Home›Support›English Support›[Resolved] [Following the closed ticket #16746216] Domain translation .it and .fr
[Resolved] [Following the closed ticket #16746216] Domain translation .it and .fr
This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.
Problem: You are trying to translate your website from French to Italian using WPML's 'A different domain per language' option, but you are unable to connect the domains abaya.fr and abayas.it for translation. Despite following the setup documentation and troubleshooting steps like disabling plugins, flushing cache, and changing the theme, the feature does not function as expected. Solution: We recommend performing a test to check if your domains are set up correctly by following the steps outlined in our documentation here: Testing if the domains are set properly. If your domains behave as described but still fail to validate when saving the settings in WPML, try unchecking the validation option in the WPML settings and save again.
If this solution does not resolve your issue or seems irrelevant due to being outdated or not applicable to your case, we highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent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. Additionally, you can open a new support ticket for further assistance at WPML support forum.
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Background of the issue:
I am trying to translate my website Abayas.it into Italian from French. I attempted to use the WPML option 'A different domain per language' to connect the domains abaya.fr and abayas.it, but it failed. Link to a page where the issue can be seen: hidden link
Symptoms:
The option 'A different domain per language' failed to connect the domains for translation. Despite disabling plugins, flushing cache, and changing the theme, the issue persisted. The setup is according to the documentation, but the feature does not run as expected.
Questions:
Why does the 'A different domain per language' option fail to connect abaya.fr and abayas.it?
What are the possible reasons for the persistent redirect issue despite following the documentation?
Do your sites domains behave this way? If so, but they still don't validate if you try saving these settings in WPML, uncheck the validation in WPML settings and save.
Languages: English (English )German (Deutsch )French (Français )
Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)
Just to confirm, did you run the redirection test with WPML completely disabled? That would help isolate whether the issue is related to WPML or something else.
Languages: English (English )German (Deutsch )French (Français )
Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)
Based on everything tested and the info so far, here's what I recommend as the next steps to move forward:
1. Please double-check the domain and server mapping.
Even with WPML configured properly, the server needs to recognize both abaya.fr and abayas.it and point them to the same WordPress installation and directory. The DNS for abayas.it must resolve correctly and not point to a separate directory or install. If it does, this can lead to unexpected redirects or 404 errors, which seems to match what we’re seeing.
2. Remove the conditional settings in wp-config.php.
Currently, the config file defines WP_HOME and WP_SITEURL based on the domain. While this temporarily stops the redirect, it interferes with how WPML handles domain switching. WordPress also stores these values in the database and expects the site to load from them. When the domain in the browser doesn't match the stored value, WordPress often redirects to what it considers the "correct" domain — which is likely abaya.fr in this case.
3. Check for any server-level redirects.
Please review the .htaccess file for any redirect rules (like those involving RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST}) that could be forcing traffic from abayas.it to abaya.fr. Also, check SiteGround’s redirection settings in Site Tools or cPanel for anything that might be affecting how these domains are handled. If you're using NGINX, its config should also be checked for similar redirect logic.
Based on everything above — especially the fact that the redirect happens even with WPML disabled — it seems the issue is not related to WPML itself, but more likely tied to the server or domain configuration.
If SiteGround support isn’t able to help further, you might consider reaching out to a professional listed on WPML’s recommended contractor page: https://wpml.org/contractors/. They specialize in advanced multilingual setups and can dig deeper into the server and domain-level configuration if needed.
Languages: English (English )German (Deutsch )French (Français )
Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)
I'm sorry to hear that you've decided to stop using WPML. If you’d like to request a refund, you can do so (if eligible) through the official refund page here: https://wpml.org/purchase/refunds/
If there's anything else I can do to assist in the meantime, feel free to let me know.
They are telling me that i'm not elligible for a refund, because my 30 days window is passed. But this period has been passed because you were looking for the solution to make the plugin work.
Can you please ask for an exceptional refund on your side by telling this team that we didn't succeed to make the plugin work?
Languages: English (English )German (Deutsch )French (Français )
Timezone: Europe/Zagreb (GMT+02:00)
I’ve reviewed the timeline, and since the 30-day refund period ended on March 27 and your first support ticket was opened on April 17, the request unfortunately falls outside our eligible refund window.
That said, if you'd like to request an exception, I recommend submitting your case directly to our management team via this form: https://wpml.org/home/contact-us/contact-form/. They’ll be best positioned to review and respond.
