[Resolved] Homepage header and images missing after enabling “Use directory for default language (/de/)” ...

It looks like the issue may have happened if the site’s rewrite base changed when the default language for the directory was updated. In that situation, it’s possible for some URLs—especially inside Elementor’s internal data—to keep the old path.

The reason a standard search-and-replace didn’t fix it is likely because the _elementor_data field is very large, and the URLs inside it are stored in an escaped format, for example:

https:\/\/nextgen-workforce.ch\/de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Untitled-1.png

To correct this in bulk, the following command can be used:

wp search-replace 'https:\/\/nextgen-workforce.ch\/de\/wp-content\/uploads\/' 'https:\/\/nextgen-workforce.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/'

The command is intended for websites that run on WordPress with WP-CLI installed. If you don't have this option, you can try with this e.g. https://wordpress.org/plugins/better-search-replace/

Before running this, a full site backup is strongly recommended.

It doesn’t appear that this issue was caused by your theme or by any plugin. What happened is that some Elementor internal URLs kept an older absolute path that was used previously on the site. These URLs are stored inside Elementor’s JSON data, and because they are absolute paths, WPML cannot interpret or rewrite them, so the outdated path simply gets reused in the translation.

As for what originally triggered this, we can’t say with certainty. We have no other cases of this happening and no reliable way to reproduce it, so it seems to be an isolated exception that occurred at some point—possibly when the rewrite base or the “default language in directory” setting was changed, although we cannot confirm that. Since there is no identifiable bug, there isn’t anything to fix in WPML or in your theme.

The only action needed is to update those outdated URLs in bulk, after which everything will function normally.

Hello, this is Marcel. I’m one of the support team leads, and I’ve reviewed the full history of this case, including the package you provided and our developers’ analysis.

What we found:
The /de/ prefix appearing in some image URLs was not added by WPML. These values were previously saved inside Elementor’s internal JSON structure (_elementor_data) as absolute URLs that already included /de/. Elementor preserves these values exactly as stored, which is why re-adding an image corrects the issue immediately.

WPML does not rewrite or modify these internal Elementor entries retroactively.

Why this happened:
At an earlier stage, the site was most likely running with a different routing configuration (for example, “Use directory for default language”). During that period, Elementor appears to have stored the URLs in this format. Because this is historical data, the issue cannot be reproduced in a clean environment.

About the previous replies:
The guidance you received earlier in this ticket is fully consistent with our internal analysis and based on the information available at each stage.

Regarding the timing of replies: some of your messages arrived outside of Bruno’s working hours and during the weekend, when he was not available. If you ever need assistance more urgently, you’re welcome to open a new ticket. When a chat supporter is available, you can receive real-time chat support there.

Bulk correction:
Our developers provided a safe bulk solution that can be applied using hidden link. WP-CLI is the official command-line interface for WordPress and is included or supported by most hosting providers. It allows running search-replace operations safely and consistently.

If you prefer not to run WP-CLI yourself, the command can be executed by whoever manages the technical administration of your site (for example, your hosting provider).

Best regards,
Marcel