Critical WPML Issue: Auto-Translation overwriting URLs + internal links switching to source language...

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

Problem:
The client is experiencing several issues with their multilingual WooCommerce site after a recent update. These include overwritten translated URL slugs, internal links reverting to the source language, inability to bulk approve segments in the Advanced Translation Editor (ATE), and the 'Save & Publish' function in ATE not working correctly.
Solution:
We recommended updating WPML and all related add-ons to the latest version, 4.9.5, to benefit from the latest bug fixes, compatibility improvements, and performance enhancements. We advised the client to check for updates in the WordPress dashboard under Plugins → Add New → Commercial and click “Check for updates,” or download the latest versions from My Account → Downloads on wpml.org. We also emphasized the importance of creating a full backup of the database before proceeding with the update.

If the issues persist after updating, or if this solution does not apply due to changes in WPML versions or specific site configurations, we recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that the latest versions of themes and plugins are installed. If problems continue, please open a new support ticket at WPML support forum for further assistance.

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Tagged: ATE, Exception

This topic contains 1 reply, has 0 voices.

Last updated by Andrey 1 month ago.

Assisted by: Andrey.

Author	Posts
June 9, 2026 at 1:10 pm #18090468
christophG-23	Hello WPML Support Team, since the latest update, I am experiencing several critical issues affecting my multilingual WooCommerce site: Website: hidden link Default language: German Secondary languages: French (/fr/), Italian (/it/), English (/en/) WPML setup: WooCommerce + Advanced Translation Editor (ATE) + Auto Translation 🔴 Issue 1: Translated URLs (slugs) are being overwritten When using Auto Translation, WPML now automatically rewrites all translated URL slugs. Example: Previously defined URLs: /fr/test-de-depistage/ /it/test-antidroga/ After translation, they are overwritten to: /fr/drug-test-thc/ /it/drug-test-thc/ 👉 Problem: Existing URLs are replaced Internal links and SEO structure break I must manually correct each URL after every translation 🔴 Issue 2: Internal links switch to source language (German) After running Auto Translation: 👉 All internal links on translated pages are converted to the German source URLs Example: hidden link 👉 Result: French and Italian pages contain German links This did not happen before the update 🔴 Issue 3: ATE editor – cannot bulk approve segments In the Advanced Translation Editor: After automatic translation, all segments (blue) require manual confirmation There is no visible option to approve all segments at once 👉 Question: Is there a way to auto-confirm all segments or skip manual approval entirely? 🔴 Issue 4: ATE “Save & Publish” not working (infinite loading) When I click “Save and publish” in ATE: A “Please wait…” message appears Loading spinner never stops Changes are not saved After page reload (F5), the incorrect (German) URLs remain 👉 Important: Inside ATE, the correct translated URLs are visible They are simply not applied ✅ Expected behavior Translated URLs (slugs) should NOT be overwritten automatically Internal links should stay within their correct language Auto Translation should not require manual segment confirmation ATE should save changes correctly ⚙️ Additional Info / Suspected Causes This behavior appeared after a recent update, so I suspect: Change in URL translation handling Slug translation settings or fallback rules Possible ATE sync or save issue How can I prevent WPML from overwriting translated slugs? How can I ensure internal links stay language-specific? Can I disable manual segment approval in ATE? What causes the infinite loading issue when saving? I HAVE LOT OF ISSUES WITH WPML - I THINK MY PAGE IS TOO COMPLICATED - WHAT I WANT AND WHAT I NEED IS: MY MAIN PAGE IS GERMAN, AND I WANT TO EASILY PROVIDE ALL MY PAGES AND PRODUCTS IN FRENCH, ITALIAN AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE TOO. I OFTEN HAVE PROBLEMS WITH URL SLUGS AND ALSO INTERNAL LINKS WHICH ARE WRONG OR WHICH AUTOMATICALLY CHANGES WHEN I DO A AUTO TRANSLATE AFTER UPDATE OF A PRODUCT OR PAGE. I can provide backend access if needed. Thank you in advance for your support. Best regards, Christoph Grosswiler
June 10, 2026 at 8:06 pm #18094636
Andrey WPML Supporter since 06/2013 Languages: English (English ) Russian (Русский ) Timezone: Europe/Kyiv (GMT+03:00)	Thank you for contacting WPML support. We have just released new versions of the WPML plugins. Could you please update WPML and all related add-ons to the latest version, 4.9.5, to benefit from the latest bug fixes, compatibility improvements, and performance enhancements? While this update may not resolve the issue, it is important that we troubleshoot using the most recent available codebase. If you do not see the updates in your WordPress dashboard, please go to: Plugins → Add New → Commercial and click “Check for updates.” You can also download the latest versions from My Account → Downloads on wpml.org. Update instructions can be found here: http://wpml.org/faq/install-wpml/ Before proceeding, please ensure that you create a full backup of your database. Once the update is complete, please let me know whether the issue still persists.