Empty fields issue with Translation Editor

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

Problem:
If you're trying to translate an ACF custom post type using the WPML Translation Editor and notice that all fields except for the title are empty in the English translation, it might be due to the need for additional configuration.
Solution:
We recommend installing the "Advanced Custom Fields Multilingual" addon to enable the translation of ACF Fields and Post Types with the WPML Translation Editor. You can find this addon under Plugins > Add new > Commercial or directly at https://wpml.org/download/acfml/?section=changelog (please use version Version 2.1.4.2).

After installation, ensure that all field groups that include fields translated with the WPML Translation Editor are set to "Same fields across languages". Additionally, edit your CPT in ACF and save it again to make the CPT available at WPML > Translation Management for translation. For more guidance, visit https://wpml.org/documentation/related-projects/translate-sites-built-with-acf/.

If this solution does not apply to your case, or if it seems outdated, we highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have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 at WPML support forum.

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Tagged: Documentation request

This topic contains 2 replies, has 0 voices.

Last updated by dominikK-43 1 year, 2 months ago.

Assisted by: Andreas W..

Author	Posts
February 6, 2025 at 3:20 pm #16676276
dominikK-43	Background of the issue: I am trying to translate a custom post type using the WPML Translation Editor on my site hidden link. I followed the documentation at https://wpml.org/documentation/getting-started-guide/translating-custom-posts/. Symptoms: After using the Translation Editor, all fields except for the title are empty in the English translation. However, if I open the English version in the Standard WordPress Editor and click Save, all the data appears. Questions: What could be causing the fields to be empty after using the Translation Editor? Is there a specific configuration option that needs to be adjusted for this custom post type?
February 6, 2025 at 4:00 pm #16676429
Andreas W. WPML Supporter since 12/2018 Languages: English (English ) Spanish (Español ) German (Deutsch ) Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)	Hello, Do I understand correctly that this CPT is created with ACF PRO? You will need to install our addon "Advanced Custom Fields Multilingual" to be able to translate ACF Fields and Post Types with the WPML Translation Editor. You can find the addon at Plugins > Add new > Commercial or here: https://wpml.org/download/acfml/?section=changelog (please use version Version 2.1.4.2) Once installed, make sure that all field groups that include fields that are translated with the WPML Translation Editor are set to "Same fields across languages". Also, please edit your CPT in ACF and save it again. This will make the CPT available at WPML > Translation Management for translation. Guide: https://wpml.org/documentation/related-projects/translate-sites-built-with-acf/ Best regards Andreas
February 6, 2025 at 5:35 pm #16676767
dominikK-43	Hi Andreas, thank you for the response! I reinstalled the ACFML plugin and changed the field groups from 'Expert' to 'Same fields across languages' and it works now. I still don't really understand why, because this was working fine for all custom post types except one. On my local environment I could not reproduce the error either. Anyway I'm glad it works now, thanks for your help! Best regards Philipp