options-page/ Is this information helpful? Regards, Itamar.
April 24, 2025 at 10:37 am #16963850
emilyM-7	The issue linked says this: "Set the parent and nested repeater fields to Copy Once. In this way, the whole structure will be copied the first time that you translate the options page. However after that, you should be able to adjust the custom fields in both languages." It does not say where this should be done. There are a ton of different configuration pages related to Field Groups, Option Pages, translation jobs, translation queue, etc. Could you specify exactly where this "Copy Once" setting should be made and perhaps update the linked issue to be more descriptive for people?
April 24, 2025 at 9:38 pm #16966394
Itamar WPML Supporter since 02/2016 Languages: English (English ) Hebrew (עברית ) Timezone: Asia/Jerusalem (GMT+03:00)	Hi, Can you please tell me what translation option you selected for your options page? The translation options are: - Same fields across languages - Different fields across languages - Expert Please see the attached screenshot. If you'd like, I can investigate the issue on your site. If you need further help with this, please share the access details to your site with me. I'm enabling a private message for the following reply. Privacy and Security Policy We have strict policies regarding privacy and access to your information. Please see: https://wpml.org/purchase/support-policy/privacy-and-security-when-providing-debug-information-for-support/ IMPORTANT - - Please backup the site files and database before providing us access. -- -- If you have a staging site where the problem can be reproduced, it is better to share access to the staging site.-- Please note that my weekend is Friday-Saturday, and I'll be able to continue to check this issue and help you on Sunday. Regards, Itamar.
April 25, 2025 at 12:31 am #16966514
emilyM-7	- Same fields across languages
April 25, 2025 at 10:17 am #16967798
emilyM-7	The solution for me was to go to the settings page of my Field Group via ACF -> Field Groups. Then, set the Multilingual Setup to "Expert" Then, go through every field in the list of fields below, including any fields inside tabs, repeaters and groups, and set each one's "Translation preferences" to "Copy Once". Most of them were set to "Copy" which is why the original language content was continuously replacing the translated text. Sigh.