All language links redirect back to English

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

Problem:
The client was experiencing an issue where their site's Chinese translation pages were redirecting to the default language homepage. This occurred after changing the Language URL format settings. The problem seemed to be resolved temporarily by removing the Language Switcher, but reappeared when it was added back.

Solution:
We first asked the client to ensure that all translated pages/posts were marked as "Published" and to verify that a homepage was set and translated into Chinese. We then suggested that the client re-add the Language Switcher so we could conduct a thorough check. After reviewing the site, we did not encounter the redirection issue and suggested that the problem might be related to caching. We recommended the client to clear the site and browser's cache and try accessing the page again, possibly using a different browser or a private/incognito window.

If you're experiencing a similar issue, we recommend you:
1. Verify that all translated pages/posts are marked as "Published".
2. Check that a homepage is set and has been translated into the required language.
3. Clear your site and browser's cache, then try accessing the page again using a different browser or in a private/incognito window.

Please note that this solution might be irrelevant if it's outdated or not applicable to your case. If the issue persists, we highly recommend checking related 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.

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Tagged: Exception

This topic contains 5 replies, has 2 voices.

Last updated by Prosenjit Barman 1 year, 4 months ago.

Assisted by: Prosenjit Barman.

Author	Posts
February 7, 2024 at 3:31 pm #15277409
zakG	Link to a page where the issue can be seen: hidden link This is the link to our Chinese translation, but it will redirect you to hidden link. This happens for every page. It happens if I set the Language URL format to "Different languages in directories," as I have it set now, or "Language name added as a parameter." Previously I had set that to "A different domain per language," and it seems to be redirecting ever since I tried to change it back. Yes, I reset the page's permalinks each time I changed it. Please assist, we spent so much time getting this translation working, are all ready to launch and now cannot access it.
February 7, 2024 at 4:06 pm #15277678
zakG	I discovered that removing the Language Switcher from the top menu fixed the issue, but when I add it back, the issue persists. Unfortunately I can't show you the issue since I don't want it to be visible on our live website.
February 7, 2024 at 4:09 pm #15277681
zakG	We do have a Staging website. hidden link On that site, I had switched the Language URL format to "A different domain per language," but was able to switch it back to "Different languages in directories" without issue.
February 8, 2024 at 11:47 am #15280990
Prosenjit Barman WPML Supporter since 03/2023 Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Asia/Dhaka (GMT+06:00)	Hello There, Thanks for contacting WPML Support. I understand the issue you're having and will try my best to assist you in this matter. Occasionally, issues like this may arise if the translated page or post is in Draft status. Drafts are not publicly accessible, leading users to be redirected to the default language pages. Could you please verify that the pages/posts in Chinese are marked as "Published"? Also, navigate to "Settings > Reading" to ensure a homepage is set and that this homepage has been translated into Chinese. Given that this issue doesn't occur on the Testing site, pinpointing the exact cause of the redirection can be challenging from the testing site. If the problem continues on the main site, could you please re-add the Language switcher? You mentioned that removing it seemed to resolve the issue, but having it in place will allow me to conduct a thorough check and provide more specific guidance on how to proceed. Looking forward to your response and I'm always here to help! Best regards, Prosenjit
February 9, 2024 at 4:04 pm #15286936
zakG	Yes, all the posts are marked published, and the homepage is set to a page with a translation. There is a brief flash of the translated page before redirecting. I just turned the language switcher back on, so as soon as you're able to look at it would be helpful, because I'd rather it not appear broken.
February 11, 2024 at 11:28 am #15289403
Prosenjit Barman WPML Supporter since 03/2023 Languages: English (English ) Timezone: Asia/Dhaka (GMT+06:00)	Hi There, Thank you for enabling the Language switcher. I have thoroughly reviewed the Chinese version of the site across various browsers and did not encounter the redirection issue you reported. The page appears to be loading correctly without any problems. For reference, please check this video I recorded during my inspection: hidden link. Given that everything functioned smoothly during my review, the caches might be causing the issue. Could you kindly clear your site and browser's cache, then try accessing the page again? It might also be helpful to try from a different browser or in a private/incognito window. I hope it will help. But, if the problem persists, please provide details on where/how the issue can be seen. I am here to assist further and will do my best to help resolve the matter. Best regards, Prosenjit
February 13, 2024 at 8:59 pm #15299562
zakG	I noticed it began working again too, although when I first enabled the language switcher again it hadn't been working until a day later. You're right that it must be due to caching, although I tried incognito/other uncached browsers, and tried clearing all the various caching methods available through my host, and nothing fixed it. Thanks for checking.