[Resolved] I can't edit translated pages with elementor because of wpml
This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.
Problem: The client is unable to edit translated pages with Elementor without receiving a warning that changes will be lost. This issue started occurring recently, even though the client followed WPML documentation for translating Elementor pages. Solution: We advised the client to check the translation method set for their content. If it's set to "WPML Translation Editor", we recommended switching to the "WordPress Editor" to allow for different layouts and designs in different languages without the changes being overwritten by the WPML Translation Editor. This can be done by opening an original page in the WordPress Editor, checking the right sidebar under the section languages, and switching the translation method. If issues persist, toggling between "WPML Translation Editor" and "WordPress Editor" might help.
Regarding the issue with blog posts appearing as translated when they are not, it's likely due to the WPML setting for 'Post Type Translation' being set to 'Fallback'. We recommended changing this setting to 'Translatable – only show translated items' to prevent untranslated posts from appearing in other languages. More details can be found here: Displaying Untranslated Content on Pages in Secondary Languages.
If these solutions do not resolve your issues or seem outdated, please check related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verify the version of the permanent fix, and confirm that you have installed the latest versions of themes and plugins. We highly recommend opening a new support ticket for further assistance at WPML support forum.
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Background of the issue:
I am trying to edit the layout and visuals of translated pages on my website using the 'Edit with Elementor' option. I have followed the documentation on the official WPML support site, including articles on translating Elementor pages and troubleshooting compatibility issues.
Symptoms:
When I try to edit translated pages with Elementor, I encounter a warning: 'Warning: Edits you're about to make will be lost. You are about to edit this translation using Elementor. Any changes you make will be lost the next time you send this page for translation.'
Questions:
Why can't I edit translated pages with Elementor despite following the WPML documentation?
How can I resolve the warning message when editing translated pages with Elementor?
Languages: English (English )Spanish (Español )German (Deutsch )
Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)
Hello,
The warning appears once you try to edit the content in a second language on the WordPress Editor because the translation method for this content is set to "WPML Translation Editor".
This setting can be found only on original content, on the right sidebar of the WordPress Editor.
Using the "WPML Translation Editor" is the recommended way to translate Elementor if you want to use an identical layout and design in all languages.
If you make changes to the original content, even if those are only related to layout or design, you will need to update the translation using the WPML Translation Editor. In this case, the status might show up as 100% as you did not make any text changes, but you will need to complete the translation again so that the WPML Translation Editor can copy over all the settings in the background.
If you plan to use different layouts and designs in different languages you can choose the "WordPress Editor" as the translation method.
Acoid at any time to make manual edits on the WordPress Editor in a second language as long the WPML Translation Editor is set as the translation method. The WPML Translation Editor can not recognize such edits and will overwrite them once you translate the content again using the WPML Translation Editor.
I would like to clarify that previously, I was not receiving this warning when editing already translated pages with Elementor. However, I have been encountering this issue for the past four days.
To test further, I also tried editing the translated pages using the WordPress Editor, as you suggested. Unfortunately, the warning appears not only on one specific page but on all translated pages.
Could this be related to a recent WPML update?
I would really appreciate your help in resolving this issue.
Languages: English (English )Spanish (Español )German (Deutsch )
Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)
Could you please open one of the original pages or posts on the WordPress Editor and revise the right sidebar inside the section languages?
If the translation method is set to "WPML Translation Editor" please switch it to "WordPress Editor". A follow-up dialog will allow you to set the same settings for the current content, all contents of the same post type, or all the site's content.
In case the option is already set to "WordPress Editor" please try switching it to "WPML Translation Editor" and after that back to "WordPress Editor".
If this will not solve the issue, please let me know.
Thank you for your support. I followed your instructions and opened one of the original pages in the WordPress Editor. Then, I switched the translation method to WordPress Editor and applied the change to all contents.
This resolved the issue successfully.
Previously, I hesitated to apply this setting to the entire site, thinking it might cause problems. But everything seems to be working fine now. I appreciate your assistance.
Just one question:
If I want to add a new language in the future, will I need to switch back to the previous settings (WPML Translation Editor) to do that?
I was able to resolve the previous issue by following your instructions, thank you for your help.
However, a new problem has appeared. Our blog posts written in English are being shown as if they have been translated into other languages, even though no translation has been made. When someone clicks on another language (for example, Spanish), the blog post still appears in English — even though no actual translation exists.
The issue is: WPML displays blog posts as if they have translations, but those translations do not exist.
This is causing confusion for our visitors, and I urgently need your assistance to fix it.
Even though I haven’t created any translation for the blog post, it still appears as if it has been translated. When I click on a different language, it assigns a slug for that language but simply displays the default (English) blog content.
Languages: English (English )Spanish (Español )German (Deutsch )
Timezone: America/Lima (GMT-05:00)
My apologies for the delay in answering, as I do not work on Sundays and Mondays.
You do not need to switch the translation method if you want to add a new language to WPML.
The reason for blog posts showing up in a second language, might be that inside WPML > Settings > Post Type Translation the "Posts" are set to use "Fallback", which means that they are set to "Translatable – use translation if available or fallback to default language".
If you do not wish untranslated posts to be displayed in second languages, use the settings "Translatable – only show translated items".
