Classical translation editor broken with last version of Elementor (3.24.5)

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

Problem:
You are trying to translate posts using the 'Classical Translation Editor' (CTE) that were created with the Classical Editor and do not use Elementor functions. However, you can no longer access the Wysiwig translation editor, only the 'code' view. WPML displays a message advising to switch to the Advanced Translation Editor (ATE) to translate content without risking breaking your HTML code.
Solution:
The WPML support team has investigated and found that ATE has specific handling for HTML content, whereas CTE does not, and there are no plans to add new features to CTE at this time. WordPress itself does not allow adding script tags through the Visual tab in the Classic Editor; they must be added in the Text tab to function correctly. Therefore, for translating content that includes HTML, it is recommended to switch to ATE, which is better equipped for handling such scenarios. If you need to manage different editors for different pages, you can follow this guide on Using Different Translation Editors for Different Pages. Alternatively, replacing HTML with shortcodes is another viable option.

Please note that this solution might be irrelevant if it's outdated or not applicable to your specific case.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 the issue persists, please open a new support ticket.

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Tagged: Exception

This topic contains 9 replies, has 2 voices.

Last updated by Bruno Kos 8 months, 1 week ago.

Assisted by: Bruno Kos.

Author	Posts
October 3, 2024 at 2:53 am #16247768
Marie-Aude	Background of the issue: I am trying to translate posts through the 'Classical Translation Editor'. These posts have been created with the Classical Editor and do not use functions of Elementor. Symptoms: I do not have access anymore to the Wysiwig translation editor, just the 'code' view. WPML displays a message: 'We see you're translating content that contains HTML. Switch to the Advanced Translation Editor to translate content without the risk of breaking your HTML code.' Questions: Why can't I access the Wysiwig classical editor for my content? How can I resolve the issue with the Classical Translation Editor not working with Elementor version 3.24.5?
October 3, 2024 at 5:30 am #16247866
Bruno Kos WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) German (Deutsch ) French (Français ) Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)	Hi, Thank you for contacting WPML support! To confirm, you want to stay on Classic Translation Editor and not switch to the Advanced Translation Editor for these translations? If so, would you be willing to provide me with WordPress and FTP credentials so I could investigate the issue directly? And send me url of at least one post which was translated using Classic Translation Editor. https://wpml.org/purchase/support-policy/privacy-and-security-when-providing-debug-information-for-support/ I marked your next reply as private so that you can safely add credentials. Regards, Bruno Kos
October 4, 2024 at 6:19 am #16252511
Bruno Kos WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) German (Deutsch ) French (Français ) Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)	If I check hidden link I see that this is not even using Gutenberg, correct? Can you tell me how did you disable it to use visual builder only? Are you using some plugin or code to do this? As it is possible the the conflict comes from the way this is set, thereby preventing WPML to load it properly.
October 4, 2024 at 12:15 pm #16254027
Marie-Aude	I use the Classic Editor plugin with classic editor as default on my profile. And NO this does not come from this setting. As I said : 1- noticed that on the main productive site, where all my plugins where updated, it stopped working 3-4 days ago (I have spent some time trying to find "what") 2- checked on the test side, where you have access, all plugins where not updated. I updated first Classic Editor, was still working. Updated Elementor, does not work anymore. 3- it is still working on my local test system, with not updated version of Elementor 4- Works also correctly on another of my websites with "old" Elementor version and the same Classic Editor configuration. 5- The error message is yours and tells me that, because there is HTML, I should switch to the new translation editor
October 4, 2024 at 6:23 pm #16255573
Marie-Aude	Strange enough, when I create now a new post, the translation editor behaves correctly : hidden link but still wrong here : hidden link or here hidden link
October 7, 2024 at 6:42 am #16259070
Bruno Kos WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) German (Deutsch ) French (Français ) Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)	Can you tell me if the only difference is that non-working pages use something like <script type="text/javascript" src="<em><u>hidden link</u></em>"></script> Because I see no script tags on hidden link.
October 7, 2024 at 12:45 pm #16261449
Marie-Aude	Hi Bruno, I can't say for sure with the large number of posts still to be translated, but yes, this seems to be the case.
October 7, 2024 at 1:16 pm #16261546
Bruno Kos WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) German (Deutsch ) French (Français ) Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)	I am checking with with our 2nd tier and will keep you posted.
October 7, 2024 at 9:11 pm #16263530
Marie-Aude	Thank you. In worst case, I can generate the javascript through a shortcode if there is no way to solve this.
October 8, 2024 at 5:22 am #16263878
Bruno Kos WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) German (Deutsch ) French (Français ) Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)	Our 2nd tier checked this. ATE (Advanced Translation Editor) has specific handling for HTML content, whereas CTE (Classic Translation Editor) does not, and we’re not adding new features to CTE at this time. Also, keep in mind that WordPress itself doesn’t allow adding script tags through the Visual tab in the Classic Editor. For example, if you insert <script>alert("Boo!");</script> using the Visual tab, WordPress will save it as plain text, and the script won't execute—it will simply display as text. To insert script tags properly, you'd need to switch to the Text tab. In this case, it seems the request is for CTE to do something WordPress doesn’t natively support. So there's nothing more we can do with CTE, but you do have options. You can switch to the Text editor for specific content needs or use ATE, which handles more advanced HTML scenarios. Alternatively, if you want to manage different editors for different pages, you can follow this guide: [Using Different Translation Editors for Different Pages](https://wpml.org/documentation/translating-your-contents/using-different-translation-editors-for-different-pages/#how-to-use-manual-translation). Or yes, you can replace them with shortcodes.